TubeNet

So I just got my Alexander F tuba a few weeks ago and I was just sitting there enjoying it and I heard a small *Pinck* and the second rotor is now dangling freely with no tension at all, I can imagine that the clock spring either snapped or came undone inside the casing, I'm curious if there's anything I can do about this or is this something a pro is better off fixing? Sad day...

My first suggestion would be to take it to a clock repair shop. I've had luck with springs from them. Most horn repair shops would be able to do it as well, there just wasn't one around me.

They got it wound properly and all that. It happened to an old tuba in Germany and also with my helicon out here in California. You could also, depending on how brave you are, take the spring out, find where it snapped, and if it's just the little part that feeds into the center part, you could bend it back into place. I did that with my dad on his gas stove and using another pair of needle nose pliers as a heat sink. It worked for a while, then it snapped again. The spring was just old and rusty.

Replacing a clock spring is not difficult if you've done it before. Care needs to be taken to take the housing apart. The two bearing plates are lightly pressed into the housing but can be 'buggers' to get out. Once you have the spring housing assembly removed from the paddle bar... tap the axle to drive out the bearing plate on the opposite side. Note the direction of the slit that retains the bent end of the spring. Getting the spring back into the housing can be a trick. Can't really describe how to do it. I'll let you cut your fingers up figuring it out!

The spring can often be reused if only one of the ends is broken off. Before you can form a new end on the remaining spring you have to anneal 3/8" or so of the spring or it will break when you try to make a sharp bend in it.

The idea of taking the job to a watchmaker is interesting. But... this is sort of a different job.

Dan won't say it. ..But, take the lever set off, put it in a box, and send it to Dan Schultz. Seriously, it's a $50 job plus shipping. Dan is good at it, and it doesn't take long.

eupher61 wrote:Dan won't say it. ..But, take the lever set off, put it in a box, and send it to Dan Schultz. Seriously, it's a $50 job plus shipping. Dan is good at it, and it doesn't take long.

+1

I had the same problem, I took it to a clock shop,(bought a spring) then took it to a local guy (Who charged my $50, saying it was the best he could do) Only to be left with an unusable spring.

I then sent it to Dan and he fixed it super quickly. I think he had the paddle assembly for less than 48 hrs.

Thank you everyone! I think I might try fixing it myself first and then if not probably send it somewhere. Would anyone know an approximate cost of getting these switched for 3B linkage rotors?

Don't make the switch. The originals are better.

EMC wrote:Thank you everyone! I think I might try fixing it myself first and then if not probably send it somewhere. Would anyone know an approximate cost of getting these switched for 3B linkage rotors?

Every time I guess a price, all the repairmen laugh and say it's wishful thinking (and I'm way too low). My guess here is $1,000 to $1,500. Not hard work to do, but parts are expensive. Whatever you do, don't retrofit it with Chinese parts. I've seen that before, and it's a headscratcher to put that stuff on a fine handmade tuba like that.

I actually was thinking somewhere in the $1000-1300 range. Simply because parts are expensive as you said, I'm thinking maybe just taking the paddles off and sending them all off to get redone, I figure if one of them snapped the others are probably going to soon anyway.

EMC wrote:I actually was thinking somewhere in the $1000-1300 range. Simply because parts are expensive as you said, I'm thinking maybe just taking the paddles off and sending them all off to get redone, I figure if one of them snapped the others are probably going to soon anyway.

A lot depends on how the horn was taken care of. The culprit that destroys the springs is moisture and lack of lubrication. If water gets inside the housings the springs can rust. When I have a horn in the shop for cleaning I remove the paddle bar and mechanisms before it goes into the bath. Same with conventional pin and tube levers... the pins can rust and cause problems.

EMC wrote:I actually was thinking somewhere in the $1000-1300 range. Simply because parts are expensive as you said, I'm thinking maybe just taking the paddles off and sending them all off to get redone, I figure if one of them snapped the others are probably going to soon anyway.

That's probably not a bad estimate. When I had my B&S F redone, parts were about $500, total with labor about $1300.

bloke wrote:......
Clockspring stuff CAN be tinkered with until it is silent, but - due to its nature - will NOT remain that way for long.....

+1

Clockspring design is sound is they are not old and worn. I have them on a relatively new Bohm & Meinl helicon but the horn was made in the mid-eighties and has VERY little use on it. They are very quiet and work great.

However... there are more parts to get 'loose' since the spring bodies are not generally mounted on a solid shaft. Those individual axles and mounts can generate quite a bit of racket if they are worn.

If your linkage is tight.... fix the spring. It the linkage is loose... replace it.

Dan, my F helicon had likely had the springs replaced before you did them, but that linkage was great, roughly 100 years old. It still is, from emails with the current owner. Thanks#

I just picked up a slick old German rotary flugelhorn from eBay that has clockwork valves.

They were loud and clacky when I got it. I spent an hour or so to take it all apart, clean it, and oil the crap out of it. End result -- they are silent and extremely fast. I am totally impressed. Yeah, I know a lot has to do with the fact that the valves are tiny and light, and the linkages are small. But for a 100(?) year old s-arm linkage and clockwork springs, I am amazed.

I could definitely see this being desirable on a tuba, if properly maintained.