Week 18- Flute PC, Clarinet Post Replacement

With a four day week, I still got a huge amount of work done in a short amount of time.  While the class was finishing up our work on clarinet and flute play conditions, I was also working on the rosewood clarinet with my teacher, Lucas.  I want to do all the work necessary to make the clarinet a great show and tell piece.  This week we were completing the key fitting on the upper joint.  Two posts (the Side Bb/Eb and Register Key were stripped.  Because the instrument is not standard, we didn't have a nickel silver post without lacquer to replace the current posts with.

I began by drilling and tapping a nickel silver rod.  The original diameter of the rod was .157".  This rod was tapped to the measurements of the original post.  After checking to see if the original hinge rod fit in the new nickel silver rod, I moved on to the post work.

By hand, I drilled into the post face.  It was important to drill only 75-85% of the way through the post face. This was for two reasons: to protect the cosmetics of the visible post face and to act as a stop for the new nickel silver insert.  Here, I used a #42 drill bit which measure in at a diameter of .0927".

Returning to the lathe, I turned the outer diameter of the nickel silver insert to a diameter as close to the drill bit used to drill the post.  After turning to .0930", I removed the rod and hand filed the insert to size on a bench motor.

After filing to size I double checked the fit in the newly drilled post.  There was a tight fit as well as excess rod to ensure some room for filing once the insert was set in place.

With a jeweler's saw, I cut the insert off of the nickel silver rod.  After this was complete, I created an oversized hinge rod with which to ensure a tight fit in the hinge tube opening post.  The diameter I chose for this was .081" as opposed to the original hinge rod's diameter of .077".  The reason we used the oversized hinge rod only for fitting purposes was because the original hinge rod fit well to the hinge tube of the key mechanism.

Threading the bushing onto the oversized hinge rod, I checked the fit of the insert in the drilled post.

Starting with the Side Bb/Eb post, I used Red LockTite to act as the fitting glue.  Lucas and I decided against epoxy because of the pressure that could potentially be placed on the bushing when threading and tightening the hinge rod into the insert.  I applied grease to the threads on the oversize hinge rod to ensure that any LockTite that touched the threads would not lock the threads in the bushing.  After waiting overnight, I released the oversize hinge rod.

After repeating the process with an additional insert on the Register Key, I was left with a bit of filing to ensure that the insert was flush with the post face.  Each key lost a considerable amount of lateral play as a result of the well fitted hinge rod.

After the key fitting was taken care of on the upper joint, I machine buffed the keys and hand buffed the posts on the body.  As seen in the picture below, the clarinet is becoming quite a work of art.  As the restoration takes place, I will be interested to see just how much work the clarinet needs.  I am not out of the woods yet.  There is considerable work to be done on the lower joint, including fabricating a grenadilla insert for the upper tenon of the lower joint.  MAKING part of a clarinet is too cool.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Week 17- Making Bearing Seaters and Set Screws

This week begins the spring semester.  I was so happy to get back into the repair shop.  My class is working in the woodwind repair shop for the next 8 weeks, and our first tasks this week were play conditions on clarinet and flute.  I have finished the play condition on my clarinet.  I needed to replace a pad, lower the ring keys, and reseat a few leaking pads.  All in all, the clarinet shaped up to be a reasonable task.

The flute play condition is still in the works, however.  There is a lot of work to be done on making pads seal.  While this may not seem daunting, being out of the woodwind lab for 11 weeks makes padding look like a big problem.  However, I am confident that I will be able to have the flute completed by the end of next week.

We had a lathe project this week to create a bearing seater.  This will be used when I return to the brass workshop.  Using a drill bit to create a half inch hole in one end and a drill bit, and tap to thread the other end, the project was done before I knew it!  See the picture below for the finished product.

Another project I worked on this week was specific to the rosewood clarinet I mentioned in an earlier posting.  I am returning to this instrument to finish the key fitting before I can move on to padding, corking, and tenon cork installation.  The interesting thing about this clarinet is that the pivot screws are Conn style pivot screws.  This means there is a tiny set screw that locks the pivot screw into place.  The rosewood clarinet had nine pivot screw points, but only two remaining set screws.  After realizing that there were no replacement parts that matched my set screws, I had to make the screws for the clarinet.

I began by finding a piece of steel rod that matched the outer diameter of the set screw I had to reference. The rod I chose was 0.072".  I used a 1-64 die on a bench motor to thread the steel rod.  The picture above is the portion of the rod that I threaded.

I then made a collett to hold the steel rod while chucked in the bench motor.  Because I was cutting the steel stock to about 1/32", there was little to no way to grip the new set screws to cut a slot in the face of the screw.  So I used a tap at 1-64 to create a holder for my steel rod.  I used a jeweler's saw to cut a slot in the collett to ensure that I could get a tight grip on the chuck when cutting the screws to size.

I used a portion of my threaded steel rod to act as a stopper in the brass collett.  This way, when I threaded the other portion of the steel rod into the opening, the screw length was determined by the stopping point in the collett.

 Following one 12 minute attempt at creating a set screw, I was able to produce one screw every three minutes.  By method was time effective and the rosewood clarinet is one step closer to have its key mechanisms fitting properly.  Below is a 0.072" diameter screw at a length of 1/32".  It's incredible to work with something so small and have such a form fitting and successful end result.  Next week I will be making oversized hinge roods for some of the keys with extreme lateral play... Until then!

Week 16- Brass Tubing

I was fortunate enough to work with my instructor John Huth on an additional project in which I created a brass tube and drew it to a specific diameter (an inner tube for a 1925 Besson Meha vintage trumpet).  

The first step was to anneal a flat piece of stock brass.  Following the annealing process, I placed the stock in muriatic acid to remove the heat varnish on the metal.

I hammered the brass around a trombone slide mandrel.  The size would vary depending on the size of tube that you were intending to draw.  The idea is to find a mandrel that is closest to the diameter of the tube to ease in the hammering process.  The seam created in this process is the traditional way that Besson tubes were created.  While seamless tubes are used now, in restoring an instrument to its original state, the edges of the brass tube need to be 'butted' together with no overlap.

Covering the butted seam with heat resistant flux, I was ready to solder.  In this instance we used brass braising wire.  The idea is to get the brass almost to a melting temperature so the piece and the wire heat as one after the initial braising.  Be sure to clean the braising wire and the seam of the tubing with sand paper and a small poker before braising.  Using super heat resistant flux is also recommended.

Above, I am heat the brass before applying the braising wire to the part.  The hot red color is definitely the best climate in which the braising wire can flow into the seam.  I had some trouble with the seam widening with heat.  I had to repeat the hammering process for the lower half of my tube and repickle the metal before repeating the braising process on the lower half of the tube.  However, the end result was reasonable.  I filed and sanded the tube so that it would draw evenly through the die we had place on the machine.  While I wasn't able to capture video footage of drawing the tube, the end result is shown below.  

The process really opened my eyes to how creative I can be in completed and repairing a damaged instrument.  Not only can I fix an existing part, but I can actually manufacture parts that I can use to restore vintage instruments.  I'm sure the applications of the project will be helpful in many other aspects of repair.  

Week 15- Mouthpipe rebuild Project

When a mouthpipe needs to be replaced or rebuilt for whatever reason (red rot, irreparable or costly damage), the parts must be disassembled.  If S-braces are not the issue, only the mouthpipe side of the S-braces need to be removed.  Here, however, I removed both S braces and the casing to mouthpipe brace.  This was for instructional purposes.  I decided to replace the casing to mouthpipe brace with a larger universal part, as my original brace was small and vulnerable.

Cleaning parts and removing lacquer is imperative because solder cannot flow if any lacquer is present.  Above, my finger hook and two S-braces have been pickled, sanded, and buffed to remove all lacquer.

While a bit unrelated, I had to remove the upper inner Main Tuning Slide tube to reach a few finicky dents.  This repair in conjunction with the mouthpipe rebuild added to the difficulty of the project.  This is because the main tuning slide must be parallel in span and skew before it can be used as the exact guide for where the mouthpipe should be placed.

After measuring and removing the receiver and out main tuning slide tube from the original mouthpipe, I had to cut the universal mouthpipe to size.  Using a sander, I opened the small end of the taper up to 0.342".  Then I measured the length of the original mouthpipe and cut the new pipe to size.

The next step was to create shims for the excess room in the receiver and outer main tuning slide that would be soldered to the new mouthpipe.  This, while tricky, was extremely helpful in keeping the parts aligned while soldering the mouthpipe.  However, I ran into some trouble with the outer main tuning slide.  While I was soldering the tube slid up the mouthpipe.  I didn't think how this would react when putting the instrument together, but the result was that the main tuning slide could not completely slide into the upper outer main tuning slide tube.  Because of this, I had to resolder the upper outer main tuning slide.  It was definitely a time consuming process and will be something I check for in the future.

Once I had the outer upper main tuning slide tube resoldered, I was able to place the casing to mouthpipe brace in and solder the casing side.  After buffing the tinning around the brace, I could then solder the remaining mouthpipe side of the brace.  Fitting the S-braces was no small task.  The braces are very finicky, and any stress to the instrument can cause denting or unnecessary repair in the future.  Besides, if any technician were to remove a poorly fit S-brace, there is a potential for excess solder to spray and the part to release with a dangerous springing action.  The fitting of both braces to the new mouthpipe was more difficult than expected and took me about a half hour.  It will definitely be something I need to practice.  After the fitting, I was able to solder the S-braces in place.  I ended up having to add more solder to the braces, but the tinning was minimal and the fingerhook tinning was only a bit overrun.  I was happy with the results and after hand buffing and machine buffing I was ready to fully degrease and spot lacquer my project horn.

Week 14- Dents, Bell Buckles, Straightening, and Silver Soldering Practice

Week 14 was a whirlwind of dent repair, beginning with stem dents.  It is important to use a mandrel that is closest to the taper of the instrument.  With the mandrel 90 degrees to fluorescent light, direct and acute hand pressure and movement are required to draw out dents.  If you can draw out dents, the integrity of the metal remains.  However, you must be right at the dent in order to avoid blowouts in the brass.  To reach dents further up the bell stem towards the bell bow, the Pratt extension (made at Red Wing) can be used.  Inspection and resetting are key to a quality result.  Additionally, be sure that the mandrel and the instrument are clean.  Any dirt particles or scale can be impressed into the brass with the amount of pressure used in drawing dents!

Crook dents were also covered.  Using our crook dent rod shown above or other dent rods, locking the tool in a vise and lifting the dent is the way to go.  It is important to be careful when doing this. Certain crooks are very vulnerable, as draw knobs can be silver soldered in place.  This creates additional annealing and thus softening of the brass.  Knuckle dents are another repair using dent rods.  Here, using anything with a 90 degree angle to reach into the knuckles between casings is best.  Bracing with the fingers is key here, as any contact with the casing can cause further damage that is much more difficult to fix.

Bell buckles required a bit of prior planning and a lot of work.  The difference between a buckle and a fold in the upper picture is obvious, but in general, any oval shape at the throat is an indication of buckling, not a bell fold.  This is important because the initial work needs to be completed at the sight of the oval.  Therefore, 'roughing out' the bell on a bell forming iron is NEVER the first step.

Beginning by going after the out of roundness and the creases is first.  I began by hammering the large creases flat with a canvas (or rubber) to ensure that the brass did not layer over itself and then tear.  Following this, I traced the creases on a rolling mandrel.  If creases are closer to the rim, changing the angle to behind the bell is sometimes preferable.  Then, I traced any inconsistencies on the outside of the bell, being careful not to roll on the outside of the throat.  Here precision is key, as any over-tracing can cause significant flat spots.

Inspection is an important part of this procedure.  Looking at the inside of the bell and rotating it to look for out-of-roundness, I reformed the shape of the bell until it was as round as possible. Flexing the high sides until the most circular result was reached, I used first the flats of my hands but then had to use an interlocked finger method for more force.

After these steps are taken, then we are sure the throat is no longer the issue of the bell buckle.  From here on out, proceed towards fixing the rim as though it were a bell fold.  Another inspection and fine tuning via burnishing is expected after the roughing out of the bell rim.  The last step is to 'iron' the bell.  Using a bell iron and a rolling mandrel, burnishing the exact point of contact between the brass and the two steel ironing tools will smooth out the last of the inconsistencies.  The bell must keep moving throughout this process or more flat spots will occur.

The "E" Assessment Project is to add additional practice in silver soldering.  Prepping the parts consisted of filling down the brass ends to actively cup he diameter of the longest brass leg.  Setting up the brass rods in a soldering jig at a right angle was harder than it looked.  The soldering process was, too.  It seemed as though the part couldn't get hot enough for the solder to flow.  Following reapplication of flux and a deep breath to center my patience, I was able to solder the first leg of my E project.

Completing Week 14 was straightening bell bows.  On a loose vise, we placed our trumpets on a wooden mandrel and braced at the S brace and tail to 1st slide brace.  Opposing forces ensured that the bell bow would flex in the direction we needed it to.  However, some metals proved to hard to move by hand.  Using the Freshour snap, a belt is looped through the bell bow and used as a lever to 'snap' the bow back into place.  Similar methods of bracing can be used to straighten mouthpipes, however if the mouthpipe is already removed from the instrument, straightening can be completed by hand without a vise.

Week 13- Stuck and Bent Parts

For week 13 we focused on stuck parts.  It's always important to reinforce certain ideas when talking with band directors.  Often times a student will come up to a director before a concert and say, "My slide is stuck.  This won't move"  This usually happens because a teacher will go through a section and tune before the concert.  This makes me wonder...

You should know when your students instruments are in need of being greased or oiled because you should be teaching them to tune their instruments each time they play.  One thing some teachers may not know is that you should push slides in all the way before putting your instrument together each time.  This prevents galvanizing of the metals because you are constantly working the slide.  It will let you know when things are getting stuck, and you will probably teach you students how to tune properly as opposed to one time the hour before a concert...

We also talked about chem flushing brass instruments.  As a standard, instruments that are played regularly by professionals should be cleaned every six months.  This is enough time for buildup to occur within the instrument.  Depending on the acidity of the player's sweat and saliva, cleaning may need to occur more frequently.  Consistent cleaning and maintenance of the instrument can enhance the life of the metal and produce a cleaner sound.  Over the long run money will be saved, as minor repairs over time are much more effective than an overhaul after years of misuse.

It is important to inspect after cleaning an instrument.  There is a potential for an instrument to need another soak in the pickle.  Checking around nipple holes, inside ports and slide assemblies.  Scale can easily accumulate here and be very difficult to remove.  The more time you pickle a part, soldered parts will get a chalky look to them.  This is just lead oxide, which can be removed with a vinegar/water solution.

Finally, we focused on bell folds.  Folds just affect the rim.  Using a bell forming iron, a rubber mallet or other soft mallet can be used to 'rough out' the rim.  The thicker the rim, the higher the fold, generally.  After 'roughing out' the rim, I inspect the inside of the rim with my thumb, feeling for large inconsistencies.  Using other specialized or custom made burnishing tools, final repairs are made.

Week 12- Crook dent rod tool, 1st slide assembly, Bell bow dent repair

I was busy finishing my final test for flange soldering at the beginning of the week.  For our graded exam, we needed to follow all the steps talked about throughout Week 11 and perform our best soldering job, all the while being time efficient and following all safety guidelines.  I was very happy with my end result, and was able to complete the project in just under one hour!

 The next tool to create was a crook dent rod tool.  The first step was to file a 1" taper and a 1/8" step onto a steel rod.  We used 1/4" J2L14 stock for this project

 To create the correct angle for the steel crook rod, I had to heat the steel- seen above- and then quickly hammer the metal to form around a cylindrical form.  This process is seen in the picture below.

After removing a considerable amount of the heat varnish from the heating and forming, the end result was a slightly angled end of the crook rod, while the other end of the rod remained straight to use in other dent removal applications.

Continuing a busy week, we began work on my favorite project to date: building a first slide assembly! Beginning with stock parts, we cleaned the surfaces of the brass to ensure that the solder would flow completely, connecting the crook to the upper and lower inner 1st tuning slide tubes via the ferrules.

Fitting the tubes to the ferrules required use of a straight edge to ensure that the 1st slide tube would fit without gaps in the upper and lower outer 1st tuning slide tubes.  My final soldering result can be seen below.  It is visible where my feed points were on the tubes.  While I would have wanted a cleaner result, I had to make do with my solder job.

 After hand buffing and machine buffing the slide assembly, I fully degreased the assembly, and taped off the inner slide tubes.  With Greg's help and instruction, I completed my first lacquer job.  After 24 hours of dry time, the end result of my project can be seen below.  While time consuming, completing this entire project allowed me to expand the possibilities of instrument repair as I can now assemble parts as well as repair.

 Being able to repair bell bow dents as shown in the picture immediately to the right is time consuming.  Using the Roth tool shown below, varying sized dent bells are threaded through the bell to remove dents.  The idea is to use graduating sizes to lift the dents.  However, blow outs and stuck dent balls are potential risks throughout the process.  You can see however, that with the Roth tool and the help of canvas and delrin hammers to smooth out extremely creased ridges, I was able to restore the bell bow to an acceptable quality.

Rounding out the week was continued instruction on dent removal and repair.  The topic of focus was bell bow dents.  This was much more time consuming than I had expected, but most of the work could be completed with the trumpet completely assembled.  I am quickly learning that any repairs involving disassembly can get timely and expensive!

Week 11- Waterkeys, Mouthpieces, Flanges, and Bell Pings

As the brass lab is piling on the workload, our class made a tool to help install waterkeys.  Taking a brass tube and annealing the metal to a flexible state, I created a horseshoe shape to hold the exposed ends of a waterkey spring while installing.  Though it doesn't seem like much, waterkey installation is no easy task, and I'll take anything that could potentially make my job more efficient and foolproof!

We focused on mouthpieces during the middle of the week.  Taking about which brands offer hard to maneuver metal versus brands with pliable metal.  Using a tapered drift punch or a Morse taper, I used a canvas hammer to round the shank of the mouthpiece out.

Other tools can be used for rounding out the mouthpiece.  After putting the mouthpiece into a receiver  shown below- a dent ball attached to a mandrel can force the metal of the mouthpiece back into round.  

Finishing off the week, a longterm project concerning flanges took most of my attention.  After cutting the diamond shaped pieces of brass and annealing them to a flexible point, I was able to shape the brass to the outer diameter of the bell throat to begin the soldering process.  I shaped the pieces using a universal trumpet mandrel and a plastic mold.  Hammering on top of the mold allowed me to shape the bras without marring the surface of the metal.

After the flanges were clipped to the throat, I soldered the flanges in place with soft solder.  While filling the underside of the flange completely was difficult, the easiest flanges became the ones that fit closest to the taper of the bell throat.  After cleaning up the area I soldered and buffing with yellow compound, I was unhappy to find that I had actually buffed too much.  Unfortunately the indentation I put into the practice bell was there for keeps.  While I was unhappy with this mistake, I definitely know what too much buffing can do.  I will keep it in mind in the future.

Finishing out the week, students were asked to fix bell pings.  While this is the lowest level of dent work we will encounter, it is a great way to begin our technique.  I found it somewhat difficult to see where the rolling mandrel was when placing the bell over the mandrel.  Greg mentioned that changing your angle to fluorescent lighting can help in being able to see the dent and the flexibility of the brass when adding pressure while rolling the mandrel.  There was a lot to keep in mind when removing the bell pings, and ultimately, less is more when it comes to the pressure involved when rolling the brass along the mandrel.  With practice, I hope to increase my knowledge and aptitude concerning bell pings and other dent work!