It seem likely that I will be moving to Europe, most likely Scandinavia, in the not too distant future. Before then, I would like to accumulate the tools required for replacing and adjusting pads, felts, corks on a saxophone, as they are likely to be significantly more expensive there than in the US. I am not presently interested in tools for taking out dents, adjusting tenons, or other major repairs, which surely is better left to professionals. I do, however, believe that it is realistic that I will be able to perform maintenance on my own horns within reason. I have used my hands a lot, both in medical school, as a physician, and certainly as a scientist. I have watched repairmen working on my horns and do not consider it to be out of reach to perform simpler tasks. I would greatly appreciate for advice on what tools to buy. I have a flexible leak light (could probably do with a better one), loads of screw drivers, spring hooks, a glue gun, but am probably missing most other things such as for instance, 8-shaped tools for seating pads. Any advice for what to buy would be GREATLY appreciated. Slight overkill is no problem. Thanks a lot!
Toolbox for saxophone maintenance
- Thread starter steen
- Start date
Music Medic Kit is great all around tool box for basic repairs
http://www.musicmedic.com/catalog/products/kit-100.html
Mine has paid for itself by me doing simple stuff at home.
http://www.musicmedic.com/catalog/products/kit-100.html
Mine has paid for itself by me doing simple stuff at home.
The best tool I could recommend is the Complete Woodwind Repair Manual by Reg Thorp. It can be purchased at this link:
https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=napbirt&formId=36938
Scroll to the bottom of the page. It seems a bit pricey, but it is worth every penny. I assure you.
To replace corks and felts you only need the right materials, a good quality contact cement, and a "pig sticker" a needle spring with a small wooden dowel handle. The "pig sticker" is used to hold the piece of material while adding the glue and then setting it in place.
To replace pads you need stick shellac, a heat source, the correct sizes of pads, and a pad slick. I like the double sided one that Curt Alterac sells. Believe it or not I use wooden tongue depressors a lot in sax repair. They are ideal to put between the pad and the tonehole to get the proper leverage to bend the key when necessary.
John
https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=napbirt&formId=36938
Scroll to the bottom of the page. It seems a bit pricey, but it is worth every penny. I assure you.
To replace corks and felts you only need the right materials, a good quality contact cement, and a "pig sticker" a needle spring with a small wooden dowel handle. The "pig sticker" is used to hold the piece of material while adding the glue and then setting it in place.
To replace pads you need stick shellac, a heat source, the correct sizes of pads, and a pad slick. I like the double sided one that Curt Alterac sells. Believe it or not I use wooden tongue depressors a lot in sax repair. They are ideal to put between the pad and the tonehole to get the proper leverage to bend the key when necessary.
John
Thanks for the input. I will buy the book. I have got the pad slicker and will buy the book (and the 8-shaped tools, irrespectively). However, I would like to acquire a more complete set of tools. My sense is that the MusicMedic box contains a bunch of stuff that I already have. For instance, I have a GB2001 torch, loads of pads, corks, felts, etc. I am really more interested in tools that may come in useful but are hard for the novice to predict ahead of times.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
The tools I use on a daily basis in woodwind repair are:
-good quality screwdrivers at least 4 sizes
-good quality smooth flat nose pliers
-good quality round nose pliers
-good quality long needle nose pliers
-good quality parallel jaw pliers
-good quality duck bill pliers
-small delrin hammer
-large delrin hammer
-steel "jewler's block"
-straight edge razor blades
-6" steel straightedge ruler
-Q-tips
-different types and sizes of pad slicks
-tongue depressors
-cutting board
-needle "pig stickers"
-wooden dowels of various lengths and diameters
These are just the basic tools. Two good sources for quality tools that sell to the public are Votaw Tools and J.L. Smith. Replacing springs, leveling toneholes, swedging keys, raising posts, removing dents, reaming hinge tubes, shortening hinge tubes etc. all take more specialized tools.
Among your supplies, you may want to try to find some extra guard screws and pivot screws for the makes and models of instruments that you own.
John
-good quality screwdrivers at least 4 sizes
-good quality smooth flat nose pliers
-good quality round nose pliers
-good quality long needle nose pliers
-good quality parallel jaw pliers
-good quality duck bill pliers
-small delrin hammer
-large delrin hammer
-steel "jewler's block"
-straight edge razor blades
-6" steel straightedge ruler
-Q-tips
-different types and sizes of pad slicks
-tongue depressors
-cutting board
-needle "pig stickers"
-wooden dowels of various lengths and diameters
These are just the basic tools. Two good sources for quality tools that sell to the public are Votaw Tools and J.L. Smith. Replacing springs, leveling toneholes, swedging keys, raising posts, removing dents, reaming hinge tubes, shortening hinge tubes etc. all take more specialized tools.
Among your supplies, you may want to try to find some extra guard screws and pivot screws for the makes and models of instruments that you own.
John
Yup, TJ pointed to this list below too:
- Flexible Leak Light
- 12 Precision Sax Pads
- Sheet Teflon
- Quality Butane Torch
- Saxophone Springs
- Felt squares
- Spring Hook
- Octave Stem Pad
- Hinge Tube Cleaners
- Razor knife
- Sax Neck Cork
- Contact Cement
- Screwdrivers-Pad Prick Set
- Key Cork
- Parts Container
- Spring Pliers
- Saxophone Felts
- Key Wedges Pad
- Slick Stick Shellac
- Sand Paper
- Instruction Manual
- Ultimax Key Oil
- Sanding Boards
- Online Support
- Pad Leather
- Cotton Swabs
- Wooden Box
- Gig Bag UltraSuede
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I like to buy tools as I need them. Maybe rather than get tools, it would be best to get started and see what you find you need.
My experience as a beginner was like this.
Run into a problem.
Devise a solution.
Find out that other had already devised solutions.
Compare my solution to theirs.
Improve on the version of the solution I find most appropriate.
All the best!
My experience as a beginner was like this.
Run into a problem.
Devise a solution.
Find out that other had already devised solutions.
Compare my solution to theirs.
Improve on the version of the solution I find most appropriate.
All the best!
That is a much better system than this:
Run into a problem.
Screw around with it till it is totally screwed up.
Grab a torch (flame, not a lamp) and re-solder stuff.
Pay more than the horn is worth to a tech to have a functional student horn again.
or this:
Run into a problem.
Decide it would cost too much to fix an expensive collectible older instrument.
Buy a used student instrument.
Know your limits and work within them. As you learn more, your limits will move further, and ASK QUESTIONS.
In my experience, it's good to find someone who's had to tackle all those problems before, and then pick their brains. Or buy the excellent repair kits they sell! :-D
Thanks for the advice. Concerning the tools, I am afraid it is a bit late as you already have my money and I have them sitting in a box at home
European woodwind tools
All of the suggestions so far are good ones. However, don't consider Europe to be the edge of civilization. There are terrific tools available in Europe. Some of them seem to be better versions of tools available in the USA.
All of the suggestions so far are good ones. However, don't consider Europe to be the edge of civilization. There are terrific tools available in Europe. Some of them seem to be better versions of tools available in the USA.
I am Danish. Denmark is the center of the world
. Just a rather expensive center and shipping is horrendously costly. Saxophone repairs run at about 2x of what they cost in the US. Granted, most established woodwind repairmen will have completed apprenticeships and have a higher skill level early on, but I think a lot of that is made up over time by experience.