Band Instrument Repair: Tools for Success: Tools

1/13/12

Rotor Valve Burnishing Holder

This tool is used when a rotor valve is worn and needs to be burnished back to the original shape. The tool holds the rotor in place with the screw and can be put in a bench motor or lathe for easier access. The tool blank was made by the machine and die class on the Winona campus. I had to face the tool, drill a hole through the entire tool, drill a counter bore, thread the inside and champfer the holes. This tool will be very helpful when working with rotor valves.

This was the side of the tool that needed to be faced

The small end is chucked in a bench motor or lathe for stability

1/10/12

Draw Knob Solder Clip

A draw knob solder clip is used when soldering a draw knob to a slide tube. I silver soldered a piece of steel, that I prepared with a dome on one side and an inset on the other, to a solder clip. The tool is simple but makes installing a draw knob much easier.

Stock material. Solder clip and steel

Final product. Piece of steel silver soldered to the clip

Draw knob on a second slide crook. The solder clip holds the
knob in place while soldering

9/30/11

Slide Tube Mandrel

A slide tube mandrel is used to take dents out of outer and inner slide tubes. The mandrel was made of brass because this was the first time we used a tap to make threads in metal. This project was completed on a lathe. My partner and I had many learning experiences while completing this project. We didn't know that the jaws on the chuck were worn so we had to tape the brass rod so that it would have something to grip. Another issue we ran into was that the tool bit was dull. Because the tool bit was dull the finish on the rod after it was turned was rough and jagged. The ending diameter on the rod needed to be 0.458" so that it would fit in the slide tube. After the instructor sharpened the tool bit three times and made sure everything on the lathe was tight the turning came out smooth. After facing and turning I had to drill a hole in the brass so that I could put a tap in the hole to make threads. Another problem we ran into was the drill bit was not sharp so the bit kept slipping. Once the drill bit was sharpened the hole was drilled with no problems. Then it was time to use the tap. I made the threads using a 1/4-20 tap because that is what matched the bolt that was going to be threaded in the end. I took out the tap and tried the bolt in the thread and it did not work. Now I was getting frustrated because nothing I was doing was working. We asked the instructor and he inspected and measured the tap. Everything was correct. We threaded a different 1/4-20 tap in the hole and this time it worked. This project took longer than I thought it would but I learned that you always have to inspect and double check your tools before starting a project.

Brass rod stock in the chuck

Rough finish because the tool bit was not sharp

Blue tape on the rod so that it will not slip in the chuck

Using the tap to create threads in the hole

Finished slide tube mandrel after many attempts and learning
experiences

9/28/11

Nose Picker

The nose picker we made was inspired by the nose pickers used in the Armstrong flute factory. This tool was used to take out dents in the flute body. The nose picker that I made will be used to take you dents in a mouth pipe of a trumpet. There are two different ends on the nose picker. There is a wider end and a narrower end that is used for more of a punch on sharp dents. The stock for this tool was 1144 steel rod. I faced both ends by using the sander. Then I measured and scored the ends with my caliper. After marking the rod I moved to the sander and did my initial shaping. After sanding down the end I sanded edges on the face of the tool. Once the angles were right I used the strapper sander to blend the angles to a smooth rounded shape. Once the ends were rounded I buffed the ends using yellow rouge. The end product turned out great!

1144 steel rod

Scribing the rod with my caliper in the bench motor

Scribe mark on the rod

Small side after the strapper

Small side after buffing

Large side after buffing

9/26/11

Flute rod

This tool is used for replacing cork in a flute head joint. It is made of a 1/2" delrin rod. One end of the rod has a hole drilled into it so that the threaded rod of the cork assembly can be pushed out of the head joint. The other end has a scribe mark that is 17mm from the end. This line is useful when putting in a new cork. The scribe mark should be in the center of the tone hole to ensure the flute is in tune with itself. This project was completed on the lathe.

1/2" delrin rod

Delrin rod in chuck with the right handed tool bit ready for facing

Getting ready to put the scribe mark 17mm from the end

Drilling the hole to push out the cork

Finished flute push rod

Hole that is chamfered

Poker

The first tool I made in class was a poker. This tool seems fairly simple but it is crucial to every tech's toolbox. I made a small and a large poker. Pokers are made out of a wooden dowel and needle steel. This was the first time I used my bench motor to file and bevel a piece of wood in class. I also prepared the piece of needle steel to insert into the dowel. The needle needed to be inserted half of it's length so we had to measure before and after the needle was inserted. Below are pictures of the process.

Porting Tool

The second tool I made in class was a porting tool. Porting tools are used to measure the width the felt or cork washer should be to line up the trumpet port and knuckles when the trumpet is in an open position. The porting tool is used to help with the upstroke because the down stroke can be seen through the valve slide knuckles.

1/8" diameter 12L14 steel rod with 1/16" diameter drill rod hard soldered to the top

Tightening the chuck with the chuck key

Cutting the vinyl tubing so that there will be two sides that are flat

The cut tubing

The finished porting tool!

Water Key Spring Installer

The third tool I made was a water key spring installer. I used a piece of brass tubing that was annealed in the center so that I could bend it into a U. Since the bend was not symmetrical I had to sand the longer end with a belt sander. Once the ends were even I de-burred the ends with a cratex wheel which is a rubber wheel with and abrasive in it because the brass does not embed itself in this wheel, unlike grinding wheels. Below is a picture of the finished tool.

Rotor Bearing Plate Seater

The first tool that I made using a tool bit on the lathe was a rotor bearing plate seater. This tool is used when putting rotor valves back together after cleaning them. Rotor valves are found on french horns and some tubas. To make this tool I faced both ends of the PVC plastic and removed the burs with a file. Then I drilled a hole in one end. In order to do this I used a center drill to find the center of the PVC and make a pilot hole for the drill. Once the drill cylindrical part of the drill was in the plastic I had to reset the tailstock so that I could use the measuring tool on the ram because the hole in the PVC had to be a half an inch. Once I reset the tailstock I was able to make a half inch hole. After the hole was drilled I used my scraper to make a chamfer which de-burred the hole from the drill. Below are pictures of making this tool on the lathe.

Facing the PVC

Making sure the tool bit is centered so that it does not create
a nub in the middle of the plastic

The finished rotor bearing plate seater

Dent Rod

Removing dents is on of the most important jobs a band instrument repair tech has. There are different tools that can be used to remove dents. These can include: dent balls, dent rollers, mandrels and hammers. I made a dent rod that has dent balls hard soldered to both ends. One end has a narrow bend and the other one a wider bend. The different bends are so that the rod can be used in a number of different situations. Below are pictures of the process I went through to make the tool.