[Graysax]

About ready to market and sell at $10 a pop. (other colors too) I said ABOUT ready to sell. Not quite just yet. Let me know what you think as I made a roller for a friend who was missing one. Color is slightly off but pretty close seeing as nothing has been cleaned.

 

[lostcircuits]

I got mine from http://www.saxkeyroller.com/sax_rollers_003.htm, the bore was a little tight but you are in the same pricing ballpark. Always good to have a second source.

 

[Graysax]

I think what they have is made out of an acrylic "pen blank". What I'm doing is made out of an acrylic rod. I've made rollers out of the pen blanks before, but what I can get has about 50+ different colors as to the 20 this place is offering.

I do wish them much luck, but from what I have been researching, this might be better then whats currently out there. But then again, what am I suppose to say about the competition. Just trying to stick to facts and my direct experiences.

 

[lostcircuits]

I only bought a set of mother of pearl rollers from them and they are really nice. And, like I said, it is good to have more than one source to pick from, good to see you stepping up and making those. We'll all benefit from competition in the long run!

 

[JayeLID]

I got mine from http://www.saxkeyroller.com/sax_rollers_003.htm, the bore was a little tight but you are in the same pricing ballpark. Always good to have a second source.

Damn glad I stumbled across this thread. Thanks for that source. How long did it take for 'em to arrive ?

 

[saxcop]

very nice

 

[zapatista]

About ready to market and sell at $10 a pop. (other colors too) I said ABOUT ready to sell. Not quite just yet. Let me know what you think as I made a roller for a friend who was missing one. Color is slightly off but pretty close seeing as nothing has been cleaned.


Let me know when you have em ready to sell. I "need" a complete set for a 29X,7XX Top Hat & Cane Alto that has functional black rollers. Just doesn't look right. Also, if you decide to branch out to Conns, I'm looking for a 2 sets of 'pearl' rollers: one for a NW1 C Melody and one for an NW1 Alto.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[lostcircuits]

Damn glad I stumbled across this thread. Thanks for that source. How long did it take for 'em to arrive ?

I think it was about a week or 10 days. I remember it took me awhile to get a hold of the guy but once I did, everything went reasonably fast. I did have to take a drill and open up the hole (it was a bit conical) just by putting the drill in a manual holder and then carefully reaming out the hole. The slightly darker one is the replacement, the other one is the original Conn roller

 

[Graysax]

About ready to market and sell at $10 a pop. (other colors too) I said ABOUT ready to sell. Not quite just yet. Let me know what you think as I made a roller for a friend who was missing one. Color is slightly off but pretty close seeing as nothing has been cleaned.


Let me know when you have em ready to sell. I "need" a complete set for a 29X,7XX Top Hat & Cane Alto that has functional black rollers. Just doesn't look right. Also, if you decide to branch out to Conns, I'm looking for a 2 sets of 'pearl' rollers: one for a NW1 C Melody and one for an NW1 Alto.

Thanks,
Mike

Sent You a PM
Charlie

 

[Graysax]

BTW - I have done Conn Pearl ones before too - here are 2 pics. One of them has all OEM rollers the other are all Acryllic. Can you tell which is which?

 

[Graysax]

I think it was about a week or 10 days. I remember it took me awhile to get a hold of the guy but once I did, everything went reasonably fast. I did have to take a drill and open up the hole (it was a bit conical) just by putting the drill in a manual holder and then carefully reaming out the hole. The slightly darker one is the replacement, the other one is the original Conn roller

View attachment 245000

Lostcircuts, what I'm willing to do for you, is make you 1 roller for free for that Conn. What I need is a length. The alto's are 15.75mm, can you tell me if that is that the same. I believe the "pearl" color that I'm using is closer to the "real deal" and less "white: looking than the pen blanks that your roller was made out of. Send me an email at [email protected] if interested. All that I ask is that after you install it is to take a picture and share your thoughts and post both here. Again cost is nothing to you.

 

[lostcircuits]

Lostcircuts, what I'm willing to do for you, is make you 1 roller for free for that Conn. What I need is a length. The alto's are 15.75mm, can you tell me if that is that the same. I believe the "pearl" color that I'm using is closer to the "real deal" and less "white: looking than the pen blanks that your roller was made out of. Send me an email at [email protected] if interested. All that I ask is that after you install it is to take a picture and share your thoughts and post both here. Again cost is nothing to you.

I really appreciate the offer but there is no such thing as color matching because the originals are changing color from one side to the other, that is, one side may be yellowish light, and the other one is gray dark, which is just the natural texture of genuine Mother of Pearl. In other words, I can make them match or else I can make them look very different just by rotating them. I'll still send you an email and we can take it from there.

 

[Graysax]

BTW - this is the latest one I made as SAXISMYAXE wanted some in this color so I got the material, and made one today just as a test. Its kinda a bluish pearl.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Thought you all might like this - Buescher rollers close up.

 

[zapatista]

They look good. I'll take some (and will actually get you measurements/confirmations tonite).

 

[zapatista]

These will "color match" a lot closer to the functional but pedestrian black replacements currently inflicting my sense of faux originality on a certain TH&C Alto. :bluewink:

 

[Dr G]

I really appreciate the offer but there is no such thing as color matching because the originals are changing color from one side to the other, that is, one side may be yellowish light, and the other one is gray dark, which is just the natural texture of genuine Mother of Pearl. In other words, I can make them match or else I can make them look very different just by rotating them. I'll still send you an email and we can take it from there.

View attachment 245016

Has anyone tested the Conn rollers to know whether they are real mother-of-pearl vs synthetic?

Is there a species of oyster shell that is actually that thick? Giant clam? Other? Or were they pearloid?

 

[Graysax]

Now, just talking unscientifically, the old ones are real mother of pearl. They are hard and crumple if squeezed hard or if a rod that goes through it rusts, aka steel rod going through a former salt water formation. If you cut and breath the dust it can make you sick. I accidentally found out the hard way and it didn't take much to make me ill for a few days. Never want to do that again. Wether it is mother or pearl or another species of oyster, I don't know for sure, but my guess is mother of pearl. Synthetic is what is being gravitated towards now.

 

[Dr G]

Now, just talking unscientifically, the old ones are real mother of pearl. They are hard and crumple if squeezed hard or if a rod that goes through it rusts, aka steel rod going through a former salt water formation. If you cut and breath the dust it can make you sick. I accidentally found out the hard way and it didn't take much to make me ill for a few days. Never want to do that again. Wether it is mother or pearl or another species of oyster, I don't know for sure, but my guess is mother of pearl. Synthetic is what is being gravitated towards now.

Some of the old acrylic or celluloid material will act that way too. Celluloid was used as binding material on guitars from about the 1930s (perhaps earlier), so it was available when these saxophones were made.

The telling experiment is to see whether it burns - shell won't ignite or smolder.

 

[Graysax]

Ignite or burn? I know the yellowish pearls from Conn are celluloid. The older ones from like before 1933ish were pearl.