Where to find removable Bell tenons?

[PaulMaybery]

I had my local music machinist, former student, just explain that if he had about 20 orders he could possibly make them for about 150 a set. Set up, dedign and tooling ain't cheap even with CAD programs and CNC machines. I believe, Kanstul, Miraphone and MW have dealt with screw rim tuba bell collars. While those for horn are relatively simple, those for tuba, owing to the size, present a totally different set of problems for production. So I was told.

[Dan Schultz]

Producing tenons is pretty expensive to do from billet stock due to the huge amount of scrap. I think most production tenons were either turned from castings, turned from rolled rings, or turned from heavy-walled tubing.

I've been known to buy a stock size and either cut a section or braze a section in to get a desired size. The biggest problem I've seen from some of the European tubas from the 70's is that the tenon and collar are matched sets and don't necessarily fit well with other sets.

I've made custom tenons using brass strip stock and a ring roller from Harbor Freight but they still need to be turned a bit for a good fit.

Here are some stock sizes:
Sousaphone tenons:
Conn 14K/36K (pre-1985) - 19 1/16 circumference - 6.067" diameter
Selmer/Bundy/Signet/Buescher - 6.067" and will probably work on a Conn
King - about 20" circumference - 6.312" diameter
Yamaha - 6 9/16"
Conn 'jumbo' - 9 1/4"
Conn 20K - 7 1/4"
M & M - 7.28" diameter
King 'Giant' - 7 1/8" diameter
Martin 'medium' - 20 5/8" circumference (6.565" dia)
Buescher - 19 1/16" circumference (6.067" dia)
Reynolds - 20 11/16" circumference (6.585" dia)

Upright bell tenons:
King - 6 5/16"
Conn 2XJ - 7 1/4"
Marzan - 6 5/8" but tapered
Miraphone 183 - 5.812"
Miraphone 186 - 6 5/8"

Miraphone tenons can be purchased direct from Miraphone in sets with collars. The last ones I bought were around $280 a set.

King 1240/41 tenons are the same as is used on the regular size sousas.

[PaulMaybery]

Sorry, I was thinking you meant a large threaded collar as on detachable F horns. Sometimes my eyes see what they want to see.

[Dan Schultz]

what a great post! Thanks Dan. Looks like I would need to find a 6.067 Set. Are these available for order from allied, or do they have to be taken off a scrap sousa?

There is not a listing in the current Allied catalog for the male bell tenons for the pre-1987 14k and 36K sousaphones. There are also other sousa models (pre-87) that use the same tenon. However... there are still LOADS of school 'beaters' floating around to salvage a male tenon. I don't happen to have one in my junk pile or I would just send it to you.

Don't order a current production part or you will get a King tenon.

[TubaSteve]

I have two horns that I have acquired upright bells for as well as the original recording bells. In one of these cases, the bell and tenon came from Dan Schultz. This was for my Reynolds, and I don't know what horn the bell or the tenon came from. I suspect it was from a sousaphone. In the case of my Holton 350, When I had Lee Stofer restore that horn, he had just had a previous customer order one for his Holton from Kanstul, so Lee ordered two of them at that time. I ended up with the "spare" one. Lee had an extra Holton bell that he attached the new tenon to.

Steve

[Dan Schultz]

I just added Mirafone 183 (Eb) to the list.... 5.812".

I need one right now so dig through your junk piles!

[Dan Schultz]

I just added Mirafone 183 (Eb) to the list.... 5.812".

I need one right now so dig through your junk piles!

that's the perfect size for me too. Dang

Mark... I have a pair of receivers that size. Now all you have to do is find TWO tenons... one for me and one for you. And... I'll GIVE you a receiver.