TubeNet

i am looking for some heavy valve caps for my Rudy meinl 4/4 5 Rotor...does anyone know where i can get them...or get some made?

thanks,
E

Heavy valve caps for rotary tubas were made and marketed by a TubeNetter, who left the forum because of phenomenons marring the old version of this board.

Being in the service branch, where you are, would point towards a ship's engineer being a relevant source.

It hardly would be a problem for a qualified such one to measure the female threading of your valve caps and cut a replicate of it in one end of some stock brass of the right dimensions. The length should in the first end be cut to the maximum allowing you to mount it on one of your valve casings. If it proves to be too heavy, shortening it afterwards is fairly easy.

Information from the horn and trumpet spheres indicates, that just one heavy cap placed on the right rotor or piston casing may do the trick optimally, even if it takes quite a bit of experimenting to determine that placement and the right weight of the cap.

If you like the effect on the playability of your tuba, then you may try placing one more heavy cap. And so on up till 4 such caps.

I suggested brass stock, as that material is fairly secure, when it comes to wear on the threads of your rotor casings. But brass it not optimal, when it comes to the risk of casing and cap corroding together into one inseparable unit.

Nickel silver would be better, but maybe also a bit more difficult to come by.

Klaus

For someone who is clueless here -- what is the supposed benefit of said caps?

Tim (scratching his head...??)

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