Opinions on Miraphone Metal Replacement Uniball Linkage

[Andy Rummel]

Hi all...

My repairman and I are exploring options for linkage replacement on my Rudy Meinl CC and I stumbled across these:

http://www.wwbw.com/Miraphone-Miraphone ... 16398.wwbw

Do any of you have experience with the metal version of these uniball assemblies? We are aware of the other alternatives but I thought that I would see if anyone has any horror stories about these.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Andy Rummel

[joh_tuba]

I went down the rabbit hole exploring LOTS of options for linkages over the last year and have way more strong opinions than a person should probably have on this topic.

I'm fond of miraphone valves but those linkages are cheaply and inconsistently made. He can order then from Allied and a sizable percentage of them will either be 'too tight'(needing worked loose, or 'sloppy'. Miraphone has compensated for this by selling little rubber 'silencers' to quiet the sloppy linkages.

The logic behind the tiny Miraphone ball ends is that reducing mass will improve valve action. In many permutations of experiments on my personal horns what I ultimately learned is that the mass of the linkage system made NO difference. What mattered most was linkage and lever geometry combined with NO slop.

The best ball ends are the ones used by B&S/VMI/MW/Buffet Group. I'm guessing that's the smallest sized ball end that can be manufactured with consistent tight tolerances. Unfortunately, Buffet Group is nearly impossible to order anything from right now. I had a nice conversation Monday with Allied on the topic. They were unaware that MW uses two different sized ball ends(a smaller one for fifth valves and a larger for 1-4) and using the same part number for both. At that moment they had no more of the large ends and three remaining of the smalls and prospects for getting more are months away.

Sooo... if it were my personal horn I'd buy the "ultra-precision, female, 6-32 ball joint rod end" found here: http://www.mcmaster.com/#rod-ends/=o9wxvd

These are the same manufacturer as the MW parts but use a 6-32 thread. They are not polished shiny like the MW(easily corrected) but otherwise very similar and other than the 6-32 thread completely interchangeable with MW parts. Those rod ends combined with some nylon insert self locking nuts, stainless steel screws, and threaded steel rods(perhaps wrapped in black shrink tube for pretty) will look very sharp and professional on your horn and hold up forever.

If *anyone* knows a better source for the original MW M3 threaded ball ends OR a cheaper source for the part I've recommended above please let me know. Those things are expensive.

[joh_tuba]

Sidenote: You can source M3 threaded ball ends from McMaster that are not 'ultra-precision' for quite cheap. I was very pleasantly pleased with how well they worked. You might be fine with them and they are MUCH cheaper. However, they are simply press fit(rather than a bronze bearing insert) which means they may or may not last or stay quiet(albeit still better than the miraphone parts you cited above). Also, they don't look like the MW parts... clearly a different manufacturer.

[joh_tuba]

To tag onto what Curmudgeon linked to.. the 'ultra-precision' parts I suggested come in a box labeled RBC Bearing, which is the parent company to Schlaubin.

Upon learning that, I spent an embarrassing amount of time surfing their websites trying to find a source for an average consumer. The links to 'local distributors' in my area were consistently businesses focused on automotive or large industrial parts. I couldn't bring myself to call and ask about my request since I was content with the 6-32 parts from McMaster-Carr.

[Jay Bertolet]

Another company that I have had really good luck with is Du-Bro. They make lots of things and have a pretty good selection of linkage parts that were designed for radio controlled cars/planes/etc. but work really well for rotary valves. Their website is easy to navigate. Good luck!

http://hobby.dubro.com/" target="_blank

[bort]

Any chance you can just order the new linkage directly from Rudy Meinl?

[TheHatTuba]

Another company that I have had really good luck with is Du-Bro. They make lots of things and have a pretty good selection of linkage parts that were designed for radio controlled cars/planes/etc. but work really well for rotary valves. Their website is easy to navigate. Good luck!

http://hobby.dubro.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank

+1. Never had one fail or hangup.

Concerning the MW's, I've had the rod snap on a couple of them before...

[J.c. Sherman]

Look at the picture (your own hyperlink, above) of the link that Miraphone uses.

Even though it has a plastic housing, it is still a metal-to-metal link, because there is a metal insert.

I believe "real" plastic links (plastic-to-metal) are superior, because they are quieter. My "real" plastic links on my F tuba have been in place (studio-quiet/lightning-fast) for at least two decades (no replacements).

The old Miraphone plastic-housed (but, mechanically, metal-to-metal) hybrid links *were* inferior, because the plastic *was* too brittle.

Stock hobby store plastic-to-metal links are superior (plastic which is not brittle), stay longer, and I'm particularly fond of the larger/adjustable-style Dubro links (which - because of the adjustment feature - stay quiet forever...at least, "so far").

Metal-to-metal links (such as Minibal, etc.) are not only quite expensive, they eventually make clicking noises (just like any metal-to-metal linkage) as they eventually begin to wear...but (unlike some other types metal-to-metal linkage) you cannot adjust the clicking noise out of a old/worn Minibal link.

+1