Question for Repair Techs

prototypedenNIS · Post by **prototypedenNIS** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:30 am

that just might anger people more than using MDRS...

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:57 pm

Guys, this is turning into a really interesting intellectual/theoretical exercise -- but it's the size of a quarter! Let it go!

Lee Stofer · Post by **Lee Stofer** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:08 am

Wow, what a discussion! The Dent Eraser is not a toy, but it is a tool. When it first appeared on the market, I saw the potential for this tool, when the MDRS was not yet developed. Mr. Fedderly at Baltimore Brass and I have discussed this issue, and while it is a useful tool, it is not a replacement for any of our more traditional tools. There is a learning curve to this tool, like everything else in the shop. It is certainly more primitive than the MDRS System, which will most likely grace my new shop in Iowa within the next two months. Due to the fact that the same area on two identical-looking instruments can vary greatly in hardness, the force needed for magnetically removing a dent from one instrument may not be enough for another, or might be too much. Because of that element of risk, I will try to err on the conservative side The Dent Eraser system is available with a set-up that allows one, two, or three magnets to be used on the handle. With a moderate amount of practice, one is not likely to hurt any brass instrument with just one magnet. For some of the really bad school sousaphones where they simply could not afford the overhaul needed, I would use three magnets on the large body portions, with appropriate protection for the finish. With sufficient care, scratching can be held to an absolute minimum or avoided altogether. As just one of the many tools in the brass instrument repair shop, there are only certain situations where I use magnetic dent removal, but it is quite appropriate for certain situations.

Concerning the Quarter-sized indentation - if it bothers you sufficiently, it is worth having it removed. If the dent didn't bother you, you wouldn't have mentioned it on TubeNet. There is an almost-invisible, tiny little ding on my Rudi CC, and it will be gone before next rehearsal. Does it affect the playing at all? Of course not, but it bothers me.