2014-02-16 23:11
Once the soldering had been finished, it was then time to begin working on the keys one by one to ensure that they were working flawlessly.Here I am swedging the register key. I noticed that… Read More
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2014-02-16 22:52
Occasionally a key is damaged to the point that it breaks. At this point it must be silver soldered back together in the event that the key cannot be replaced more easily or cheaply.Once the… Read More
2014-02-16 22:36
Once the mechanics of the instrument had been largely addressed it was then time to strip off all soft parts and prepare the instrument for cleaning.Here you can see the extent of the damage… Read More
2014-02-16 22:15
Once ensuring that keys were able to move relatively freely and all blatant mechanical problems had been assessed, it became prudent to align the entire mechanism prior to stripping off all… Read More
2014-02-16 21:58
Many times when repairing small metal parts you need to be able to hold a dent ball securely in a hard to reach area, or in an area where the parts are very sensitive and utmost control is d… Read More
2013-12-21 03:47
After we started the padding process (which will be continued in further detail later), we also began learning how to restore bent keys to full functionality. Sometimes you can see the bend… Read More
2013-12-21 03:32
At the beginning of class one morning we were asked to line up to get our project instruments. I was given this beauty:It was an 'Evette' plastic clarinet made by Buffet. I noticed some debr… Read More
2013-12-21 03:18
Studying at this school gives us the opportunity to see some very strange things that come in for repairs, or simply unusual contraptions that exist for the sake of being there. I've seen cl… Read More
2013-12-21 03:12
After learning the basics of key corking we then learned the basic technique of clarinet pad installation. This was taught in two phases: First to develop a feel for whether or not a pad is… Read More
2013-11-27 06:04
Many woodwind keys are accompanied by cork bumpers and spacers. Some are merely to quiet the mechanism, and others are to establish and maintain certain adjustments, or regulations. Cork is… Read More
2013-11-27 05:46
When we began Woodwinds we first spent some time discussing what exactly a woodwind instrument happened to be: a piece of plumbing with holes. We were then taught the basic order of procedur… Read More
2013-11-27 05:35
The last two types of dent removal that we learned in our Brass I section were Bell Folds and Bell Buckles. A Bell fold is basically where the rim of the bell bends backwards or forwards. Th… Read More
2013-11-16 05:01
When I first opened the case of my project trumpet, one of the things I couldn't help but notice was the fact that the mouthpiece receiver was snapped off. Ultimately this meant I would have… Read More
2013-11-16 04:21
The next step in our journey through lathe-work was to create a French Horn Seater/Seating tool. I'm not yet sure what it does exactly, but it basically sets parts to a specific depth. This… Read More
2013-10-17 16:09
This past Monday (the 14th) I fell down a flight of stairs and spent a good bit of time that day in the hospital. After discovering that I had almost ruptured a few organs I escaped with onl… Read More
2013-10-17 15:36
As soon as I finished my crook dent rod, my instructor gave us the opportunity to use it.Oops.As you can see, I have several... mistakes to fix.First you lock the tool in a bench vice and or… Read More
2013-10-16 03:27
Once the rod has been soldered and soaked in acid, the curved end still needs some adjustments. The diameter of the ball will get caught as it passes through the tubing so you have to grind… Read More
2013-10-16 02:59
Before I was allowed to progress to more advanced dent work I had to make another tool. Boy is my toolbox getting full! This tool specifically is used to get into the tightly curved crooks a… Read More
2013-10-16 02:45
When the topic of dent removal was introduced we were given the opportunity to start learning how to repair bell flare dents. The bell flare is essentially the outer part of the bell minus t… Read More
2013-10-13 03:55
We spent one morning learning the main elements of most mouthpiece problems and learned the basics of dent removal and burnishing.I was given this dented mouthpiece. I didn't manage to get a… Read More
2013-10-13 02:49
I finally started to work on this little beauty and found a whole assortment of ailments. It's going to take some 'special' effort to make this guy play again.Not only were there extra… Read More
2013-10-02 04:06
Our next big project was to practice soldering on curved surfaces. We were assigned to create patches from brass, form them on a mandrel, solder, then finally buff them to 'finish.' This pro… Read More
2013-10-02 03:55
So when I'm not at school, or at work, or blogging I'm going out with friends and having fun. Why not? Live the dream right? Here's a bit of what I've been up to lately:I made my first oboe… Read More
2013-10-02 03:44
So I came in one morning and found this on my bench:Uh Oh...And when I opened it, here's what I found...Yup! I think I got one of the special ones...Much to my horror I continued to rifle th… Read More
2013-09-27 04:17
I have spent several days learning how to buff instrument bells. Buffing is simply the act of polishing out imperfections in the finish of an instrument. There are various abrasives that cov… Read More
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