If you have good access to the broken end, add a drop of key oil to it and warm it up with either a heat gun or gently with a flame so as not to scorch the lacquer. Then use a thick needle spring with the point ground flat as a punch and see if you can drive it out using that and repeated taps with a hammer.
Side C spring broken
I've got a side C spring broken on my vintage Selmer Radio Improved tenor (© 1936). I've done quite a few routine repairs to this sax with the aid of Stephen Howard's superb Saxophone Manual including other spring replacements, pad replacements, leak repairs, new neck cork and such like, but this one's different.
This spring has snapped off just inside the pillar and there's none of the spring protruding. Stephen mentions this 'worst case' situation in his manual and explains how to use a spring punch to get the stub out but I've tried that with no joy, I just can't budge this stub and anyway I'm a bit scared of distorting the pillar. Stephen also mentions the use of spring stub extractor pliers, but they are a very expensive tool.
I'm secretly hoping that Stephen monitors this topic and can give me some advice. I wonder if a touch of heat would help, or would that melt the pillar solder?
OK, I can hear everyone screaming at me ..."Take it to a tech"...and yes I'll do that if I completely fail to budge this spring stub, but once the stub's out it's a piece of cake to replace the spring, and very cheap too since I've got a selection of blue steel springs in my repair kit ready to replace it with.
This spring has snapped off just inside the pillar and there's none of the spring protruding. Stephen mentions this 'worst case' situation in his manual and explains how to use a spring punch to get the stub out but I've tried that with no joy, I just can't budge this stub and anyway I'm a bit scared of distorting the pillar. Stephen also mentions the use of spring stub extractor pliers, but they are a very expensive tool.
I'm secretly hoping that Stephen monitors this topic and can give me some advice. I wonder if a touch of heat would help, or would that melt the pillar solder?
OK, I can hear everyone screaming at me ..."Take it to a tech"...and yes I'll do that if I completely fail to budge this spring stub, but once the stub's out it's a piece of cake to replace the spring, and very cheap too since I've got a selection of blue steel springs in my repair kit ready to replace it with.
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