The Martin Project

Linky Lee · Jan 24, 2007

Ok, so I decided I wanted to get the Martin into a playable condition. I also found out I didn't have ?200 lying around for precisely that.

I decided I would take my time and if anything got too out of hand I'd send it to a repairer at cost to get it sorted out. So I got my screwdrivers and started the repair job.

This is a learn as I go project as I've never worked with metal before. My granddad is a carpenter so I've worked with wood and wooden instruments before (Built an electric guitar and various flute/pipes).

I've decided to
1. Clean the saxophone and keys thoroughly and polish to a nice finish.
2. re-pad the whole instrument and spring the Eb trill key closed.
3. Re-cork the crook.
4. Re-assemble and regulate the action to suit my playing style.

So I'm going to post on my progress here. I may send it off for a re-pad if I get myself into too sticky a situation 😛

Here's a pick of it before my mad hands touched it.
Before: http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/8881/857174998hv.jpg

And here is one after I took all the mechanism off.
Keyless: http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2747/671053174zh.jpg

This is as far as I've gotten so far. I'm waiting on items to arrive so I can get on with the re-cork and clean up first.

Then I'll re-pad the instrument and assemble.

Hope all goes well!

Bobby G · Jan 24, 2007

Is that blood I see dripping off one of those springs? :S

I hope all goes well, I would certainly attempt the same with one of mine (maybe a tenor to start off with), but might stop short of a repad. Don't you need specialist bits'n'pieces for that?

Good luck with it 🙂

Cheers, Bob

jambo · Jan 24, 2007

Good Luck Linky!!!

How will you remember where all the bits of mechanism goes back on?

Linky Lee · Jan 24, 2007

I've baggied everything into seperate bags.
I also have photos and apparently common sense.

The keys only fit back in one place but it's working out the order you need to assemble in to be able to get to all the different bits.

Bob... it's fluff if there is anything. I managed to spring myself but no blood as of yet.

As far as a re-pad goes you only need 'specialist stuff' for the finer bits like making the pads even and seating well. I could always get this done if I don't do a good enough job. I just can't afford a ?200 bill.

griff136 · Jan 24, 2007

just a few tips for you Linky.

write down the size of the corks on the feet of the keys and the linkages before you take them of the keys. this way you should have a good starting point.

when reassembling a sax I always start with the bottoms stack and then the low keys Eb to Bb
then top stack, side keys and palm keys then the 8va mech.

use a good contact adhvesive for glueing the cork - apply to both the cork and the key leave for a few mins until almost dry/tacky then pres together.

use a razor blade to cut the cork - scalpels are not as flexible. if you have to use a sawing action its time to change your razor blade.

get yourself a decent oiler - always handy - a bottle with a needle in the top to get just the right amount of oil where you want it.

i use 2 stroke oil - the tyoe used on mopeds - slightly thicker than key oil.

clean out the keys that have rod in them with pipe cleaners and check that the key rotaes freely on the rod/axle.

theres a good description on re corking a crook at

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/HandyHints/Recorking_crooks.htm

thers some other good tips there too.

most of all have patience and take your time.

good luck and keep us posted.

Linky Lee · Jan 24, 2007

Yeah I've read everything on that web site... at least twice.

I understand that patience will be the key as I'm not experienced. I'm doing it in lots of small bits so as not to get too confused.

Thanks for the advice I'm sure it will benefit greatly!

griff136 · Jan 25, 2007

you're welcome!

Linky Lee · Jan 25, 2007

Started work on cleaning the action up. Done half of it. All grime and tarnish free. Lovely.

I found a problem with the Eb key. It's bent at the edge near it's attachment rod. It's also taken some damage and has dents in the top. I guess I'll just have to take this all out with a small hammer or something similar.

There's a bit more pitting in the plating in some awkward places I hadn't noticed before, that I'm hoping will polish out reasonably well.

Linky Lee · Jan 31, 2007

I finished cleaning the whole instrument with brasso today. worked great.

I'm now going to give it a bath and clean out the inside and remove any excess substances from the outside.

I'll then let it air dry for a few days and go over the whole thing with a silver polishing cloth. It's very shiny already!

jambo · Feb 21, 2007

Hows the Martin project going Linky???

Linky Lee · Feb 21, 2007

Ah.. it's coming along slowly as expected.

I've got the sax completely apart and have done a basic clean up of the outside. I've bathed it and am on to the polishing of the body.

I've cleaned the keywork and polished that as well.

I think I'm going to re-spring the instrument, they look a bit ragged (I think they're the originals!) and then I'll set it up and regulate it,

I don't think I'm up to re-padding yet. I still might try it but I'm thinking I'll send it off to a pro to do a quality job. Midway pics coming soon I guess!

Linky Lee · Feb 26, 2007

This project is officially terminated.

I've got to the point of having it nice and clean and shiny. Yay! I've decided I don't want to re-pad it myself and that it definitely needs one. I also think it needs a re-spring even though the springs aren't broken they just look and feel dead and it could do with some blued steel springs.

I started re-assembling the keywork and worked my way from the bottom upwards and got as far as finishing the bottom stack and realised If I'm sending it off for a re-pad it needs to be disassembled anyway, so I stopped.

Just have to save up a few hundred quid so I can give it the treatment it deserves.

I learnt quite a lot through doing this though, and I don't think I've done anything negative to the horn. So I think though I have basically done nothing but clean it I've gained quite a lot from it and know not to attempt it even again 😛

saxismyaxe · Feb 27, 2007

I think every DIY tech has started their initial project with your shared trepidations. You did indeed learn a lot with this restoration, and may have enough moxy to try it again, going a few steps further next time, and still further the time after that etc.

Might I suggest that you pick up a super cheap stencil, project horn, such as a C-melody next time for practicing a repad, spring/cork/adjustment trial on. Something that you don't initially place a high value on, but may result in a heck of a good playing horn when you are done.

Cheers.

Linky Lee · Feb 27, 2007

Interesting idea.

The point about it was that I got the horn for free and it would cost a few hundred to get it sorted out, so unless I did anything drastically bad it would still cost a few hundred to sort it out. Opportunity taken.

I got some of the keywork on it straightened out and learnt a lot about how the keywork actually works and how it allows you to play the saxophone. For me this has been beneficial in many respects and I've tweaked my other saxophones slightly to get more out of them, especially the tenor of which the build quality isn't too great being a cheap horn and it's needed a few minor repairs.

Also being able to compare it to a modern horn I can see where some mechanisms are just primitive or very long winded ways of getting something to work etc.

I'm sure I will give something like this another go, I'm quite interested in taking a course part time after university or something, though that is much to far away for me to think about yet. I think I'll fiddle on a tenor next if I do.

I've done various other projects in the past but nothing as complicated as the saxophone. I built an electric guitar that I'm rather proud of even if I haven't gotten round to painting it yet.

jambo · Apr 16, 2007

I see in the yard sale that you have decided to sell this beautiful specimin

Linky Lee · Apr 16, 2007

well if the right price comes along.

It's very sentimental as it's my first ever saxophone and it's a brilliant one as that, I just have no money and won't whilst I'm at Uni and the Hanson is equally as good and I want to focus on tenor so it's really hard to justify it if I could get a price for it to help out with the cost of the tenor.

Considering it needs a major service and a re-pad if you really feel like it you could get it cheap if you were to do the job yourself... all you repairers out there 😛

I'd really hate to sell it though, In a way I'm hoping there aren't any offers. It's all because I bought Pete's soprano... which I don't regret! It's lovely, but it means it's an expensive year and things need to go for financial and spacial reasons.