Hello All,  I recently found my small singing bird to be silent owing
to a perished rubber diaphragm.  Not expecting to find a replacement
I made one from thin pouch leather by moulding a wet circle of leather
in a wooden mould turned from a scrap of wood.

The wooden male part turned to the inside diameter of the required
diaphragm and a cap, to press over the leather, having an inside
diameter of twice the thickness of the leather plus the diameter of the
shaft.  Put the leather (wet but not soggy) between the two parts and
squeeze together in a vice.  Allow to dry out in the mould and then
trim to the correct depth.

In my case I glued on the flat base of the old rubber diaphragm because
it had the attachment for the operating crank.  I sealed the leather
with Hydrophane leather dressing and it has worked well for at least
six months.

Keith Reedman
Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England