Useful tips for engravers

[aldevis]

In my process to send some bits to the newly found UK engraver, I thought of starting a thread for not saxophone playing engravers, with useful information about the saxophone world.
Like:
- Saxophones come in 4 main sizes: soprano, alto tenor and baritone [picture needed]
- Usually engravings are on the bell, nowadays laser engravings. Neck (aka crook) and keys can sometimes be engraved too.
- Body and keys can finished in:
1- Bare brass
2- Gold or silver plated
3- Lacquered (the most common finish)
4- Nickel plated

 

[kevgermany]

Occasionally Nickel silver keys or body, Occasionally silver body/bell neck.
Plated saxes are usually (always?) plated brass.
Bending/denting/scratching the sax will lower value, and this is really easy with a silver sax, and easy with a brass one.
Plastic saxes are so expensive that engraving is pointless or so cheap that it's still pointless.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Any writing should be thoroughly checked then rechecked and then checked again before committing it to metal.

 

[saxplorer]

Any writing should be thoroughly checked then rechecked and then checked again before committing it to metal.

to avoid mistakes like this?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-18890901

 

[Pete Thomas]

to avoid mistakes like this?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-18890901

I love that. I'm so glad they laughed about it.

I had a tattoo which luckily worked out better than expected. And in fact to get right back on topic I'm thinking of getting another tattoo of the Conn naked Lady engraving.

 

[Clivey]

I love that. I'm so glad they laughed about it.

I had a tattoo which luckily worked out better than expected. And in fact to get right back on topic I'm thinking of getting another tattoo of the Conn naked Lady engraving.

A lot less painful than the " two voices " Eh?. tee hee.

 

[DavidUK]

Lots of saxophones already have the maker's original engraving so you need to be able to compliment and add to this as Jason Dumars seems to have mastered: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saxgraver/

 

[aldevis]

Two necks have been shipped to Ms. Filipovic.
Both Sequoia necks I do not currently use. Unfortunately I do not have a spare standard brass one or a tenor.
I will see Mr Sequoia in two weeks and I might get some more bits, if needed.
1- Unlacquered alto neck in cupronickel.
2- Unlacquered soprano neck in 91% copper brass (a piece we have been experimenting with).

They both have the octave key, that mobile part easy to remove. It is in standard lacquered brass.
Of course I do not mind if the lacquering goes. I can easily find a replacement is things go wrong.

Neck n.2 has been included despite the battered aspect, because it is probably the softest material that can be found on a saxophone.
The finish of the octave keys is probably the closest to standard finish.
The octave key has a feeble laser engraving. I am happy to see it included in something else.

My personal taste leans towards abstract motives, but it is up to the engraver to choose.

On the business point of view, I think that he two extreme options are:
1- a simple monogram on the octave key, to be offered as a custom option with the saxophone (some of Sequoia models come with two necks, and the octave key is an easy swap)
2- the full monty on the whole saxophone for true connoisseurs. I guess that a full disassembling would be required, including those lovely needle springs nobody mentioned yet. Any resident technician wants to give a possible quote?

I recently found a thing call "polymorph" or polycaprolactone. It melts at 80C. I used it for a palm key riser.
Would it be any good to firmly hold a saxophone piece?

 

[Pete Thomas]

I guess that a full disassembling would be required, including those lovely needle springs nobody mentioned yet.

Crucial to remove the needle springs, many amateur saxophones have discovered the pain involved with getting speared by those, especially bad when you get one in each side of a finger.

Katia needs to know that engraving a saxophone could be more dangerous than engraving a gun!

 

[aldevis]

Katia needs to know that engraving a saxophone could be more dangerous than engraving a gun!

Accidentals waiting to happen. (whose quote is this, BTW?)

Crucial to remove the needle springs, many amateur saxophones have discovered the pain involved with getting speared by those, especially bad when you get one in each side of a finger.

How do you know?

 

[kevgermany]

Don't engrave the player, send them to the tattoo artist.

 

[DavidUK]

Don't engrave the player, send them to the tattoo artist.

Is that what happened to Pete?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Is that what happened to Pete?

Yes, my next tattoo may be a Naked Lady