Tech/maintenance Low C# foot cork on 1926 TrueTone alto?

[bobstad]

Shellac, or glue stick. I had a hot glue gun awhile, though hadn't known good for sax pads. Shellac seems most universal, for saxophone-I've used before.

I think of the rest of that tin of contact cement..you get gassed by fumes using the stuff..drink assauges at least nominally. Or more likely, eventually a solid lump.

What's an idea for heating the shellac? I've seen alcohol lamps devoted to the purpose. The pencil point flame of a refillable butane lighter comes to mind, as currently most handy. Would a simple wick in cooking oil be hot enough? Or, a candle.

 

[PigSquealer]

Shellac, or glue stick. I had a hot glue gun awhile, though hadn't known good for sax pads. Shellac seems most universal, for saxophone-I've used before.

I think of the rest of that tin of contact cement..you get gassed by fumes using the stuff..drink assauges at least nominally. Or more likely, eventually a solid lump.

What's an idea for heating the shellac? I've seen alcohol lamps devoted to the purpose. The pencil point flame of a refillable butane lighter comes to mind, as currently most handy. Would a simple wick in cooking oil be hot enough? Or, a candle.

You needed a suggestion to glue on a minuscule piece of cork. A 1/2 drop of HMG will do. Proper, contact cement. Old school shellac. A .62oz tube of contact cement is easy to work with. Stored in a cool area it will last several years.
Yes many modern low grade horns are assembled with HMG. No bed of glue and a minimal amount applied. Shellac is still preferred by most quality technicians.

A alcohol lamp is too large for your needs. Also $$$. Cooking oil or candles produce soot that will prevent the shellac from sticking.
You need a clean burning fuel.
A $6 refillable cigar lighter with adjustable flame will do.
Clean & degrease the key area with isopropyl.
Heat the shellac, smear a thin layer on part.
Heat the key area ( very small flame, count to 4 or 5) and place the part.

 

[skeller047]

Contact cement comes in tubes. That is by far the easiest - and cheapest! - way. Look for the Barge brand. There are also small 4-oz bottles from Weldwood. If you are going to work on your horns you need contact cement.

Shellac is fine … IF you have a butane flame or perhaps an alcohol lamp. Candles and oil lamps will deposit soot on your instrument. Ask me how I know… Best to heat the metal, apply shellac then immediately apply the cork.

I do not recommend hot glue or super glue.

EDIT - I see Mr. Squealer posted right as I did. He does like hot glue, but I do not. He is an experienced tech with many years of daily experience. I am an educated amateur with memories of burns from hot glue. To the main point - a good hot glue gun is much more expensive than a small tube of contact cement. A bad hot glue gun will burn you.

 

[bobstad]

You needed a suggestion to glue on a minuscule piece of cork. A 1/2 drop of HMG will do. Proper, contact cement. Old school shellac. A .62oz tube of contact cement is easy to work with. Stored in a cool area it will last several years.
Yes many modern low grade horns are assembled with HMG. No bed of glue and a minimal amount applied. Shellac is still preferred by most quality technicians.

A alcohol lamp is too large for your needs. Also $$$. Cooking oil or candles produce soot that will prevent the shellac from sticking.
You need a clean burning fuel.
A $6 refillable cigar lighter with adjustable flame will do.
Clean & degrease the key area with isopropyl.
Heat the shellac, smear a thin layer on part.
Heat the key area ( very small flame, count to 4 or 5) and place the part.

This gives shellac the obvious nod: 'old school' organic..

By the way, are shellac & lacquer related words? A tiny insect whose shell is used in either product?

 

[LostCircuits]

This gives shellac the obvious nod: 'old school' organic..

By the way, are shellac & lacquer related words? A tiny insect whose shell is used in either product?

It's the female lac beetle that secretes a resin-like substance for the cocoon. AFAIK, the word lacquer is derived from the lac beetle or vice versa - like the chicken and the egg

 

[PigSquealer]

He does like hot glue

Actually I don’t. I despise having to work with the 🌸. It’s unstable in hot areas. It expands and contracts if a bed layer is used. Cleaning the crud off to use a better solution takes time. There’s many types, heat options, working time and grades without the “strings” issue.
Technically there’s only one HMG I’ll use. The Music Medic clear synthetic shellac.
Contact cement is the way to go for the OP’s need. Both Permatex and Weldwood have under 1oz tubes.

 

[bobstad]

It's the female lac beetle that secretes a resin-like substance for the cocoon. AFAIK, the word lacquer is derived from the lac beetle or vice versa - like the chicken and the egg

How did the use arise, indicating an extreme inebriation? Or trouncing, "a shellacing" in the parlance. From Prohibition? Maybe juiced hooch..

 

[Dr G]

Hot melt glue stick from neighbor. Heat a butter knife and use to apply 1/2 drop.

Oh great, now we’ll have an old man running ‘round the neighborhood with a hot butter knife, knocking on doors, and asking “Might you spare a 1/2 drop of glue?”.

“Hallo, have you fallen on your head?”.

“Someone on the internet suggested it and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Have you any tea?”

 

[LostCircuits]

Oh great, now we’ll have an old man running ‘round the neighborhood with a hot butter knife, knocking on doors, and asking “Might you spare a 1/2 drop of glue?”.

“Hallo, have you fallen on your head?”.

“Someone on the internet suggested it and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Have you any tea?”

A few months ago a lady showed up at ~ 10:00 pm at my house and asked whether she could use my shower.

She did not ask for tea, though. And she did not carry a butter knife either, thank god!

 

[LostCircuits]

How did the use arise, indicating an extreme inebriation? Or trouncing, "a shellacing" in the parlance. From Prohibition? Maybe juiced hooch..

Huh?

The obvious story would be a hot day, and a cocoon falling on a hot piece of rock and melting. And then, of course somebody stuck a finger into the goo and thus nail polish was born.

The rest of the story was filmed starring Mel Brooks.

 

[PigSquealer]

Oh great, now we’ll have an old man running ‘round the neighborhood with a hot butter knife, knocking on doors, and asking “Might you spare a 1/2 drop of glue?”.

“Hallo, have you fallen on your head?”.

“Someone on the internet suggested it and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Have you any tea?”

I forgot the thought application to modern times….News at 7:00.
I remember when my mother would ask me to call a neighbor 100 yards away. Had all the numbers memorized by age 7🙄
“Please ask Georgette if she could spare a cup of sugar”.
These days does anyone know their neighbors names ? ….yeah, the Loon third shack on the left. That’s Pigs🤪.

 

[turf3]

Contact cement comes in tubes. That is by far the easiest - and cheapest! - way. Look for the Barge brand. There are also small 4-oz bottles from Weldwood. If you are going to work on your horns you need contact cement.

Shellac is fine … IF you have a butane flame or perhaps an alcohol lamp. Candles and oil lamps will deposit soot on your instrument. Ask me how I know… Best to heat the metal, apply shellac then immediately apply the cork.

I do not recommend hot glue or super glue.

EDIT - I see Mr. Squealer posted right as I did. He does like hot glue, but I do not. He is an experienced tech with many years of daily experience. I am an educated amateur with memories of burns from hot glue. To the main point - a good hot glue gun is much more expensive than a small tube of contact cement. A bad hot glue gun will burn you.

A good hot glue gun will be happy to heat that glue to the burning point, too. And that hot melted glue, when it gets on your finger, it sticketh like a brother. Ow ow ow!. I used hot glue in relining a case; never again. It's fast, but ow ow ow.

I don't understand the resistance to spending $7 for a bottle of contact cement (the brush is in the cap) and using an old wine bottle cork with a razor blade to fashion the one little circle of cork. It doesn't have to be perfect, it is practically invisible, it takes MAYBE ten minutes. All this other stuff is beside the point. The professional tech would do exactly what I'm saying except he'd use sheet cork he already had on hand.

 

[bobstad]

A good hot glue gun will be happy to heat that glue to the burning point, too. And that hot melted glue, when it gets on your finger, it sticketh like a brother. Ow ow ow!. I used hot glue in relining a case; never again. It's fast, but ow ow ow.

I don't understand the resistance to spending $7 for a bottle of contact cement (the brush is in the cap) and using an old wine bottle cork with a razor blade to fashion the one little circle of cork. It doesn't have to be perfect, it is practically invisible, it takes MAYBE ten minutes. All this other stuff is beside the point. The professional tech would do exactly what I'm saying except he'd use sheet cork he already had on hand.

I'm not drinking, so may substitute something adequate.

The initial material that fell off, had been attached to the instrument body. I still have that, so may simply reattach as before.

A shiny, black plastic material, so I may not want to use shellac.

Contact cement does come in smaller tubes.

What's used to clean the contact areas?

Alcohol is a guess, or isopropyl alcohol? Medical alcohol or rubbing alcohol?

 

[Woodpad]

How did the use arise, indicating an extreme inebriation? Or trouncing, "a shellacing" in the parlance. From Prohibition? Maybe juiced hooch..

Who, What, Why: What is a 'shellacking'?

US President Barack Obama has spoken of the "shellacking" his Democrats received at the hands of voters. So where does the word come from?

www.bbc.com

 

[PigSquealer]

What's used to clean the contact areas?

Alcohol is a guess, or isopropyl alcohol? Medical alcohol or rubbing alcohol?

See post #22.
Why are you doing this yourself anyway ? You just had a $1200 overhaul done. Take it back.

 

[bobstad]

See post #22.
Why are you doing this yourself anyway ? You just had a $1200 overhaul done. Take it back.

Gee, that was $450 and would involve shipping.

Not to mention they'd refuse anyway..someone with a huge backlog from taking on loads of work; attempting a recovery after their already lame concern got trounced by Covid-19 times.

The alto got to them the fall of 2023, returned finally two months ago.

We'd a similar TrueTone nineteen years-amazing musical instruments!

 

[LostCircuits]

Gee, that was $450 and would involve shipping.

Not to mention they'd refuse anyway..someone with a huge backlog from taking on loads of work; attempting a recovery after their already lame concern got trounced by Covid-19 times.

The alto got to them the fall of 2023, returned finally two months ago.

We'd a similar TrueTone nineteen years-amazing musical instruments!

Yikes. that's a long time.
Do you have a caliper to measure the thickness of the plastic piece?

My gut feeling is that it won't matter too much, you have the "cork" in there mostly to avoid the clacking noise when thefoot hits the bow and, to some degree to regulate the opening angle and reduce bounce. In theory, you can use a thin piece of felt like what you would use for coasters and if it is too thin you double it up. You have to cut the contours, but any razor blade or cuticle scissors will do for that. No need to get carried away and if you had a plastic piece in there, it would be the wrong thing anyway.

 

[Pete Thomas]

These days does anyone know their neighbors names ?

Yes we do here in friendly Forest Hill. We have street parties, lend power tools and share space in the recycling bins, take in deliveries.

 

[LostCircuits]

Yes we do here in friendly Forest Hill. We have street parties, lend power tools and share space in the recycling bins, take in deliveries.

Same here, I know all my neighbors in a 2 mile radius. That's Tom and Steve and Steve (proof that I am not lying).

 

[Targa]

I did get to know all the neighbours when I moved in to one house
Then in the four houses to the left all seven died, in the nearest six over the road twelve died one moved, in the two to the right four died in each one the two ‘children’ still live there.
Then I left.