Seized adjustment screw....

DavidUK

Well-Known Member
Café Supporter
Tiny bit of adjustment needed to my "new" Elkhart 300 soprano, but could I shift this (middle) screw!?....

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Applied "Plus Gas" left overnight, clamped in my workmate, used all my weight and strength.... wouldn't budge a bit!
The screw was already a little gnarled before I started.

I've emailed the photos to Vincent Bach to see if they can offer a replacement assembly or just the screw, and I'm over at Connolly-MIR in the week who are bound to have a solution/new screw, but failing that does anyone know where I might get a replacement?

I do have a friend (ex Jaguar) engineer with a lathe as a last resort!

Thanks for any info.

:thumb:
 
The best place i have found for parts is Windcraft they seem to have most stuff,but i am sure Charlie or Matt at Connolly-MIR will fix this.
 
I would have thought it's either been bonded in position with some sort of locktite type solution or two different metals have reacted and fused. It's a little thing so I'd try soaking it in a mild solvent. Acetone or Alcohol or coca cola or perhaps vinegar. Don't leave it too long in the vinegar or it will disappear.

The only other thing you can try is heating it a little. It may stop looking so pretty after the application of heat so polishing and a relacquer may be on the cards
 
I would have thought it's either been bonded in position with some sort of locktite type solution or two different metals have reacted and fused. It's a little thing so I'd try soaking it in a mild solvent. Acetone or Alcohol or coca cola or perhaps vinegar. Don't leave it too long in the vinegar or it will disappear.

The only other thing you can try is heating it a little. It may stop looking so pretty after the application of heat so polishing and a relacquer may be on the cards

As the screw is knackered it may be that drilling it out is the only way, but I'll take the tech's advice first!
 
All good advice. When the screw slot is this compromised (gnarled) it is nearly impossible to get the torque required to turn it. If it were on my bench, I would drill a small hole into the screw and insert a threaded screw extractor. One of the first things a tech must learn is to always use a quality screwdriver the exact size of the slot of the screw. The result of not doing so is what you see in the picture above.

These brass adjusting screws are easy to make. You just determine the thread size and use the appropriate die to cut threads on a brass rod the right diameter. Then you cut it to length, round the top and then cut the slot. If you are really lazy as I am, you buy the brass rod already threaded.
 
All good advice. When the screw slot is this compromised (gnarled) it is nearly impossible to get the torque required to turn it. If it were on my bench, I would drill a small hole into the screw and insert a threaded screw extractor. One of the first things a tech must learn is to always use a quality screwdriver the exact size of the slot of the screw. The result of not doing so is what you see in the picture above.

These brass adjusting screws are easy to make. You just determine the thread size and use the appropriate die to cut threads on a brass rod the right diameter. Then you cut it to length, round the top and then cut the slot. If you are really lazy as I am, you buy the brass rod already threaded.
My best buy was a multi headed screwdriver with around 100 different and very hard bits and a long extension. Great for the sax. $7 from WalMart! Just one of those lucky buys which turned out NOT to be utter cr*p!
But, as you say, even with such a choice of bits, when the screw's been messed with it's tricky!
I could ask my engineer friend, but what's the rubbery material used for the buffer/insert? If I use cork instead, how best to insert it in the screw? Just drill a hole and glue in a plug of cork I guess?
Thanks for your help.
 
If you are making a new adjustment screw out of brass, don't worry about the hole. I prefer these screws to be flat bottomed anyway. Any good repair shop nearby could sell you one from stock or make one in a jiffy. My system is to use a small punch to make a plug of cork or tech cork slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw about 2mm thick. That is glued to the end of the screw using gap filling super glue. Then the screw is turned in a bench motor and an emery board is used to make the cork domed making fine adjustments easier. I like to then coat the cork with paraffin wax before installing. I prefer the tech cork because it does not compress like regular cork making adjustments more stable. The illustration below shows the idea. The adjusting screw with the hole and the rubbery tube is designed for speed in the factory. It is not necessarily the best method IMO.

 
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Agree with most of the above. I now you're not going to, but don't be tempted to use heat here. Not only the lacquer, but those little bits of plastic that contact the keys will be destroyed.
 
Matt at Connolly replaced the seized screw with a slightly home made one which did the job, however I asked Vincent Bach about a complete replacement arm and they ordered one in from Taiwan for me two weeks ago. They've agreed to go halves on the £14 cost even though the sax is no doubt donkeys years old and the seized screw may not have been down to manufacture. Good customer service from a little talked about distributor.

:thumb:
 
Ultrasteel set from California via Wal Mart in Florida $7.50....
Fantastically hard tits but still couldn't screw even with my arm clamped in a vice!

408071103.jpg

Did you REALLY mean to say that? Very funny however you read it

I hope it doesn't get modded out
 
"Ultrasteel set from California via Wal Mart in Florida $7.50....
Fantastically hard tits but still couldn't screw even with my arm clamped in a vice! "

Brought tears to my eyes, how about Colin's suggestion but with boiling water instead.
 
"Ultrasteel set from California via Wal Mart in Florida $7.50....
Fantastically hard tits but still couldn't screw even with my arm clamped in a vice! "

Brought tears to my eyes, how about Colin's suggestion but with boiling water instead.

Ooops! Tips, I meant tips!!


Like I said earlier, there's a new replacement arm on its way tomorrow, thanks to Vincent Bach.
 

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