The best way to seal bellows that are leaking is to recover them with
new material that is airtight. You will only make a mess that will not
last should you "paint" them with rubber cement, latex rubber or any
other material. It is a good idea to seal the wood when you recover
bellows with shellac. Only shellac will seal the wood airtight and
stay in place.
It is also a very good idea not to use white or yellow glues in the
restoration of your organ. These glues are often used to hold nipples
in place and that is also a poor idea as shellac will hold the nipples
airtight. The yellow or white glues dry and open up allowing air to
leak. On rare occasions I will use yellow or white glue to hold some
veneer in place if you refer back to my articles on veneer gluing.
Don Teach - Shreveport Music Co.
Shreveport, Louisiana
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