life as I see fit

Before, during and after photos of dent work on a Yamaha 62 Alto Saxophone. 25.08.16

The sax had a drop. With badly dented bell, a folded bell lip, a pushed in brace, and a detached bell section it looked severe. All the table keys were a mess, and the bell keys was an inch from closing due to the bell being pushed across. The Low B, Bb and C# tone holes where no longer flat and the brace between bell and body was s-shaped..

A full days work at least; Still cheaper that a new bell!

I thought I’d feature some of my favorite tools, solutions and techniques we use in the workshop at Dawkes Music.

#1: The spring carousel.

This is how we deal with keeping our different needle springs sorted and at hand. We’re not quite sure who made this, but theories point to Gary Hobdell, a brilliant technician who unfortunately left this world way too early.

This spring dispenser has an internal barrel for each size of blue steel needle spring, and a lid with a small hole that can be turned over the desired spring size, numbered on the outside. When the whole box is tilted it dispenses a few springs.

Made a tiny eye shaped patch for a Euphonium split 03.08.16

We saw this and wonder what on earth it was! We found a resonator that rusted from the bottom up! 03.08.16

The theory goes as follows: it has been played at a cruise ship for a long period. I think the salt has stuck to the pads while wet, dissolving into the moisture left from playing. This made the leather soaked with salt water, and started the rusting process at the point where the resonator touched the pad first, instead of the normal rust, from top to bottom we often see.

See that gunk? That’s the deposit of what you blow into your horn.

Just add a pinch of congealed slide grease and valve oil, mix well with the particles of your breath and heavy moisture, let it sit on raw brass for way too long.

Et voila! You’ll have the same green fatty cream inside your very own horn. Neat, huh?