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Handmade Cajun Accordion, Pt. 5: Reeds, Hardware, Stops and Finish The home stretch in the creation of a Cajun accordion includes applying finish, attaching reeds and adding decorative hardware. From "Handmade Music" episode DHMM-311

The accordion Marc Savoy builds in this Handmade Music series takes several steps toward completion in this phase of the project when Marc applies finish, mounts the reeds and adds decorative hardware that also helps protect the finished instrument.

The decorative hardware both beautifies and protects the Cajun accordion.

Trimming the reed mounts for a perfect fit

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

A Quick Recap

Previously Marc built a front plate and a back plate. Those are the pieces at either end of the instrument's bellows. They're two of the most visible of the instrument's 500 or so parts (figure A).

But in the first phase of this project, Marc constructed the less visible mounts to hold the reeds in place (figures B and C). Now he joins the reed mounts to the plates. His first step trims the mounts for a better fit in the plate's frames.

Materials List:

table saw
previously constructed reed mounts
air compressor and spray gun with varnish
punch press
brass plating
hammer
finish brads
screwdriver
screws
reeds
bee's wax
"stop" knobs
glue

Cajun Accordion: Front and Back Plates; Reed Mounts

As the reed mounts are finally glued to the front and back plates the project finally gets closer to being an accordion instead of a jigsaw puzzle. In other words, all the set up Marc has been doing finally begins to take form.

Steps:

• With a table saw Marc Savoy trims the reed-mounts so that they are square along the outer edge. This way they can be "wedged" tightly into place against the frames of the plates.

• Marc glues the reed mounts under the faceplate and the smaller reed mounts for the bass side.

  
  

Now that Marc has the reed mounts in place, the treble side and the bass side are both ready for finish. Marc's accordions are known for their beautiful natural finish, but it took some persuasion to convince Marc's customers to break from at least one tradition. Originally when accordions made their way to the prairie of Louisiana they were finished in black (figures D and E).

Figure D

Figure E

Marc Savoy never understood why the beauty of the wood was masked. So when he began making his own, he chose to use simple varnish to highlight the beautiful wood grain of his walnut accordions.

Steps:

• With plenty of ventilation provided by the great outdoors and plenty of heat provided by Louisiana's climate, Marc Savoy applies five coats of varnish to the front (treble side) plate and to the back (bass) plate. Each plate dries for about fifteen minutes between coats.
  

  Figure F

• After the fifth coat has dried about an hour Marc sands both plates with fine grit sandpaper before applying two final coats of varnish.

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