[TenTenTooter]

I've got an older Buffet soprano that requires really thin pads, the last one I saw had a set of bassoon pads on it. I've got some felt in a bunch of different thichnesses and some leather so I'm thinking of experimenting with making thin pads for this sax. Question is, after the leather is stretched across the felt and around the pad backing, what's the best type of glue to glue the leather to the cardboard backing?

Thanks,
-Scott

 

[Henry D]

Crossed the "want much thinner pads" bridge on a similar instrument using the MM Roo pads. Took a single edge razor blade in "scraper" type holder and, placing the pads face down on a hard surface, carefully sliced away most of the back of the pads resting the razor scraper on its side on the same flat surface with playing cards under it to get it at just the right height. That's sliced away, not scraped away- you've got to work your way around the pad pwerimeter slowly and carefully. Took about five minutes per pad to come up with good results and about thirty pads to come up with the 21 thin ones I needed. In some cases I cut too low at the edge and wound up with the leather flapping, Threw those out. Went through several razor blades as you wnat it....."razor sharp".Carefully glued in place, they are standing up just fine.

On the other hand they're probably out there commercially for use with a lot less screwing around involved.

 

[jbtsax]

Good luck with that. Please let us all know how that works out for you.

John

 

[Henry D]

Given that the stated alternative was not purchasing a thinner set or resetting all the cup angles but making a set from scratch it's a viable alternative. Works very easily for the pads up to about 22 MM. A pain from there on up but doable. The blankety blank rivets for the resonators turned out to be a bit of a pain in and of themselves as they stuck up. It really did eventually work out across the board without more than a bit of swearing and minor blood loss......

 

[KEN K]

This is not about making pads thinner but making them smaller.

I needed a pad for one key to finish a repad and I did not have one that fit. Everything I had was too big or too small. I made one pad smaller.

I took a bigger pad than I needed and with a razor blade I sliced the leather all around the edge of the pad. On the back of the pad I traced a circle the size of the pad I needed.I then folded back the leather and laid the pad on a small block of wood with the felt hanging over the edge. I used a hobby knife , the one with the sharp pointed blade and cut on the line buy pushing it straight down, turned the pad and did another small section until I went all around the pad , folding back the leather each time. I now had the size pad I needed.

I put white glue around the edge back of the pad and folded the leather over it. It will not stay down until the glue becomes almost dry so you have to let it sit for a couple of minutes and then press it down again. You have to do this about five times. When it is dry you have the size pad you need.

I don't do this all the time but it did save the day for me and was able to complete the repair.

 

[Henry D]

Absolutely been there and done that. The availablilty of the correct part is truly what makes a professional professional for most jobs. There are some sophisticated areas where skill and experience really do count but mostly a dedicated and careful amateur could do just as well though it might take way longer to do so. The real problem is that when you use the generic "tenor sax set"- or even the sax specific set- you get pads based on the averages. Close but not perfect; good enough for hack "make it play work". It wasn't until I broke down and set up a cabinet with all full and half sizes from 15 through 57 that I was able to really do quality work. And that's a lot of investment in pads for someone who only has one or two sax's. In my case I've accumulated quite a few and so its not quite as bad a beating- and the satisfaction of using a 33.5 mm instead of the 33 MM that the generic set would have come with is great indeed. The same applies to springs, felts, and most everything else. Having the correct part on hand so you don't have to take pads apart and reassemble them to make them fit is a huge edge.

 

[Giganova]

I am currently restoring an Buffet soprano from 1925 myself and have great results with Bassoon pads. Why don't you just use Bassoon/bass clarinet pads? They fit perfectly and safe you tons of labor.

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

....I put white glue around the edge back of the pad and folded the leather over it. It will not stay down until the glue becomes almost dry so you have to let it sit for a couple of minutes and then press it down again. .

You may find a good contact adhesive, such as Evostik, used in a similar way, quicker and more appropriate.

 

[TenTenTooter]

I am currently restoring an Buffet soprano from 1925 myself and have great results with Bassoon pads. Why don't you just use Bassoon/bass clarinet pads? They fit perfectly and safe you tons of labor.

Because the customer wants black roo pads from Music Medic. I ordered the pad sizes but the pads were too thick, so I took the leather off and pulled the felt out and will replace it with thinner felt. The felt is in the mail, so I have a few days to deside on a glue.

I'd love to use Evostik, but I don't have any available to me.

-Scott

 

[davevillajr]

I've used DAP Weldwood contact cement from Home Depot to great effect on corks and felts. You may get similar performance on the leather of the pads.

dv

 

[spiderjames]

I repadded a leblanc sax by sanding down the back of the pads on a piece of glass using medium grit paper. Someone on this forum suggested it.I sanded through the edge of a couple pads but other than that it worked well. I have also made a pad for a buescher 400 by reusing the metal backing and gluing the leather with contact cement. Worked reasonbly well.

 

[jbtsax]

In my experience, once it is removed it is next to impossible to tuck and reattach the leather to the back of the pad with the same consistency as the manufacturing process. To get the leather stretched to the same tension around the diameter is very difficult to do as well. In addition, cutting, sanding, shaving, or trimming the felt inside the pad would only cause that material to be more unstable than it is to begin with.

In my opinion resizing pads in this manner except for an emergency temporary repair is just asking for trouble farther down the road. The best quality pads installed as they come from the maufacturer are inconsistent enough without adding to the problem by tampering with them.

John

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

I totally agree. Well said, JTB.