Tech/maintenance Making parts you can’t find.

[SaxBoss]

The receiving hole was cleaned and sized. The finish cut was a light press fit. Checked in place before removing from lathe.
View attachment 28186

Would that be soft soldered?

 

[PigSquealer]

Assembled on the body. Dimension measurements are checked. The excess is parted off.

 

[PigSquealer]

Would that be soft soldered?

Yes. A light press fit is solid enough. The solder just secures the part.
I feel this has a low amount of stress.

 

[Ghr9204]

@PigSquealer , I believe you have changed category from being an instrument repairman to that of an instrument maker. 😎

 

[Ghr9204]

@PigSquealer , I believe you have changed category from being an instrument repairman to that of an instrument maker. 😎

Actually I wasn't being facetious. It is a "job classification" change. You demonstrate skills that reflect one capable of going beyond an ordinary dent hammer picker and pad replacer (alhough you do much, much better than that; In a loose sense as in the automotive world, beyond a Bondo spreader). 😉

 

[PigSquealer]

I don’t know much. Average repairs & part making. There’s a few techs around here that have probably forgotten more than I will ever know. When it hits the bench, you just need to figure it out and make it happen.

 

[Ghr9204]

I don’t know much. Average repairs & part making. There’s a few techs around here that have probably forgotten more than I will ever know. When it hits the bench, you just need to figure it out and make it happen.

Which reminds me ➠

I had a supervisor in aerospace tell me that he preferred to hire a "C" average (2.0) engineering graduate versus one with a 3.9999 GPA. It was because he could get work out of the "C" student versus the academically perfect one. The "C" engineer could figure things out and make it happen.

In college 50 years ago, my Fluid Dynamics professor told us who lingered after class, that he was concerned about the influx of foreign exchange students, most from Taiwan, who never held a hammer. Being Korean, he as a young man was drafted (conscripted) into the Japanese Army when Japan captured Korea. Similar to these days, he took their battery of written exams plus a physical exam. They gave him 3 job choices based on test results: Bombardier, Radioman, Aircraft Mechanic. He thought, "Bombardier and Radioman fly out, they don't fly back," opted for Aircraft Mechanic. 😀 He lived to tell about it.

During last night's community band rehearsal at a mid-school band room we use, I saw in the corner an old euphonium standing on its bell with many, many dents in its bow. (It had so many, even I could never attempt to achieve that!) 😱

Now I wished I had taken a photo. My first thoughts were that this would be something you could tackle and restore close to what it was before compared with many other instrument repairers.

 

[PigSquealer]

Which reminds me ➠

I had a supervisor in aerospace tell me that he preferred to hire a "C" average (2.0) engineering graduate versus one with a 3.9999 GPA. It was because he could get work out of the "C" student versus the academically perfect one. The "C" engineer could figure things out and make it happen.

In college 50 years ago, my Fluid Dynamics professor told us who lingered after class, that he was concerned about the influx of foreign exchange students, most from Taiwan, who never held a hammer. Being Korean, he as a young man was drafted (conscripted) into the Japanese Army when Japan captured Korea. Similar to these days, he took their battery of written exams plus a physical exam. They gave him 3 job choices based on test results: Bombardier, Radioman, Aircraft Mechanic. He thought, "Bombardier and Radioman fly out, they don't fly back," opted for Aircraft Mechanic. 😀 He lived to tell about it.

During last night's community band rehearsal at a mid-school band room we use, I saw in the corner an old euphonium standing on its bell with many, many dents in its bow. (It had so many, even I could never attempt to achieve that!) 😱

Now I wished I had taken a photo. My first thoughts were that this would be something you could tackle and restore close to what it was before compared with many other instrument repairers.

That’s probably a very expensive hand hammered finish. One I don’t have time for😳

 

[PigSquealer]

Posts #591-#608. Fabricating an unusual flat spring and making a specialty French hinge screw.

Saxophones - Pork Tales: Saxophone Repair DIY Adventures.

 

[PigSquealer]

Another unavailable part needs to be made. A cross brace for a 1934 Martin Imperial tenor.
The project work starts here.

Saxophones - Pork Tales: Saxophone Repair DIY Adventures.

Tales from a pig that likes to stick his nose into everything. Paint that S. How difficult could it be ? 1) Search the net. 2) Find the color. 3) Order color. 4) Study task on University of YouTube, aka; For destruction by DYI presented by pro tech. Do the cleaning & prep. Paint...

cafesaxophone.com

Making the part will be posted on this thread.
Below is showing a silver plated Martin Typewriter neck / crook mounted on the Imperial tenor. The cross brace that needs to be fabricated is same style.

The plate stock is .125” thick. Sourcing a small piece online that’s affordable (shipping kills you🤨) is limited. I opted for 3mm. A .006” / 0,18 difference is not visually noticeable. The metal grade matters more. Grade C360 is good hard machinable brass.

The Typewriter neck needs attention, so I wasn’t shy about removing its brace to use as an pattern.

 

[PigSquealer]

I begin by gently clamping the pattern to the plate stock. Using a tool steel scribe to mark the outline. Sometimes I will coat the surface with marking dye, but not today. One clamp is adequate to hold. Two are used for flexibility. Scribe what you can accurately. Loosen and relocate a clamp to finish the section.

Be attentive on how you hold the tool. The tip is angled for precision.

 

[PigSquealer]

I mentioned marking or ruling dye above. I just realized I’ve never shown this technique before.
It’s nothing more than a removable coating. Purpose use for marking or drawing out a design directly on a metal surface.
Available in red or blue.

 

[turf3]

I used to use Dykem all the time, but now I almost always just use a Sharpie.

 

[PigSquealer]

I used to use Dykem all the time, but now I almost always just use a Sharpie.

Sharpie is always handy an no mess. One 4oz bottle of Dykem has lasted me 25+ years.

 

[PigSquealer]

I gave my nephew my bandsaw years ago. Just didn’t use it enough. My neighbor has a nice scroll saw, but didn’t have any metal cutting blades on hand. Back to the DIY jigsaw & work table setup.
Blade reversed, wood block for ease of handling (no scratches on bottom surface) and using a sharper area of blade.
The blade is 18 tpi all metal use. Honestly I would use a 24 tpi if I had one on hand.

A Jigsaw doesn’t cut perfectly vertical, so I stayed away from line about 1/2-1mm. Squaring the edge I’ll do later.
Partway through I made two keyhole cuts. Drill a hole and with a narrower blade cut in a relief.

Notice I left a small bridge on each end. This prevents “chattering” while I nibble away at the inside radius.

I then cut from left keyhole to right. The 3/8” / 10mm wide blade is easier to keep going straight than a narrower blade.

The protective film on bottom side did its job well.

 

[PigSquealer]

Two minutes on the bench with a jewelers saw and I have a part in hand.

To square the edges and trim closer to finish line. I setup HSS burr cutter in Dremel tool. This is very dangerous and not recommended for anyone lacking experience. Tool speed, how to present the material to the cutter and where to keep your fingers matters.

Next pass is to start shaping and smoothing out the wavy edges. A sanding drum and a few light passes are all that’s needed.

 

[turf3]

I've never even used that "milling base" for my Dremel, certainly didn't realize it could be a wee little drum sander. I've just always done all that stuff freehand.

Next job like that, I'll drag that base out and try it.

Where oh where is my Bridgeport mill?

 

[PigSquealer]

I've never even used that "milling base" for my Dremel, certainly didn't realize it could be a wee little drum sander.

I picked up a full Dremel kit a few years ago. Complete with flex shaft. Some cool attachments are available and worth the money. I actually didn’t know the proper name of the “milling base”. I just looked it up in owners manual.
“Sanding/Grinding Guide Attachment, Model A576”. The page has lots of safety warnings not to use cutters like this or router bits🤦‍♂️

I've just always done all that stuff freehand.

Me too until this gadget arrived.

Next job like that, I'll drag that base out and try it.

Well worth it. I also learned to lookup the proper speed settings for tool and materials. The tools last a ton longer and preform with more refined control.

Where oh where is my Bridgeport mill?

When they get done unloading my laser cutter you’re the next stop 🤪

 

[PigSquealer]

The Dremel arsenal. The kit on right I bought 20+ years ago. I bought the new kit on left (model 4000) for the better speed control and the flex shaft attachment. A great shop tool if you don’t have one.

 

[PigSquealer]

With the part edges squared it’s time to make them straight and level. For this I sandwiched the part in between wood blocks. This being positioned just above flush. @mark_addy the files are out now.

Work down the high spots.

Then burnish.

Repeat on other side.