Twelve Ways to Avoid the Brass Repair Shop
by Robert Baca & John Huth

With ever decreasing budgets and the band director’s need to become more efficient, the “I don’t know how it happened” avoidable repair can add up to more than a bottle of Tylenol. With a little neglect, or using the wrong method of “band-aid” remedy, small repairs can eat away at the budget, and cause instruments to be missing from rehearsal. To provide some sound advice for students, I asked nationally recognized brass repair expert John Huth to identify the most common problems that eventually guarantee a student’s horn a trip to the repair shop. In this issue of Kjos Band News we will provide general tips on horn care, and tips for piston instruments. In the next issue we will tackle French horns, rotary valve tubas, and trombones.

GENERAL
Avoid Use Of Super-Glue Or Tapes To Hold A Broken Solder Joint
     Glues and tapes only serve to make matters worse and can add cost to a repair. Wrap the broken solder joint generously with dental floss to keep it stable, then take the instrument to the repair shop right away for repair. Generally, the longer you wait to repair a broken solder joint, the more damage the horn sustains and the higher the repair bill.
Photo 1

Avoid A Stuck Mouthpiece
     Gently twist the mouthpiece into the instrument—avoid bumping it with your palm. If a mouthpiece does get stuck, let the band director or instrument repair shop pull it out. Most shops pull stuck mouthpieces for free. Too often, a well-intentioned parent will grab the stuck mouthpiece with pliers and start twisting, often tearing the entire leadpipe off the instrument. Repair bills for this situation can approach $100.
     Also, be careful to avoid dropping a mouthpiece. After using it always put it back in the mouthpiece holder in the instrument case. A damaged rim and bowl on a mouthpiece will render it useless.
     If a mouthpiece cannot fit snug into the receiver, take it to the repair shop—you may need a new receiver or more plating on the mouthpiece shank. Also, do not put grease or oil on a mouthpiece—it only collects dirt and grime, making it more prone to jamming.
Photo 2

Avoid Using Rubber Bands To Replace Broken Waterkey Springs
     Rubber bands contain sulfur—something that will strip both lacquer and silver-plating. Close the waterkey with dental floss and immediately take the instrument to the repair shop for a new spring.

Avoid Using Any Abrasives On Slides, Valves, Or Instrument Finish
     This includes sandpaper, scouring pads, cleansers, steel wool or any other abrasive product. All brasswinds need to be as airtight as possible and these abrasives can contribute to leaks that can render an instrument useless. Also, brasswinds are not dishwasher safe — both lacquer and silver plating can be damaged by the scalding hot water and harsh detergents. If the valves, casings and tuning slides are regularly wiped and re-lubricated, you should be fine between chemical cleanings at the repair shop.

Keep The Inside Of The Instrument Clean
     At least once a month, using a flexible bore brush (snake), clean out the lead pipe and main tuning slide. Wipe valves and casings free of debris and re-grease turning slides. Take the horn into the repair shop once a year for chemical cleaning—most quality repair shops have special detergents and acids to remove the lime and scale build-up that cannot be removed at home. It is also a good idea to take care of dent removal and other necessary repairs at that time.
Photo 3   Photo 4   Photo 5

Keep The Instrument Finish Clean
     Wipe off the instrument after using it with a soft 100% cotton cloth (T-shirts work well). Perspiration can damage a finish if it’s not removed right away. Polishing cloths are okay, but usually contain abrasives that can wear off a finish over time. If you want to use a polishing cloth, use it only once or twice a month.

Carry The Instrument In A Hard Case
     Gig bags are okay if you’re careful, but hard cases are superior in every way to gig bags. Serious, expensive damage is a common occurrence with gig bags.

PISTON INSTRUMENTS
Oil The Valves Often
     Place six drops of valve oil directly on the valves each day the instrument is played.
     The following photo shows how to place oil on the valves—this keeps valves clean, prevents corrosion, and fills the space between the piston and casing giving the valve the freedom it needs for those fast passages.
Most valve oils on the market today perform quite well and some of the less expensive oils perform as well as the expensive brands. Synthetic oils, such as Hetman, are also excellent though there is another brand of synthetic oil that causes severe corrosion.
Photo 6

Grease Tuning Slides Once Every Two Weeks
     Don’t use Vaseline or any other petroleum jelly on tuning slides—they will severely corrode the tubes and contribute to the slide seizing because of the alkaline nature of the product. Use grease supplied by the manufacturers—they are inexpensive, easy to use, and are balanced to avoid corrosion. If a slide does become stuck, it is recommended to take the instrument to the repair shop for pulling (cost between $10 and $35). Using rags and mallets to pull stuck slides often results in twisted and bent slides, and much higher repair bills.

     In conclusion, simple maintenance tasks like regular lubrication and brushing out the leadpipe and main tuning slide can do wonders for the longevity of an instrument. Always consult the local repair shop if you have questions—repair technicians are your allies in insuring your instrument is playing its best. Also, avoid trying to repair things at home—too often, instruments are damaged well beyond the original problem. Keep this rule in mind when you consider repairing your instrument: If you break it, you pay to fix it; if the repair shop breaks it, they pay to fix it. In the next issue of Kjos Band News we will address specific care issues relating to French horns, rotary valve tubas, and trombones.

John Huth has been an instructor in the Band Instrument Repair Program at nationally recognized Minnesota State College-South East Technical (Red Wing) for the past thirteen years. He has presented seminars on brasswind repair and maintenance nationwide and is honored to be a Master Repair Clinician for the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT).

Copyright © 2001 Neil A. Kjos Music Company. All rights reserved.