Wax vs Silicone

[knobby]

Is there any reason not to use a silicone sealant to fix reed plates to the blocks? I've searched here and read a couple of threads which skirt around the issue but don't say either "Yes you can" or "No you can't, because...".

Silicone would be easier to apply, lasts for years, is not susceptible to hot weather, and relatively easy to remove & clean up when necessary. So why isn't it used or, to put it another way, what advantages does wax have over silicone?

 

[JIM D.]

In most all cases silicone sealant in accordion repair is a No-No.
Removing it will cause wood damage. Accordions for the last 120 years have been repaired with wood glues for breaks & separations.
Beeswax has always been used for sealant & reed mounting.
The old adage goes - If the method is tried & true - DON"T CHANGE IT !!

 

[debra]

I don't know which threads skirt around the issue. I know one person (won't mention any names) on facebook who likes silicone but ALL other threads I have seen and all experts have said and will continue to say it is a definite "No you can't". Silicone may interact badly with the read plates, is a pain to remove if needed, maybe even worse if it accidentally gets on a reed... Wax is the tried and tested method. (Reeds nailed or screwed on leather is also used, in some French types and in accordions made for the tropics.) Silicone is for use in bathrooms, not in accordions.

 

[jozz]

just go for it!

i guess the main problem would be to apply the right amount and dont make a mess

 

[Pipemajor]

I would have thought that silicone, being flexible would dampen the vibrations from the reeds, and so reduce the volume or change the sound in some way. Wax, although flexible to some extent, is harder. If this is true then pinning the reeds on is the way to go

 

[debra]

I would have thought that silicone, being flexible would dampen the vibrations from the reeds, and so reduce the volume or change the sound in some way. Wax, although flexible to some extent, is harder. If this is true then pinning the reeds on is the way to go

Pinning the reeds gives good contact (albeit a bit dampened because when reeds are pinned a thin layer of leather is placed between the reed plate and the block. A drawback of pinning is that nails may lose their grip in the wood. Screws (or screwed hooks, like in a bayan) would be better.

 

[JIM D.]

I've repaired accordions that have had silicone used for sealing and gluing in the past. The removal of the silicone on many cases with double the time and the labor costs in repair. In some cases the time for the silicone removal will exceed the time of the proper repair. The only reason is I suspect is that the original culpirt's that have used the silicone failed to obtain the proper repair
parts (Gaskets & Reed Wax) or were ignorant of the process to use them properly in repair's.

There are pro's & con's for the use of nailed reeds to a thin layer of leather. The pro's -- The original leather seals well and the nails transmit the reed vibration effectively to the reed blocks and some cases create a warming sound to the reeds. The Con's -- With time the thin leather will dry out and
cause leakage. The leather replacement here will require cutting & fitting the new leather. And there is the nail problem, as when a reed is removed for repair or tuning the nails will not fit their original holes and will require filling or repositioning. In many cases the cost of relining a reed block is exspensive and the choice is made to remove the reeds from the reed block, clean it & wax the reeds in.