Saxophones Pork Tales: Saxophone Repair DIY Adventures.

Life around the barn.

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 and cleanup / detail the edges with hard cotton swabs. Sounds easy……

Yeah tha guy Matt makes it look easy.
Anyone remember your first experience cooking bacon crispy while still in the frying pan !

 

[Woodpad]

No, that's Buescher!

I am working on a Buescher made saxophone with purple felt, should I change it?

 

[LostCircuits]

I am working on a Buescher made saxophone with purple felt, should I change it?

There is no "Eowwww" reaction. Purple? Really? Ok, the velvet of the case was purple for the silver-plated horns (IIRC) so, maybe... It's past midnight and I lost my glass slipper. I'll think about it tomorrow.

 

[PigSquealer]

I am working on a Buescher made saxophone with purple felt, should I change it?

Why change it ? Purple has a great tone.

There is no "Eowwww" reaction. Purple? Really? Ok, the velvet of the case was purple for the silver-plated horns (IIRC) so, maybe... It's past midnight and I lost my glass slipper. I'll think about it tomorrow.

Yes purple case & silver is correct. Although some years felts were clear. Eowwwww, 🫨🫪😲 or pick one😂 📙 Emojipedia — 😃 Home of Emoji Meanings 💁👌🎍😍

 

[PigSquealer]

Saturday night on a three day holiday weekend here. I’m taking time off to work on some of my stuff.
Time for an oil change on this one. I only have maybe 125-150 hours on this since building it. Some of you may remember this from the thread of the restoration here.
Martin C Melody Restoration
Tech/maintenance - Martin C Melody Restoration
For giggles I’ve taken timestamped pictures.

I started by detaching all the springs. I’m really pleased with how it’s coming apart. The NYE clock oil didn’t disappoint.

At five years or so I’m not the least bit surprised. Everything still has a good amount of lubricant. Zero loose action.

:25 minutes and it’s apart. That includes taking the pictures 😉

 

[PigSquealer]

The keywork is still reasonably clean.

The Hagertys Silversmith Polish has preformed well. This has lived on a stand and a case both for months at a time.

Starting on the body first. I used a few tissues to wipe the oil from anywhere visible. Then I chased all posts, pillars or previously lubricated areas with pipe cleaners. Running the pipe cleaner in until it came out the backside clean. Then trimmed it off before backing out.

1:05 minutes and I’ve finished giving the body a courtesy wipe. No polish used. A overall blast with compressed air. Then two natural hair brushes, fine toothbrush (3) and some soft cotton strips from an old cotton T-shirt. Keep fresh tools and work in steps.

I’m listening to an “oldies” playlist and look over at my tool tray…
Makes me think of an old passed on friend who painted his tools different colors. Small stuff that matters 🤔

Cleaning is tedious work. I constantly clean my hands with hand sanitizer and a shop towel.
The sauce cup is for solvent (lighter fluid) and pipe cleaners to clean the hinge tubes / barrels. Refresh often or you’ll have oily fingerprints all over. Including your pads !

 

[PigSquealer]

Had to take Ma Squealer out to eat….nothing worse than a grumpy wife from being hungry. An hour well spent.
I lost track of the time out. Maybe an hour and half? Oh well 😏
Almost 11:00 PM and all the keywork is cleaned. Same process as the body. I don’t suggest using polish on keywork. You’ll end up with polish goo on pads and potentially damaged cork. At minimum a grey goo cast look on both that can’t be removed.
Keep it simple. A courtesy wipe is all that is needed.

 

[PigSquealer]

No AI, no photoshop. I did take a few minutes to clean up the bench though.

 

[PigSquealer]

Nothing much happened today.
I finished building this one at the end of July 2023. Fully assembled and played it once. It had a leak on G# and I was out of fun time. Placed it back in the case for another day….

….22 months later.

It’s been sitting awhile. No surprise there were a few leaks. What took time to get sorted was playing RH2 E to low C#.
Ok so I checked for leaks several times. Even in total darkness. None, Grrrrrr.
Took Dug for a walk.
Upon returning I thought to check the action of forked E area.
Yep. When the cup closes it bumps the low C# spring and slightly opens the key C#.

I could shave the top of part some but why ?? 103 years old and never touched.

Looking closer I noticed a slight bend in Low C# hinge tube ! Reviewed the picture archive ( one of few I didn’t loose in crash) from 7/2023. Nope, not bent 🤦‍♂️

A good hour lesson learned. Never assume everything will be the same on another day
Still not a bad three day weekend. I managed to see some decent auto racing and finished 7 of 10 saxes I set out.

 

[PigSquealer]

The Evette and Schaffer is now working properly. Turns out it’s a Bb HP tenor A=442. And doesn’t really sound off.

This keywork is really funky on the fingers & feel.

 

[kamak]

The Evette and Schaffer is now working properly. Turns out it’s a Bb HP tenor A=442. And doesn’t really sound off.
View attachment 35142
This keywork is really funky on the fingers & feel.
View attachment 35143

Wow that is some weird RH keywork.

 

[PigSquealer]

Wow that is some weird RH keywork.

The SN# is 152xx.

Early Evette & Schaeffer

7,000

29,424

1899 advertising.

 

[kamak]

Fascinating. Looks like it adds quite alot of complexity.

 

[arbin]

Hurts my brain. But still intrigued.

 

[PigSquealer]

Fascinating. Looks like it adds quite alot of complexity.

Hurts my brain. But still intrigued.

Two fingers.
Six touches
All too close together. Very challenging. Thinking of adding some reversible texture to touches. Like braille 😐
It sounds fantastic on a Vandoren Jumbo T55. Just need sticky dots so I don’t play anything but E & D.

 

[PigSquealer]

Nothing much happened yesterday. A basic COA on a MK VII tenor came in as scheduled, Yeah, some people do schedule work ahead of time and keep their appointments.

Time for in & out “basic no needs COA” was expressed by me at about six hours….if nothing goes sideways. This being my first review and not needing more than an oil change, a pad or five. A few regulation adjustments or cork / felts replaced.

Do note this is NOT DIY work, more like work in the trenches. What your tech sees daily. The person who tries to make your sax work and for at least six months more. All at minimal expense to you and still feed the family.

Yeah, cation & study taking it apart for the first time. Taking notes of the last 47 years of use & service repairs. Hence the hour plus to take apart.

Notes; full repad needed soon / one year.

 

[PigSquealer]

Making DIY wedges from wine cork. These can be handy sometimes to set pad impressions or to secure keys for shipping needs.
Use sharp tools. Dull tools don’t cut cleanly.

Press down and away from your fingers and on a wood block. Safety and the tools stay sharper longer.
If the blade only goes partway. Rotate the material while holding the blade/ knife.
6mm /1/4” wide is all you need.

Eye half way a cut like a pizza.

Note the raggedy edges. I used a dull blade for display of the need to use sharp tools.

Gently squeeze the key(s) closed and insert the wedge. The goal is to just lightly hold the key closed and not rip the keyfoot cork off. With the key touch released the wedge should have very lite tension.

The pro grade goods are much longer and made from oak. Noticeably smoother too. DIY is ok if you understand proper use.

 

[PigSquealer]

The “stuff” you can find in scrap piles….
I found this while out walking Dug. A local new housing development and scrap the landscaping men left in the bin. It’s 12V waterproof LED lighting flex with pressure sensitive backing tape.

Many players have backup horns…I’m thinking a backup leak light 💡🤪
The strip tape shows L & N.
A cut line / soldering point.
Wires off a transformer ( another salvage spare) show a positive (+) and negative (-) wire connection.

Careful review of salvage transformer is needed. Input to your local electrical supply needs to be correct.
This LED tape strip requires 12 volt positive earth/ grounding.
Solid line on wire here is positive + supply.
——— is earth / ground or negative = -
LPS and the hieroglyphics shows the attached tip of the transformers intended use. I’ve cut that off and will directly solder the wires on. FWIW the inside of tip is +/positive/ power. The outside is earth / negative/ -.

The LED tape strip is 3/8” / 10mm wide. I’ve mounted this using the adhesive backing to an aluminum bar of 3mm,1/8” x 1/2”/13mm, x 12”/30.5cm. This being continuous / wrapped to both sides.
Prior to soldering. I installed upstream on the supply wire three layers of shrink wrap.
Soldered the connection & tested with caution 🫪
Applied a high temperature hot melt glue approved for electrical use to end area.
Moved & placed first shrink layer. Yellow unseen.
Then a second layer. Blue.
Lastly the green.
All for support and not being electrocuted from the connection. I don’t care to glow in the dark 🫪

Yeah, it works 😇. It’s a softer yellow light than a pure bright white light that can be hard on your eyes😉

 

[PigSquealer]

The difference. I’ll let the reader decide 😘

 

[LostCircuits]

Making DIY wedges from wine cork. These can be handy sometimes to set pad impressions or to secure keys for shipping needs.
Use sharp tools. Dull tools don’t cut cleanly.
View attachment 35207

Press down and away from your fingers and on a wood block. Safety and the tools stay sharper longer.
If the blade only goes partway. Rotate the material while holding the blade/ knife.
6mm /1/4” wide is all you need.
View attachment 35208

Eye half way a cut like a pizza.
View attachment 35209
View attachment 35210

Note the raggedy edges. I used a dull blade for display of the need to use sharp tools.
View attachment 35211

Gently squeeze the key(s) closed and insert the wedge. The goal is to just lightly hold the key closed and not rip the keyfoot cork off. With the key touch released the wedge should have very lite tension.
View attachment 35213

The pro grade goods are much longer and made from oak. Noticeable smoother too. DIY is ok if you understand proper use.
View attachment 35214

You make it look like brie. Or Gorgonzola.

 

[PigSquealer]

You make it look like brie. Or Gorgonzola.

Never touch the stuff. Cranberry Wensleydale only.