[Michael]

My post got lost. Will try again later.

[Michael]

so i would like to show what i posted and what dissapeared:

——————————————————————————
Michael replied to the topic Clavietta in the forum Vintage Melodicas
21 hours, 48 minutes ago

Without pressing any key my clavietta now holds the air very good. No leaks anymore.
Cutted siliconwashers by my self and spend some time by adjusting; renewed the gasket wir armaflex 3mm (yes, ist a little too thick, but working).
My last post here (will post the link again seperatly)

It was hard to find the leaks, because of bad sealing on the other side of the valves.
When pressing a key, some air will escape under the key, where the valve-base is located.
There sits the bumper, which is stopping the key.
Somebody sorted this out and sealed this valveshafts?
My clavietta pictures with details: here

By the way many thanks. This side is a great ressource and big help.
I like the claviettasound very much.
Greetings
michael

————————————————————————–
Melodica-Me replied
14 hours, 9 minutes ago
Michael, there will always be a little leakage in the Clavietta as the air escapes form the post on the key it’s self. if your keys are clanking a little, the grey felts under the key should be replaced. The felts are also another source to seal the air leaking from the post. when replacing do not cut a hole for the post to go through, use a needle to start the hole and work the key over and over, the hole will widen its self. at first the key will stick slightly just keep working the key back and fourth until it springs shut or key up. You can purchase a sticky back felt from craft stores and cut therm the same way you cut your silicon washers. New felts will quiet your keys down and feel new again.
Melodica-Me

——————————————————————–
Michael replied
13 hours, 20 minutes ago
thank you very much.
this is exactly what i was looking for.
for now i will stay with the aktual, because it is 95% better than bevore and disabling the keys is perhaps not worth the result.
the beauty is playable now and this is what we were looking for.

edit:
it seems that i did something wrong in the thread.the replys are not visible in the thread. will contact @banarzi
——————————————–
pictures and link to my startingpost in the other thread will come in seperate post.

[Michael]

another post is lost. a problem with inserting links?

next try with just one link:
pictures of my clavietta and optimizing

[Michael]

this black clavietta with pickup has the bigger black back made out of aluminium, but got the keys hold by springs and not like the later ones with clamps.

i found out the hard way that the srews which hold the washers have different sizes.
some are very flat, some little bigger and so on.
i mixed all together when replacing the washers and after reassambling all the keys had different heights.
so i had a new puzzle and wasted some time by sorting that out.

how to gap the “upside down reeds”?
i found two tones reacting a little less responsive, but i am not sure how to lower the gap by a little.
do i have to take the reed out or is it possible to gap it from the airchannel through the valve?

[froggy]

interesting note – this patent, filed by Borel in 1958, shows an extremely Clavietta-like instrument, to the point where i’ve actually been finding it kind of a useful resource for understanding how mine works. too bad they apparently didn’t stay in business long enough to change the text on the back from “patent pending” to “patent approved”

[Author]

Posts