Single reed tuning block
- Thread starter Squeezy1
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Assuming that your current tuning block has a large hole to put a half-accordion on you can use wooden cover for that hole with a small single-reed hole in it. You can create a seal using either foam or leather.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
an old friend of mine, Walter, whittled several wooden reed holders with
very clever and well fitting sliding panels so that many different width and length
size reeds could be held nicely and worked on comfortably
i suppose one could start with some tongue in groove pieces of wooden molding
and cobble something similar.. it just has to be thick enough to allow full reed flexing
the nicely crafted Tuning bench at FisItalia uses a similar holder but it is
finely machined metal and the sliding plates are tightened by sensors and air pressure servos
sorry, no plans here, just memories
very clever and well fitting sliding panels so that many different width and length
size reeds could be held nicely and worked on comfortably
i suppose one could start with some tongue in groove pieces of wooden molding
and cobble something similar.. it just has to be thick enough to allow full reed flexing
the nicely crafted Tuning bench at FisItalia uses a similar holder but it is
finely machined metal and the sliding plates are tightened by sensors and air pressure servos
sorry, no plans here, just memories
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Squeezy1,
Here's Dennis for those who don't know him
A friend has a stand-alone unit he made himself, using recycled accordion bellows and operated with a foot pedal, leaving both hands free for working on the reeds and reed blocks
Here's Dennis for those who don't know him
A friend has a stand-alone unit he made himself, using recycled accordion bellows and operated with a foot pedal, leaving both hands free for working on the reeds and reed blocks
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What a nice demonstration of how to completely ruin reeds and be left with reeds that are also out of tune. This demo is exactly what you should NEVER do!!!Squeezy1,
Here's Dennis for those who don't know him
...
A friend has a stand-alone unit he made himself, using recycled accordion bellows and operated with a foot pedal, leaving both hands free for working on the reeds and reed blocks
The contraption is nice for testing whether reeds are functioning properly, whether the voicing is ok, the reeds are centered, the valves are opening and closing properly, etc. But whether a reed is tuned correctly can only be measured with the reed blocks inside the accordion. And then the tuning itself needs to be done with files and scratchers. A Dremel (rotary tool) should never be used on reeds (except maybe is a bass reed with a copper or lead additional weight needs to be tuned up quite a bit).
What this contraption is missing completely is a top plate with a large hole, just smaller than the bellows frame, so you can place a half-accordion on it to measure reeds while inside the accordion.
There are different scratchers available from for instance Carini (www.carinidena.it), and they also sell sets of small files (from Vallorbe) of which the pointy circular one also makes for a nice scratcher.
kanderso
Newbie
Squeezy1,
Here's Dennis for those who don't know him
A friend has a stand-alone unit he made himself, using recycled accordion bellows and operated with a foot pedal, leaving both hands free for working on the reeds and reed blocks
I modeled mine on this one, but much taller so that I can play a sustained note while tuning. I would be frustrated tuning with such a short range of bellows motion.
KiwiSqueezer
Active member
Please explain why a rotary tool 'will ruin a reed' and 'should never be used on reeds'. This sounds like the regurgitation of dogma put about by folk with no knowledge or experience of the use of abrasives in precision metalworking.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
because it is waaaaaaaay too fast
actually, it works well with a nice profile mini diamond grit bit
and
as long as you don't turn it on
(just us it as a pin vise)
even if the moment of crazy spinning touch doesn't make a too thin spot on the reed,
the near instantaneous temperature spike in the steel ! which is tempered to a fare thee well
too finesse the balance between "spring" steel and "Snap i am too brittle for this" steel
actually, it works well with a nice profile mini diamond grit bit
and
as long as you don't turn it on
(just us it as a pin vise)
even if the moment of crazy spinning touch doesn't make a too thin spot on the reed,
the near instantaneous temperature spike in the steel ! which is tempered to a fare thee well
too finesse the balance between "spring" steel and "Snap i am too brittle for this" steel
kanderso
Newbie
Thank you for posting this question. Attacks on the Dremel trick usually have an almost religious tone but little explanation. I'm currently dealing with a set of 1920s reeds that are as much as 30 cents flat.
saabanders
Member
I am sure nobody is able to hear the differenc between a accordion tuned whit Dremel or scratches. An amateur can easily ruin a reed whitout using a Dremel
It's not the Dremel that's the problem, but what attachment you use and what revs.
A grinding stone bit will very quickly create a pit/dimple that is a very local weak spot. A reed with a clearly visible thin spot will not give a stable frequency. You can year that.
However, if you put a sandpaper attachment on the Dremel, set it to low revs, go easy on the pressure and make long strokes you take a tiny bit of material off over a large (long) surface, and that should be fine.
Scratching is always recommended for accordion repair, but when reeds are being produced they are adjusted by filing or sanding, never by scratching...
saabanders
Member
Is it not true that Hohner use rotating (Dremel or somthing) in the factory tuning? And I agre that it is the hand that hold the tol that is the biggest problem
I have seen videos from accordion factories using a rotary device with grinding stone attachments. I have also seen the resulting reeds. I would not buy accordions where the reeds have been abused this way in the factory. That it is done in a factory does not make it an acceptable technique.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
the way i liked was at FisItalia.. a huge/long diamond-dust belt that is momentarily brought
in to touch a fairly wide contact area controlled by a computer and robotic system..
the reeds simply look polished where touched
in to touch a fairly wide contact area controlled by a computer and robotic system..
the reeds simply look polished where touched
kanderso
Newbie
I like using 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around a popsicle stick. Unfortunately it's not an option for inner reeds without removing the plate from the block.
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