Brass Instrument Repair (foundation) course

Repair techniques form the core of this programme, and include work on the whole family of brass instruments.

Here we see that the bottom bow has been removed from this euphonium to enable dent removal.

This is one of the many topics covered during the Brass Instrument Repair (foundation) Course.

Below is a typical itinerary for this course:

Monday

• Metals used in the construction of brass instruments
• Soldering equipment: different types and their uses
• Health and safety issues when soldering and polishing
• Solders and fluxes: theory and practice. Soldering sample brass pieces
• Demonstration: dismantle, re-assemble and polish a small instrument section.
• Polishing techniques: hand and high speed polishing machine
• Practice de-soldering, soldering and polishing techniques
• Introduction to bell dent removal

Tuesday

• Silver soldering
• Piston valve overhaul: to include manufacturing processes
• Valve slide and tuning slide overhaul: dealing with jammed valves and slides.
• Further dent removal: bell flare and bell-pipe
• Making and fitting water-key corks and springs

Wednesday

• Further general repair work
• Removing solder from silver- plated surfaces
• Removing dents from curved instrument sections using ball-irons and dent balls

Thursday

• Patch making
• Rotary valve servicing. Acid pickle and other cleaning methods
• Trombone slide construction and repair
• General repairs

Friday

• Suppliers for materials and spare parts
• National association of musical instrument repairers (NAMIR)
• Complete any outstanding repairs
• An opportunity to purchase a selection of repair materials

The above itinerary is intended as a guide only; the order of delivery may vary, and extra work may be included. Repairs to instruments brought to the school will be undertaken each day, in-between demonstrations and course work. Every effort will be made to complete them. This will of course depend on the severity of the damage, relevance to the course and the time available. Relevant health and safety issues will be dealt with throughout the course.

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(Tutor: Lynne Williams)

Here we see Lynne with a student discussing a tricky saxophone repair!

Monday (Clarinet)

• Workshop and tool safely
• Clarinet Disassembly
• Cleaning
• Pad assessment
• Tenon corking
• Pad replacement
• Stuck rods/screws/bent rods/keys/springs as required
• Reassembly/pad seating/regulation
• Playtesting

Tuesday (Clarinet continued/Flute)

• Continue clarinet repair during the morning
• Move onto flutes when ready (by the afternoon latest)
• Flute Disassembly
• Cleaning
• Pad assessment – pad options
• Shimming and other seating methods
• Pad replacement

Wednesday (Flute continued)

• Dent removal
• Tenon fitting
• Body straightening if required
• Reassembly
• Pad seating/regulating/double action
• Playtesting
• Soft soldering demonstration (Trevor Head)

Thursday (Saxophone)

• Disassembly
• Cleaning
• Pad assessment/replacement
• Reassembly
• Pad reseating/replacement, regulation, double action
• Neck tenons

Friday/Saturday

• Continue working on saxophone, then other instruments started previously, or start new instruments. Time for basic double reeds here if required.
• Suppliers for materials and spare parts
• National association of musical instrument repairers (NAMIR)

The above itinerary is intended as a guide only; the order of delivery may vary, and extra work may be included. Demos will occur to start instruments off, then when required for the whole group to watch.

Repairs to instruments

Repairs on instruments brought to the school will be undertaken each day, in-between demonstrations, and every effort will be made to complete them, depending on the complexity of the repair, relevance to the course and the time available. Everyone will work at their own pace, but will generally start each instrument section at the same time.

Please endeavour to bring at last one flute, one clarinet and one saxophone to work on during the 6 days. To get the best out of your time on the course it is advisable to bring decent quality student instruments. Please note that not all instruments will be finished at the end of the course.

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(Tutor: Richard Hamer)

• Types of materials used in manufacture
• Key Removal and cleaning
• Rod and screw removal
• Cleaning silver plate and lacquer
• Touch pearl replacement– types of
• Detecting and rectifying leaks
• Use of a leak light
• Pad removal and replacement
• Use of heat glues/shellac
• Pad seating
• Re-alignment of keywork
• Replacing keywork
• Regulation, corks and felts etc
• Mechanics, linkages and leverage

• Octave key mechanism and spring replacement
• Tone hole redressing
• Dent work
• Body straightening
• Use of dent bars and balls
• Bell flare reshape
• Soft and silver soldering techniques
• Re-corking of crook
• Removing lateral movement from keywork
• Complete any outstanding work
• Suppliers of repair materials and spare parts

Notes

The above itinerary is intended as a guide only. The order of delivery may vary and extra work may be included. This will depend on the available instruments to work on and the general interests of the group.

Relevant health and safety issues will be dealt with throughout the course.

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A pre-planned itinerary is not available for this course.

The content of the course will be largely ‘Student’ led, through consultation with your tutor before the course begins. This way you will study the areas of repair work that are of most interest and importance to your own personal development and needs.

Content will also contain elements deemed necessary by your tutor.

Skills Continuation courses are available in Brass and Woodwind Instrument Repair and are suitable for students who have already attended a Foundation Course, and now wish to achieve a higher standard in their repair.

All ‘Foundation course’ tutors have be assigned to a 'Skills Continuation Course' This will allow for teaching continuity, and also the opportunity for group members and their tutor to re-unite, and catch up on personal and professional developments.

The course is also open to those who have gained repairing experience elsewhere!