My wife Karen is in charge of our bellows department..
We make around 100 sets of concertina bellows per year, not only for our own
instruments and restorations projects, but you'll also find our bellows on
instruments made by other makers, repairers, and dealers world wide.
We make bellows in any number of sides, folds, size, all leather, Wheatstone
style, high and low travel resistance, etc..
We use different qualities of card, glue, linen and leather, all depending on
the type of instrument. The bellows for the Traveler are going to be a standard
set of anglo type bellows with 6 folds.
The photos below show a few of the production stages, but do not include any tools and machines...
The first step: cutting strips
a few panels, cut and skived
connected panels.
a row of panels (top and bottom view)
panel rows connected with (real) silk tops
All the parts necessary for the hand rail sets: handrails, nappa leather
cushions
(as used on all our anglo and duet instruments), brass parts, and leather hand
straps.
Handstraps mounted on the ends
gussets installed
Action parts assembled: post, rivet and lever
Lever end threaded and leather bead installed
Chamois leather gaskets on reed pans and bellows frames