Castagnari has no end plates

John,

The 2 treble board "end blocks" or "plates" as you call them, really serves two purposes: In the first instance, they" mask" if you wish the 2 blocks end grain, and secondly,the thin joinery line you mentionned.
They are usually made of contrasting coloured woods, then the treble board colour, or they can be made of different metals such as stainless steel, brass,plastics or gold, why not? .
I would like to point out, they are held with two screws, wich should( not always) infortunatly be countersunk flush, with the "block" surface.

I've owned 5 LA boxes and "changed" the end blocks, to my own preference and found "all" had mortised treble boards.

C.

I suppose there would be no advantage in going to the extra trouble of doing blind mortises. You would still want to put end blocks on for finishing purposes.

I think finishing the end blocks to match the rest of the wood looks good, simple and clean, but I have also seen very nice, more elaborate treatments that I like just as well. Adding a matching thin strip of contrasting wood (or metal or plastic?) that defines the seam between the halves of the keyboard is pretty sharp. The decorations are limited only by the skill and imagination of the builder.

I like the idea of using 2 strips of the same wood as your treble board, except for glueing them,especially on end grain, so that if it's the case , this will inevitably result in the strip , depending on ambient humidity fluctuations, to "swell" or "substract" in size.
And that is irregardless of the species of wood used,so that if the strip has swelled, you will notice it visually, and vice-versa.
If your'e going to affix your end blocks with screws, you would need to have a solid surface to do it, so it would seem to me that you would need to stop your mortise before both ends of the treble board, wouldn't you?, otherwise if you go right trough both ends, then it's not a mortise anymore, but a dadoed cut, right.
Do I make sense?.

Yes, you make a lot of sense. End grain is lousy stuff to glue to, there are ways to do it, but none are as good as long grain to long grain (end-grain to end-grain is an impossible joint, thus the invention of miters, dove-tails, mortise and tenon etc). You have to reinforce the end plates with screws, perhaps counter-sunk and filled to hide them. You could also attach the end plates with dowel pins or pegs and could even make them very decorative: squares, triangles, chevrons, etc. You could do these kind of decorative pins on the frame corners as well. A mitred corner would be stronger with a slot mortise joining the length of the 45 degree joint. A mortise joint is a modified end-grain to end-grain joint. That is one reason the metal corners are put on, to reinforce it. In that case, a true box joint would be much stronger (though perhaps less asthetically pleasing) than a mitred joint since you are glueing together two long-grain surfaces. A dove-tail joint would be even stronger. I've wondered why those are never seen.

I probably have opened up a can of worms here and my terminology is probably off. I will be happy to be shown how I am mistaken. I should stop and listen to what others have to say. Though I have a good bit of experience in woodworking, I've never built an accordion.

The metal corners are more for decoration and protecting the corners from chipping. If you look on the inside of your accordion you will see the little glue blocks in the corners, that is where the strength comes from, regardless of the type of joint used.

Hey, what's a forum without an occasional can of worms.

There we go, glue blocks! Another way (and very effective) of reinforcing the corners. Dovetails would be stronger. Wouldn't need glue blocks.

Well,Sir, the choice is yours, start cutting .

C.

Often dovetails and their application is misunderstood

The reason dovetails are used on drawer fronts... they are self locking and it would be near impossible to pull off a drawer front form its sides

Yuppie woodworkers ( it's all about image not substanse) go overboard with dovetails and using them with out respect for the original intent or:

Look at me look at me I can make a dovetail

While I like the looks and and they do serve a purpose in a box type construction, chests and so on.. common with Shakers.. they did not use them decoratively.. against their principles of design and utility

I don;t care for the metal corners so anything but a butt joint workls for me

Hohner uses "box" or fingerjoints under the celluloid of many of their accordeons such as the Coroan and the Erica

As to endplates their are many ways around them, most requiring more technical woodworking

However, their is nothing wrong with the "Cajun" style keyboard...and as to strength when was the last time you saw a broken keyboard.. similar to bellows, hard to damage one in normal use

I am with Claude on this one... protruding screws is
clumsy.. use flat heads and counter sink them

I have another way of dealing with the use of an end plate. Proprietray of course : )

I think "mortise" has been used where another term would best describe the cut.....

The keyboards I have fashioned are nothing like the "Cajun" style... because the innards are also different.

John,

May I suggest building an accordeon or at least some parts..


But I strongly suggest before going off on a tangent
build a copy of the Capitaine...you have a model..

This would give you more of an understanding of what is involved

I must have missed it in a previous thread, is someone making dovetailed corners on accordions? What I saw once in a "one-off" box in Canada was a veneer-splined miter corner. It can be done attractively and I don't think that it will draw in too many yuppies. And if someone really wanted to show off with dovetails, at least try the Japanese "twisted" dovetails. It would probably be the first accordion to use this kind of joinery, which is fun to look at since it is not always obvious how the pieces were assembled.

Off-topic, but: what gets me about dovetails is the use of machine-cut dovetails, which apparently some individuals still find attractive.
-Andy

There are a lot of ways to make the keyboards, and if you look at ca. 1900 instruments, you'll see the variations. It's one particular design that has become the Cajun standard. If I can figure out a way of posting pics of my Mélodie, you'll see a different kind of keyboard.
-Andy

I have a fascinating book on Japanese joinery

talk about taking things to the limit !

Not alwyas practical but definitley shows what their clever monds will conceive...brilliant stuff

Machine dovetails are as strong as a hand cut dovetail they just don't have the character,, and it is hard to stagger the spacing

Some of those twisted joints have an amazing amound of mechanical strength and good glue surfaces, so someone who could make them proficiently could make accordions with them --- more strength than necessary, but a very attractive way to avoid metal hardware and create a unique-looking accordion.
-Andy

Yup, I should try and reproduce my Le Capitaine. Perhaps an ambition and resolution for the New Year. Could certainly do worse.

As that box is an evolution of the traditional "Cajun"
accordeon.. you could use that as a model without stepping on anyone's toes


I came up with an idea for the box builders group which I have passed on to the powers that be


Essentially it is ripping off a very fine Guitarist/guitar maker and teacher in California by the name of David Schramm( sp)

he started a classical guitar buuilders group on yahoo

the format was that all those who could would build the same guitar from the same plans simultaneously and post their questions problems tips tricks and achievements on the discussion group

Schramm would then guide all throught trh eproceedure

Thsioe that were not yet in a position to build would also follow along and could and would enter the discussion
this would better prepare them for the next go round

Many shared parts and pieces and did work for others that did not have a full shop

I think the idea has merit...

choose a plan
collect materials
start assembly in stages with a 6 month completion time as the target

this also would allow for spreading out the expense
rather than be out of pocket all at once

Maybe you might consider this and prompt the site owers/managers to consider this