Tech/maintenance A general thread on DIY repair

[PigSquealer]

The one from Theo Wanne is good.

Available on Amazon too.

Amazon.com: Theo Wanne Standard Glass Gauge Traditional - Measure Mouthpiece Facing Curve with Feeler Gauge Set - Must-Have Tool for Musicians - Portable, Durable, and Cost-Effective - Easy-to-Use : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: Theo Wanne Standard Glass Gauge Traditional - Measure Mouthpiece Facing Curve with Feeler Gauge Set - Must-Have Tool for Musicians - Portable, Durable, and Cost-Effective - Easy-to-Use : Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

 

[mark_addy]

Here's the graph for the Soloist E I like (which measures very like the 'Meyer 6M' data given in the 'Stuff Sax' blog link, found on my first graph attempt just up this thread) - compared to Left and Right plots for the HR mouthpiece I have which has been 'got at', which I intend to try to sort out. As you can see, it has issues, though it is kind-of possible to play on it. I can see why a glass scale would be helpful - the rigid steel rule I used for these proved much more useable that a 'normal' flexible one, for obvious reasons.

I don't know how people (like the blogger referenced here) manage to measure to anything closer than integer Brand numbers (that is, half mm) with this method. My eyesight is certainly pretty poor now for close work - maybe that's it. Next stop, vernier mouthpiece travel, DTI etc etc. This is probably a psychological displacement activity to delay the moment when I trash it permanently with abrasives.

 

[PigSquealer]

Here’s another article you may enjoy.

Introduction to Modern Mouthpiece Refacing Techniques.ppt

docs.google.com

 

[mark_addy]

I've not posted anything in this thread for a while, so here we go, mk1 saxophone pliers.

These were a rusty pair of gas pliers - I ground up one jaw for spring pliers, made some collets for swedging which fit the 'narrow' jaws you can see, and glued on some bits of tube to make the handles more comfy.

I've not used them yet, but the impetus came from sorting out an annoying rattle on my alto, which turned out to be a bore gone big at one end of some keywork near the fork Eb. Being a small length at the end of a run of tube, I squashed (sorry, swedged) it gently in a small 3-jaw chuck while rotating it, and when it was a little tight on the rod, just worked it until it span easily. Now it no longer clanks, and I am converted.