Hi All ,
I'd just like to share an additional application of Teflon tape I recently discovered ,aside from the generally know one for removing the play in keys which are screw mounted .
I managed to remove all excess lateral play in the trill keys by cladding the trill pivot rods with Teflon tape . I even found I could get a double layer through the eye in the post where one key required it . Clearly the size of this eye is untimely the restricting factor , although , at least in the case of the Selmer Bundy bass I was working on , this hole seems to be generous but holds the rod snugly because there is a slight flare in the rod at this outer tip .
My method was to separate off a suitable length of tape about 2mm wide , and wrap it clockwise along the rod starting just after the thread and avoiding the tape twisting or the turns overlapping . Reinserting it I rotated it gently clockwise to keep the tape in place .
It's worth remembering that the more you stretch the tape while winding it on , the thinner the film will be , which is something you can play with .
Using Teflon for removing play , it's hard to shake the feeling that one is doing something of a bodge-rob on ones precious instrument , however, apart from the fact that it does job so well , the Teflon prevents most of the metal-on-metal wear which caused these hing points to become lose in the first place .
Any more applications of Teflon than anybody else knows of would make a very welcome continuation to this thread !
I'd just like to share an additional application of Teflon tape I recently discovered ,aside from the generally know one for removing the play in keys which are screw mounted .
I managed to remove all excess lateral play in the trill keys by cladding the trill pivot rods with Teflon tape . I even found I could get a double layer through the eye in the post where one key required it . Clearly the size of this eye is untimely the restricting factor , although , at least in the case of the Selmer Bundy bass I was working on , this hole seems to be generous but holds the rod snugly because there is a slight flare in the rod at this outer tip .
My method was to separate off a suitable length of tape about 2mm wide , and wrap it clockwise along the rod starting just after the thread and avoiding the tape twisting or the turns overlapping . Reinserting it I rotated it gently clockwise to keep the tape in place .
It's worth remembering that the more you stretch the tape while winding it on , the thinner the film will be , which is something you can play with .
Using Teflon for removing play , it's hard to shake the feeling that one is doing something of a bodge-rob on ones precious instrument , however, apart from the fact that it does job so well , the Teflon prevents most of the metal-on-metal wear which caused these hing points to become lose in the first place .
Any more applications of Teflon than anybody else knows of would make a very welcome continuation to this thread !
