[steadyryan]

Hi, I've been apprenticing at shop, with a very talented repair tech, for about a year and 1/2. Unfortunately, due to a drop in work (mainly area school accounts getting axed), I was not able to remain on the payroll. But I still VERY VERY MUCH want to continue with this trade, and be the best darn sax fixer-upper I can be.

I have a few projects; some clarinets, some saxes, a trumpet, that I want to get goin again. I keep going back to them, but soon realize I'm missing a tool or part in order to continue.

So, I'm asking you techs out there, if you have spare tools, dent balls, mallets, hammers, pad sets, felt, cork sheets or sticks, teflon, rods, springs, and on and on and on... and you wanna maybe get rid of it, let me know and we can talk $, or trade, whatever!

I know that MusicMedic.com is an option as well. I think they are the only company where you do not have to be a proper business (tax ID, etc.).
But any help from my friends here would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone!

 

[Oric Muso]

If you're on a tight budget you should consider making some tools yourself. I used to check out second-hand tools stalls and such and find pliers etc that a could modify to suit my needs. If you have a lathe you can make dent balls, hammers and screwdrivers etc.

 

[tictactux]

(PM sent)

(just so that not everyone wants one)

 

[JayeLID]

Wow...

....well, I guess it's worth asking, eh ?...why not ?

BTW...most definitely you can order anything from Ferree's or Votaw, they don't care about you being napbirt or having a business license....

If you end up going that route, look around and comparative-shop. Unfortunately, no purveyor of tech equipment has the BEST prices on everything. Certain items are cheaper in one place, others in another....

...best of luck, really.

 

[frasermanx]

Yes getting a lathe and other machine shop equipment would enable you to make many of the tools offered forsale at Ferree or Votaws and you will learn a great deal in the process ..

 

[slausonm]

Yes getting a lathe and other machine shop equipment would enable you to make many of the tools offered forsale at Ferree or Votaws and you will learn a great deal in the process ..

I have owned metal lathes for a long time...my first was 28 years ago. As far as I'm conserned repairing band instruments would be a lot more difficult and much more expensive if I did not make much of my own tooling and parts on a lathe. Recently I purchased a large southbend lathe for the sole purpose of making a Bari sax body mandrel. The cost of the(old used) lathe was almost identical to the cost of the Ferree's bari sax mandrel when shipping was added in. Not that the Ferree tool wasn't worth it, but the lathe was worth more! I will be making large tuba sousa dent balls on it as well. I will also be able to turn basson bodies more easily than my smaller SB lathe.

My advice, save your pennies and buy a good used lathe and learn to use it.

 

[abadcliche]

Good advice, wish I had followed it. Its equivalent to the give a man a fish/teach a man to fish thing.

Good luck!

 

[simso]

Buy a good lathe, best investment in yourself and your education, every tool you need for repair can be manufactured by hand. The luxury's for repair can be purchased if and when you have some spare cash

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

I have a fantastic lathe (Emco Maximat Super 11 with milling head with most accessories), and use it to help make anything I put my mind to. (The drill press, metal cutting bandsaw, linisher and buff are used just as much)

However i disagree that this is a high priority early in a repair career. A good one is expensive, especially with the necessary accessories and tools that make it useful.
I consider a far higher priority, especially if money is scarce (as it seems in this case) to be the basic, frequently used tools, as mentioned in the OP. There are a couple of dozen specialised hand tools I would suggest getting before a lathe, and some of them are not cheap.

By all means, get one later.