Tech/maintenance Haynes Saxophone Manual

[old git]

Bringing it to band rehearsal tonight at the college - look for more orders from Vermont 🙂

Stephen, you have a third job, "Moonlighting in Vermont." ;}

 

[Stephen Howard]

Stephen - my beautifully inscribed manual arrived in today's mail, thank you so much, that was speedy! :welldone

Before I put it on the shelf next to my "Haynes Toyota Sienna" manual - I think I'll have to try everything page by page!

Bringing it to band rehearsal tonight at the college - look for more orders from Vermont 🙂

I'm thrilled to have it - thank you again! :welldone

Glad it arrived safely, and thank you for the comments!
Hope it helps to get that old sax up and running...or at least help you figure out what's not working.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Stephen Howard]

Stephen, you have a third job, "Moonlighting in Vermont." ;}

Ka-boom...tish!

Next dance please!

 

[Rogerb]

Roger - just seen your post...and only just got back from signing your copy of the manual - so I didn't write in anything terribly inspirational ( apart from 'Best wishes' )!

Regards,

Whatever...many thanks, anyway 🙂

 

[AlanU]

On the subject of Haynesisms.
Many years ago a girlfriend's Mini needed a new water pump fitted, so I looked it up in the Haynes manual.
It read 'This is a job best attempted with the engine out'.

Hmm, thanks

By the way it can be done with the engine is situ, but it don't half hurt.

 

[Lloyd]

Lost in translation

All this talk of Haynes manuals reminds of when, a few years ago, a work colleague was asked what he might like for a leaving present. He was a keen follower of the travels of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and said that anything along those lines would be nice. Come the day he was presented with a beautifully wrapped Haynes manual for a Renault 5! 🙂

 

[kevgermany]

Progress report from me.

About 3 weeks ago I bought, unseen, over ebay an alto that had been dropped. No real description of the damage, but I thought it'd do what I needed, to practice/develop some skills on, even if I couldn't get it properly playable.

When it arrived, the octave key wasn't working, there were no playable notes below D and the rods on some of the bottom stack keys were bent, meaning that the keys didn't close, hence the lack of notes.

Armed with the manual I did an assessment. Octave problem was due to bending, probably from the fall. All the other issues were due to bits being bent. A ding in the bottom bow, and a ding in the neck. Someone had had a go at it, overtightening point screws and misadjusting adjusters, making it even worse. To be fair it was sold for spares or repair, but I guess the owner had been told by a repair guy that as it was a cheap chinese job, it wasn't worth fixing.

Decided to leave the dings, as the few notes I could get sounded fine.

Some judicious beinding back to where it seemed things should be mostly sorted the octave mechanism. Some more careful bending mostly sorted the keys that wouldn't close. But I wasn't able to get the pads to seat properly. Decided to reseat the pads, but got nowhere. My little gas powered blow torch easily regulated down to a gentle flame that was perfect for warming the cups. Eventually realised that the problem was that there wasn't enough glue behind the pads to adjust them to suit the new key positions.

Decided to top up the glue and reseat the pads. Did this carefully and reassembled the keyguards. And the rest of it. Octave key wasn't quite right, so a little more work and it seemed OK. Fixed the other adjustments. Realised I'd put a little too much glue behind one of the pads,as some came out, but the pad was seating OK so what the heck. Can always carve the glue if I need to.

Was able to play from top to bottom first time!!! And I don't play an alto. So although it's nowhere near a pro repair, the thing plays OK and that's what I wanted. A reasonable fix, without being a bodge job. Even my wife was impressed (or was she relieved that the sax and book weren't a waste of money?).

Thanks Stephen. This sax will be going back on ebay as playable, but with a couple of dents. Will easily recoup the book cost (was a pressie, but you know what I mean) from the sale. Now for my next project. Maybe something better made, German perhaps...

 

[AdamBradley]

Recently started cycling to work and soon enough had a book on how to maintain and fix bikes.

As a mechanical engineering student I'm drawn to these things, once I've got my own sax my next step will no doubt be to find a wreck and try to fix it with this highly lauded book!

Looking forward to it 😀

 

[half diminished]

Well I bought one myself at long last. It's rather good. 🙂

I'm looking forwards to doing a bi of DIY maintenance. Now where did I put that sax key oil?

 

[Young Col]

Further to all this talk of various Haynes manuals, I was pleased to see a review this morning of recently released Haynes owners manuals on the Spitfire and Messerschmidt Bf109. That's great as now I can get to work on repairing mine.

 

[jonf]

Further to all this talk of various Haynes manuals, I was pleased to see a review this morning of recently released Haynes owners manuals on the Spitfire and Messerschmidt Bf109. That's great as now I can get to work on repairing mine.

Which one have you got? Spit or 109? Surely not both?😀

 

[Young Col]

But of course, Jon! I just hope these latest manuals are as good as the ones last year on the Lancaster and Apollo 11. I found them hugely useful.

 

[old git]

Soon as CaSLM get the bomb doors operational, you'd better watch what you say.

Looking forward to the Guide to Nuclear Bombs.

 

[Rogerb]

Be careful what you write, OG....you are likely to get a visit from M-Fifteen !

I have just received my copy and I am really stunned by the quality of the photography ....I haven't had much time to read it yet.
Thank you, Stephen .... and the very generous person who sent it to me 🙂

 

[jonf]

So, all you eager Haynes readers, have a look in the For Sale bit - I've got a project sax for sale for you!

 

[Saxade]

Recieved My Copy today ... Can't believe how quickly it arrived here in Western Australia..
Thanks Stephen :welldone

 

[old git]

Most authors have a photograph of themselves somewhere on the dust or covers of their books but has anyone seen a photograph or the real Stephen? Why this censorship? Is it because he is such a perfect human being that should he publish his likeness, we will all commit suicide, not being able to match his visual perfection or is there some darker reason?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Is it because he is such a perfect human being that should he publish his likeness, we will all commit suicide, not being able to match his visual perfection or is there some darker reason?

Plenty of pics if you search Google Images.

But this one with musicmedic has a rather unfortunate caption:

 

[thehunt]

I got my manual for my birthday back in April, totally unexpected but gratefully received. What i don't understand guys is how you have time to tinker on your horns when you should be PRACTICING!!!!!!!
Leave the repairs to the experts. Well i must admit i did tinker a bit with mine t'other week. Great book.
Phil

 

[kevgermany]

So you've never had a cork fall off one evening when there's no expert in sight?

And using the Sax manual to fix your sax at home is practicing for possible problems at a gig.....

(one day I may even get to play in one...)