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Martin C Melody Restoration

Update.
Dent work is done. I chose not to remove the bell. It was squashed flat at the front joint. Instead of ironing out one piece it would have been three. Job looks decent for what it is. The smash in the bow did not come completely out. Will save that another day when I can dismantle it and roll it out correctly. cheerful pleasing improvement.

I understand the two-tone holes that were dislodged from a bad bang. The G and F hole I don’t understand why the mid unit / separation leaks. Anyway all repaired and sealing.

all the wire guards have been realigned. One was removed straightened and re-mounted. Body cleaned and somewhat polished. This phase is over. Time to start straightening the pillars to rods to final the key work. Pads next.
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No buffing wheel. All by hand.

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My first attempt at using TIX blocker instead of white out. Was a little disappointed. Oh well... need to learn the (Dark Arts) material better.
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Body cleaned up surprisingly well. I was expecting to see a lot more scratches and dings. Especially considering it looked like it was shipped by a bunch of pissed football players.
Going to work on straightening hinge rods & pillars / posts next.
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Still chipping away at this project. I needed some pipe cleaners over the weekend. Now only found at smoke shops or CBD stores.
The craft store item is good for crafts. Terrible for cleaning hinge tubes. Two dollars a bundle gets you the real thing. I like the ones with the hard plastic bristles. Excellent for getting the old hard dry grease out. All safe for lighter fluid.
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You do very nice work. Thanks for sharing the project with us. You are tackling some pretty challenging repairs. FYI a tip I learned to shield silver finishes from solder overflow is to color the area with a Sharpie pen. It comes off easily with alcohol. I really like Dills pipe cleaners to clean hinge tubes using cheap valve oil for a solvent. If you ever want to make your own magnetic dent removal tools to get those hard to reach areas around the bell bow I have provided a link to download the instructions for how I made my set. One of the inventors of the magnetic dent removal system named MDRS was upset with me for calling my tool by the same name so I named mine TURD (tool utilized to remove dents) instead. :)
 
Thanks for the compliment. Haven’t tried a sharpie before. Had good luck with whiteout. Thought I would try this new TIX product. Need to do some more testing. Was just stupid to test on this repair. Seemed like the flux turning to liquid washed TIX away.:mad:

Nice instructions on your magnetic TURD. I made something similar few months back. 20 x 50mm N52 magnet. Handle I 3D printed from this.
Will pull 192 pounds. Used this a lot on the bow area. Old Martins have thick metal. Could only iron out so much. Even with a 1-1/2” ball. Still your kit will be a nice tool for the arsenal.

I did make some new hammers and dent balls. Polypropylene & oak with suede covers. Both keep from burnishing a matt finish. Balls I made from brass.
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I now have everything hinge tube / pivot point straight. Keys are cleaned and ready to fit / aline to body.
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Still working everything into alignment. The upper stack was a real joy:confused:.
Here’s a couple of pictures of the lower stack. Once aligned I need to check the key cup placement. Just because the post/pillars lineup does not mean the key cup is centrally located over the tone hole.
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Checking tone holes. I find checking the smaller ones have challenges. Like checking fit on automotive machining I use marking die. A little pressure with tone hole block burnished the surface adequately. No filing was necessary.
Final fit checked with .0015 tissue.
1st rub
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2nd rub
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final
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Still chipping away at this project. I needed some pipe cleaners over the weekend. Now only found at smoke shops or CBD stores.
The craft store item is good for crafts. Terrible for cleaning hinge tubes. Two dollars a bundle gets you the real thing. I like the ones with the hard plastic bristles. Excellent for getting the old hard dry grease out. All safe for lighter fluid.
I don't like those plastic bristle cleaners. Got a few in some time back and couldn't see the point of them over and above a decent pipe cleaner and some lighter fluid.

Just for reference - if anyone in the UK is wondering where you can get decent pipe cleaner from, I recommend this place:


I've tried them all, and the Wilson ones seem to be the best (standard for saxes, tapered for smaller woodwinds)
 
Still working everything into alignment. The upper stack was a real joy:confused:.
Here’s a couple of pictures of the lower stack. Once aligned I need to check the key cup placement. Just because the post/pillars lineup does not mean the key cup is centrally located over the tone hole.
Always a tricky call, that. You have to decide whether the body's out of true, or the pillars...or whether they've been moved in the past (perhaps to accommodate a bend).
 
After I checked all the tone holes for level. I also checked for any sharp edges. The chatter marks from the factory are where they took the burr off the inside edge. Also note many of the faces do not have a consistent ring.
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I don't like those plastic bristle cleaners. Got a few in some time back and couldn't see the point of them over and above a decent pipe cleaner and some lighter fluid.

Just for reference - if anyone in the UK is wondering where you can get decent pipe cleaner from, I recommend this place:


I've tried them all, and the Wilson ones seem to be the best (standard for saxes, tapered for smaller woodwinds)
My first go using these ones with bristles. They appear to do a decent job. My biggest issue is finding one long enough. They are approximately 6” long. Too short. Had to be careful I did not have one fully inserted. They’re a pain to get unstuck. At least they’re compatible with the lighter fluid.
Always a tricky call, that. You have to decide whether the body's out of true, or the pillars...or whether they've been moved in the past (perhaps to accommodate a bend).
Yep !
Will use a short rod to spot one key on ends. That will help me determine a starting point. Whack-a-mole is fun but I don’t need the practice. o_O
 
My first go using these ones with bristles. They appear to do a decent job. My biggest issue is finding one long enough. They are approximately 6” long. Too short. Had to be careful I did not have one fully inserted. They’re a pain to get unstuck. At least they’re compatible with the lighter fluid.

Yep !
Will use a short rod to spot one key on ends. That will help me determine a starting point. Whack-a-mole is fun but I don’t need the practice. o_O
You want Churchwarden pipecleaners - they're about a foot long.
 

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