Hi me again !!
My bellows have developed a leak on the side of them down by the hinge right on the fold of the leather. Its not cracked looks like a spot that has some wear. Is there anything that would possibly plug it up.. Re-seasoning ? Crazy Glue? Duct Tape? or new bellows?
I ask as I just don’t like ‘Rework’ 
They be 10 years old now but other than a small leak they work well. I can still use them without a total loss of air..
any tips
thanks
Johnnie
ye can patch it wi a piece o leather and some cobblers glue or impact adhesive.
Be wary of seasoning bellows as it might affect the glue which keeps the leather attached to the clappers.
I solved a similar problem by finding the exact spot where the leak was and managing to get a tiny bit of silicone caulking right on it. We’re talking micro-surgery.
First, I identified exactly where the leak was and stuck a pin into it, pushing the pin until I was certain it had gone through the leather. Then I rigged up a drinking straw with a small amount of silicone in it. It took a while to align the end of the straw over the tip of the pin, but when I was happy I had it in the right spot, I blew gently into the straw and applied the silicone. I removed the pin. I carefully inflated the bellows, blocked the holes and applied gentle pressure, to make sure the leak would be plugged by the silicone. I then left it to dry for a few days. It was a lot of work, but it solved the problem.
10 years is not bad for leather bellows. If it is starting to leak now, you’re probably going to have more trouble in the not-too-distant future. You might consider changing the leather gusset or just getting new bellows.
I have used crazy glue to great effect. Once there was a tear starting in the leather but not yet all the way through. A drop of glue and a pinch and it has held in place perfectly since 1998.
On a set of bellows in a local store, whoever made them pushed a tack too close to the edge of the wood and it missed, so air was leaking out the hole! I took some leather and shredded it up with a blade. Then I mixed in some crazy glue and patched the hole. Replaced the tack properly and it was good to go.
imo dont mess around (glue, patches, “sealant” … etc)
…just re-gusset. 
your decision though.
We are trying to be green here and save the planet..sounds like an infinitely fixable thing to do and a lot easier than goin oot and killing a bodhran then skinning it and cutting aff a piece of it tae make a new gussett… 
In fact its so fixable I don’t even know why ye asked in the 1st place.Ye know sometimes in life ye have tae make yoor own wee judgements on things and not rely on this bunch o eejits …who, on no matter whit subject ye chose, ,will give ye so much variance that ye will be no wiser in the end but a lot more confused.Heres ma advice use the brain ye were born wi and don’t take too seriously my rantings either… 
PS Chas thats gotta be a classic..“don’t mess around with glue patches etc…”.
just mess around wi untacking the old gusset cutting a new one retacking make sure its airtight etc.etc..classic, old buddy, classic.
Well I asked in ‘the first place’ due to the fact I don’t have a clue about leather.. So I figured that there would be scholarly folks on here that know about working leather.. Was not sure whether to fix on outside or inside. Inside would be a job..
Your right Uillium about the killing a bodhran then skinning it and cutting off a piece of it to make a new gussett.. And the tacks.. thats another story too. lol Holy cow, there sure is a bunch of em and would not have to mess with that.
Anyway I did do as you suggested, bout the patch.. and seems to work for now. Problem not sure if will last too long as it is right on the crease…
But I guess I should have just asked my neighbour over the way as he runs his own shoe repair shop and that would not have in fringed on anyone here..
Thanks any way.. It did work.. for now. which is ok.. better than messin with em as you say and Green is the thing also. So I guess me being a teenager at 67 and not so informed as yourself Uillium, someday I might learn something.
No I don’t take your rantings seriously.. I actually enjoy a lot of what you post.. lol… What I have in my head usually comes out of my mouth and with no censorship.. sure does get me in a lot of doo doo. but thats ok.. Reminds of the barn I used to play in when a child..
Thanks to all for trying to help..
Johnnie
green schmeen. newspapers & cans & bottles etc etc ok. Bellows gussets no way. Last time I messed round with a quick fix I got a bag full of unremovable melting dandruff which nearly killed my reeds. talk about waste, start there. classic.
so
first ya glue one pinhole, ok…then what if ya get another, & another, then another ya cant ‘pinpoint’, (seeing as if the leather was trending there in the 1st place?). me personally is ready to trap, garrotte, gut & flay my own bodhran asap if necesary. Lets support our pipemaking community with a healthy flow of side work their aprentices/assisants can handle. 
yeah thars the luv brutha 