Tech/maintenance A general thread on DIY repair

[PigSquealer]

Just curious, why would that be a problem? And, what HGM would be the best for sax pads?

Some HMG (hobby craft grades) goes into a plastic state around 120°F /49°C. Just imagine a kid on a marching field during summer heat, or think of that black case oven.

Look to 3M for a heavy body, high temperature rating (140°-170°F). 30 to 45 seconds working time. Doesn’t string or expand / contract with thermal change. There are people in the band instrument repair trade that use HMG on sax pad work. I don’t do production rental work with spongy pads.

The Music Medic synthetic clear shellac is a formulated HMG.
This stick was in my supply cabinet inside my garage. It bent from the rubber bands holding the bundle of 4 together.

I discontinued using the MM six years ago. Still it’s a quality usable product with some advantages.
I currently make my own sticks from 100% natural dewaxed flakes. I buy about five pounds a year. Each pound makes 16-1oz sticks. One sick will complete a tenor.

 

[mark_addy]

While I am (still) waiting for the shellac I ordered to turn up - pads are here - I had a little go at the lip of the bell on my baritone. The bottom of the bell lip has had a big clout some time in the last 107 years and it has flattened the radius on the last part of the bell flare a little, as it bent the bottom of the lip down and put a slight crease into it. So I tried leaning quite hard on the bottom of the lip on the edge of a stout bench (pushing the lip 'up'), while using a 1" (or thereabouts) wooden roller to work along the crease and see if I could persuade it to move. Nope - it is springy, which might be work-hardened by the accident, and maybe even a little by my attempted manipulation. I thought I might try heating it up (gas torch ?, elec heat gun - surely not enough heat?) to try to anneal it, and then try my approach again. Silver plate is already lost from this area, which is something less to worry about. Well, any thoughts are welcome, thanks.

 

[PigSquealer]

The bell lip edge most likely has a steel ring inside. Can’t offer much advice without seeing pictures.

The technique I use. Cover bench top with leather. Bell face down on the leather. Area in need hanging off edge of bench. Select an appropriate rawhide mallet. With glancing strikes to rim work to level close/ relieving stress. Work the dent(s) and rim jointly to finish.

Matt has a video somewhere on this.

Stohrer Music – Saxophone Repair

Saxophone Repair and Information from Matt Stohrer

www.stohrermusic.com

More to study from.

Stephen Howard Woodwind - saxophone, clarinet, flute and other woodwind instrument repairs and servicing.

Stephen Howard Woodwind. My online resource for sax repair - and care, repair, maintenance and reviews of flutes, clarinets and other woodwind instruments.

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[mark_addy]

Thanks for viewing suggestions - I'll make some time to have a watch.

 

[PigSquealer]

Thanks for viewing suggestions - I'll make some time to have a watch.

I spend no less than three hours a week studying repair craftsmanship. Anything from watch restoration to machine shop skills. Today I studied hand sewing and different stitches. Skills for repairing leather on cases or the fabric inside.

Wes has some excellent dent repair videos too.

Wes Lee Music Repair

Band instrument repair technician located in Petal, Ms. All repairs from smallest play condition repairs to major restorations.

youtube.com

 

[skeller047]

Wes has some excellent dent repair videos too.

It’s so sad, and frankly grinds my gears, that his wonderful YouTube presence was silenced by scammers. At least he has left us an incredible resource library.

 

[PigSquealer]

It’s so sad, and frankly grinds my gears, that his wonderful YouTube presence was silenced by scammers. At least he has left us an incredible resource library.

Hopefully law will prevail and he’ll be back. A very kind and generous man who didn’t deserve this awful hacking.

 

[mark_addy]

Well, the alto is all back together and it almost works 🙂. A process of elimination suggests very small leaks on D# and C - you can see from the pics what I am trying to do about that. My girl is home from university, so for once there are pics - this sax had 25 years of tarnish all over it, and I am pleased with how it has shone up. Two new pads (F and D#) shellac-ed in - thanks for all your advice. Reassembly went slowly but surely, with a slight panic that middle C# was very flat - I managed to spring the pad above B shut, rather than open, and this did my head in for a bit. Just before I started really messing with bits of cork then penny dropped - if I had a working memory, I'd remember next time.

 

[mark_addy]

Here's one more

 

[mark_addy]

(You might just be able to see that the pearl button on F has really had it. All the others are OK. If my Mum were still with us, I bet she'd have something in her button box 🙂 ).

 

[PigSquealer]

Just before I started really messing with bits of cork then penny dropped - if I had a working memory, I'd remember next time.

Looks really nice. You have achieved your goal in a very short time. It’s not uncommon for 1st time DIYers to take six months or more. Very easy to forget the multitude of small details.
To this day I take a series of pre disassembled pictures. During tear down pictures of part orientation can be helpful later.
Projects can be delayed or interrupted often around here. Nothing wrong with handwritten notes.
lol, I forgot to note what each column is.

 

[mark_addy]

Looks really nice. You have achieved your goal in a very short time. It’s not uncommon for 1st time DIYers to take six months or more. Very easy to forget the multitude of small details.
To this day I take a series of pre disassembled pictures. During tear down pictures of part orientation can be helpful later.
Projects can be delayed or interrupted often around here. Nothing wrong with handwritten notes.
lol, I forgot to note what each column is.
View attachment 32302

A bound lab book - essential equipment for the serious laboratory investigator (a previous life for me, though I probably flatter myself). You might have noticed an unbound piece of A4 on my table with lumps torn out of it - I am clearly not a serious laboratory investigator any more 🙂 I'd do well to go back to that approach, my memory really is terrible.

(You might remember that one or two of the pins on which the rollers sit are stripped; one of the long rods is, likewise. I might do something about this one day, but I don't think I am up to drilling out a pillar (is that the term?) and re-bushing it, though I suppose I could make larger pins for the rollers and cut oversize threads in those keys. A shameful admission, but I suspect that will happen only if one of those stripped pins drops out and is lost. I could always wrap a sliver of PTFE tape around the threads or use a blob of Stag!)

 

[PigSquealer]

You might remember that one or two of the pins on which the rollers sit are stripped; one of the long rods is, likewise.

Just flash the inside of the hole with solder.

You might have noticed an unbound piece of A4 on my table with lumps torn out of it

I didn’t notice the footnotes until you mentioned it. Starting out keeping everything sorted can be difficult for some.
A alternative. Take a picture R, L, F & B. Print the photos on copy machine @ low quality in black. Glue the prints on a cardboard form old corrugated box. Stick rods into cardboard where they came from. Note info / pad required on picture.

Wall art is also handy. Just search for one you can relate to.

 

[ghostler]

Just flash the inside of the hole with solder.

That has crossed my mind as a possibility, but your mentioning it here helped to confirm it as a quick easy solution to stripped threads. Do you use lead/tin or silver solder? Do you run a drill bit and tap through it afterwards to clean it up?

 

[PigSquealer]

That has crossed my mind as a possibility, but your mentioning it here helped to confirm it as a quick easy solution to stripped threads. Do you use lead/tin or silver solder? Do you run a drill bit and tap through it afterwards to clean it up?

This was first suggested to me by Gordon Parker (RIP) aka GordonNZ on the other place. The suggestion was made based on an overview of conditions. That being NOTHING else needed. Only that enough bite was needed to secure a rod in place.
Flashing (aka tinning) is a thin layer. This done with a low temperature (280°-320°)soft solder. I don’t run across the need often, but when I do. I use a 60/40 solid core soft solder and acid paste flux. Just make sure the area is properly prepared. Like shielding/ masking the exterior area with anti-flux or liquid white-out. Especially on silver plating.
Clean post surgery with baking soda & water mixture to neutralize area acid. Then gently run the rod in to self tap the threads. Assemble as normal being attentive not to over tighten the rod.