My Never-Ending Tuba Rebuild Thread

[Tom Coffey]

It'll be fun to see this when it is done, and maybe hear a sample or two. Finding an Eb of that vintage that plays in tune with itself to start is pretty unusual!

[MartyNeilan]

Wade,
Tell me more about ice bending. My wife (and upstairs neighbors) are probably getting tired of my tube bending using hot black pitch.

[opus37]

Reading this is like watching someone build a hot rod from a '40 Ford. Great fun and you end up with a very personal horn. Have you considered adding a few flame decals?

[UDELBR]

Here is what I did tonight. (The blokepiece is for size reference.)

I see the image tag when I quote, but the picture didn't show up for me in your post.

[deleted this image link due to one complaint]

[UDELBR]

Having Mahler 5 to perform in a week and a half and taking your axe apart.

That's guts.

Warren finished his 2165 prototype the night before their Bruckner 7 concert (that was made into their CD).

[Tubajug]

This has been fun to watch! Two projects in one post! Thanks for sharing Wade, hope you didn't get too wet with Isaac...

[bort]

Here is what I did tonight. (The blokepiece is for size reference.)

I see the image tag when I quote, but the picture didn't show up for me in your post.

Warning -- don't click this link... there's a NSFW popup!

[UDELBR]

Warning -- don't click this link... there's a NSFW popup!

Doesn't show up for me. Was anyone able to see elephant's original image?

[Tubajug]

The photo shows up in the post for me.

[imperialbari]

Yeah, the mismatched ferrules, braces and water keys irritate me. One day I might swap them all out. But the biggest concern is that there are two mismatched sets of tubing on this tuba. One is the standard US thickness of about a half millimeter while the other is thinner-walled like what you see on Mirafone and Alexander. I cannot seem to get the thinner stuff from Allied in this bore size.

I also cannot get this stuff in nickel silver. Anyone know of a supplier of .750" nickel silver tubing? I really want all my inner and outer slide legs to be the harder material. Brass gets bent up too easily...

I would say that the main proof of the process is in the resulting playability, not in the visuals. Of course smooth slide action is part of the playability.

And I am not sure about using nickel silver for slides. A repairman friend here in Denmark says that the combination of nickel silver outer slides and brass inner slides is preferable because they are less likely to corrode into a stuck slide.

My doubt about nickel silver comes especially from my old B&H Sovereign first generation bass trombone, which has two extremely study valve wraps with nickel silver outer slides. Apparently built to withstand military field campaigns. The trombone itself is extremely good also in the very high range, but response and flexibility in the valve range is not good.

If the present project ends up in a very well playing instrument, would you then redo the valve section alone for cosmetic improvements?

Klaus

[The Big Ben]

Thanks for posting the photos. It is interesting to see the process of designing and building a horn.

[bearphonium]

Wade,
I have been following this via Facebook, and am delighted with your progress. It seems to me that one solution begets another problem. I am impressed with your work, and appreciate your feline's supervision of your project.

[imperialbari]

I don't even know what an "Allied brace kit" is.

When the stem is long enough to connect the flanges.

[imperialbari]

Done for tonight. Mahler 5 in the woodshed all tomorrow.

Also happening in the carport?

[bearphonium]

Nice job, Wade!!

[ggdadams]

Wow! Really looks good. It is great to see people out there repairing and building things with their own hands.
Makes me think of what a Boehm and Meinl 5 valve Marzan Eb might have looked like if one had been made.
Awesome looking horn as is, no plating needed.

[PMeuph]

Great project(s)!

[TheHatTuba]

Why do cats like tubas so much (one of mine fell asleep in the bell of my York Eb awhile back!) Anyway, great looking pair of Holtons!

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Looking good Wade! Cant wait to see the completed project.


Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
http://www.oberloh.com" target="_blank

[UDELBR]

There is no hole in the crook for the water key. There never was a hole here. It is a water key to nowhere. Good job, anonymous Reynolds employee...

The main tuning slide of my HB-2P had a big-*** burr inside the drain hole, poking in about 5mm. Since that and other discoveries on that axe, I'm not so impressed with the vaunted Hirsbrunner cachet.