Brass Class

Last week we switched classes so now I will be working on brass instruments. Check out this trumpet. I took it apart, claned it and put it back together.

I've also made some new tools. Check them out in my tools page :)

IT PLAYS

IT PLAYS!!!!!

These keys were really bent but I fixed them

It didn't have a thumb rest before... but now it does

Remember how dirty the keys were?

This mouthpiece was filthy but now its ok... I still would get a new one though...

For a first project, I think I did pretty well. I know it is not perfect and not all the pads would seal but it was a good learning experience. There were a lot of issues with this clarinet and I did my best to fix them. It went from not being able to play at all to playing condition!

Clarinet Padding

Clarinet Padding
Today was clarinet padding day. I glued in all the pads but I only seated the upper joint. There were some leaks in two keys when I was done so I got one fixed but and still working on the other. I took my clarinet home for the weekend to work on corking. I think I am getting a lot better at padding the clarinet :) Here are some pictures from today...






Cleaned the flat springs... They were really nasty. You can really see a difference


Have to make sure the pads are sealing real well....




Checking the pads...

Post Corrosion

Post Corrosion
A few days ago, we recieved old, broken down, and down right nasty clarinets. Mine smelled horrible! It even had some little roaches in the case. Some of the pictures in the slideshow above show how gross this poor clarinet is... well was. I have cleaned it, chem flushed it, and buffed it. It's maybe halfway there... I have picked out the pads already for it too. Some of my classmates have already installed the pads but my clarinet had some major issues that needed to be delt with... mainly key fitting....




Today was an interesting day in class. I had a corroded clarinet post that was so bad, the scew was stuck inside. I finally got the screw out using a vise to hold the post in place and a screw driver! That was after Lukas took a jeweler's saw to it. After it was out, I chem flushed it to get rid of the remaining corrosion and make it all shiney! I also had to make sure there was no more rust inside the post and fit a new screw to it. I put it on the clarinet and it was awesome! Works like new now.






Here's what the post looked like before:




The key could barely move!

























And here it is after:
Now it works great!
I buffed the keys today too and the clarinet is now ready for padding! :)

Hello, welcome to my blog for Band Instrument Repair. I have been studying here in Red Wing, MN for a few weeks now. I have been learning how to fix clarinets and flutes so far. I really enjoy it but it is a lot of hard tiring work. Check out my photos!