1. You need to straighten all the parts so that they fit together perfectly. That will require removing the residue of solder from the joints, which you can scrape away using a broach.hemituba wrote:I am a band director and have inherited an old trumpet. The bell has been completely ripped off. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to experiment with repair techniques. What would be the best way to reattach the bell? I have a soldering iron but need to know what to use with it. This horn was free and does not belong to the school so there is no risk of loss involved. Repair technicians please enlighten me.
2. Put the soldering iron down. It won't put enough into into that big heatsink to flow the solder. You need a torch. Hint: A propane torch will actually work, though the flame can't be controlled the way most repair techs would want.
3. You'll need the proper solder. Do not use plumbing solder, which has no lead and tends to have no plastic zone. Get some 60-40 or 70-30, solid-core.
4. You'll need an acid flux, which comes in a bottle with a brush. I have been able to do stuff with acid flux paste for plumbing work, but it makes a terrible mess. You must clean all the flux off after you are done.
5. It requires lots of practice to put the solder where it's needed and not everywhere else. There are tricks here. Try practicing with scraps of brass from the hobby store before pointing the flame at the instrument.
6. Scrape away the excess solder using a sharp broach. The better you are, the less of this you have to do.
7. Buff.
8. http://www.ferreestools.com Get their catalog. Start with the Erik Brand repair manual.
Rick "who went down this road far enough to appreciate what a good tech can do" Denney
