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bloke wrote:- Reinstall the cork plate and possibly trim a bit more. If "close quarters", you can CAREFULLY !!! break off some of the razor blade and/or bend the razor blade. (To release me from possible liability: GOGGLES RECOMMENDED!!!)

An Exacto knife with the 'pointy' blade works best for me.

I like neoprene on the forward rotation (valve down) and cork on the rebound (valve-up).

I do like Joe says, but instead of cutting the neoprene O-ring stock and jamming the short piece in, I grab a long hunk of it, with one end held in a pair of pliers in my right hand and the other free end in my left hand, stretch it as far as I can and (keeping it stretched) push it into the slot in the stop plate. No screwdrivers.

Rather than use a razor or X-acto knife, I use a very sharp knife with a serrated edge (pick up one of those "Miracle Blade' knives at Goodwill). Cuts through the neoprene like butter and stays sharp. The same knife is great for trimming cork.

JohnH wrote:Does anybody have a good online source for bumper stock, or O-rings, in small quantities? The ones I Googled are difficult to order from.

I don't particularly like cork, it just doesn't last long enough for the way I play.

I am using Eureka vacuum cleaner belts which are hard black neoprene. I like it for the downstoke, but for the return it's bouncy enough that I think it can't help but make it more difficult to play fast passages cleanly, especially slurred.

Check your business yellow pages for "Hydraulic Euqipment and Supplies" or some such. The "bounce" of a material is technically known by "durometer". You can purchase O-ring stock by the foot from many suppliers.

Pistons rule!

bloke wrote:

Pistons rule!

Perhaps so, but felts suck.

Sad, but true.

JohnH wrote:Does anybody have a good online source for bumper stock, or O-rings, in small quantities?

http://www.mcmaster.com/

McMaster-Carr is easy to order from as long as you have a credit card. Note that a 'small quantity' is enough for a lifetime!... but the cost won't be that great.

As others have said... you can also go to your local industrial supply house and buy either o'rings or o'ring stock. Harbour Freight sells o'ring assortments that would keep you going for a long time.

Listen to the "Tinker"....McMaster-Carr. I got some 6" long by 1/4" diameter amber colored polyurethane rods in three different durometers (hardness) to use on my Mirafone, for about $5 apiece. I wanted to experiment a bit with different feel on the bumpers and I think the amber looks better in the brass blocks than black. They also have neoprene in different durometers if one wanted to try softer or harder bumpers and stick with the black color. They also have sheet felt, cork and just about any screw or nut you can think of to keep a horn together until you can get it fixed properly by a tech.