Here are the completed frames. The residue that can be seen on the surface is dried contact cement, which will be rubbed off before the frames are sanded and buffed.

Once the contact cement is dry, the celluloid is adhered to the frames. The top is adhered first, and then the corners are heated with a heat gun and rolled to follow the contour, down the sides, etc. until the entire frame is covered. Here my dad is stretching the celluloid around a corner while I run the heat and roller. The two finished end frames can be seen in the background.

The frames also get a coat of contact cement.

Here contact cement is being spread onto the back of the celluloid strips.

Because the celluloid is glossy on both sides, the back side of each strip needs to be sanded with coarse grit sandpaper so that the contact cement has something to grab on to.

Here are the frames and celluloid that they will be covered with. The frames are made from basswood plywood with walnut caps on the corners.

After everything has been pressed, the packs get sandwiched between two pieces of wood and tied with string so they stay compressed. Now they'll get set aside until the time comes to make the bellow.

After everything is folded, the packs go into this press two at a time. Here only one is shown. This cardboard is pretty springy after it's folded, so I have to put one in at a time and clamp the heck out of it, and then put the other in after about an hour or so. Then I let them sit in the press for a day or two.

This is the finished product. It takes six strips of cardboard to make one bellow.

The first thing I started on this concertina is folding the bellows. The folds, or ribs, are made of stiff cardboard. Here you can see me working my way down a strip of cardboard.

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my blog. I know there are a lot of concertina players and enthusiasts out there that are curious about what goes into building a Chemnitzer concertina. I'll attempt to document the different steps with photos and explanations. The concertina shown in the photos is being built for a gentleman on the west coast. Enjoy!