[Stephen]

Thank’s for all the online photos ! Great to see some good photos of this instrument.

A removable reedblock is Always a great help for easy repair, or individual removable reed plates.
The French accordion makers like eg Maugein used reed plates pinned on goat skin. These were very easy to remove in a matter of minutes. They were not nailed, just “pinned”.
And the goatskin was very airtight.
In melodicas goatskin could be replaced by some “rubber” or water resistant material . (In my plastic Hohner Student 32 melodica, Hohner put a simple black rubber like strip over the edges of the melodica plates. Very airtight and water resistant. A cheap and effective solution)

When players want a quick cleaning of the inside of a vibrandoneon or melodica, best is to have an easy opening click device (like Marc Serafini’s “seraphone” ). This can be opened in a split second, just as the old Viennese Schrammelharmonikas could be opened in a matter of seconds by the player. No screwdriver needed.

Mouth blown free reed instruments as melodicas or mouth harmonicas must at all time be easy to open by players, if a reed is stuck. Then you don’t have to run to a repairer for minor problems. You can fix it yourself.

The inside of a wooden air chamber can be laquered to avoid water from going in the wood and causing cracks.
Or some plastic folio can be glued over the surfaces of the wooden air chamber? (What would be the acoustical effects on sound?)