[crash480]

So, after reading lots of places, that you shouldn't do this without experiance. I decided to take my tenor sax apart. It's an old dolnet tenor, that needed a complete overhaul, it had broken springs and missing pads. I have a king tenor, in much better shape that requires a few pads.
I really dont have the cash to have someone else fix it at the present time. It's a secondary instrument for my son. He plays the alto, but wants to learn the tenor too.
I would love simple advice, cleaning, lubing, etc. What I will.be using is just simple stuff I can buy from a home depot, etc place. I have a set if pads, and a few extra springs.
First step, is cleaning it. It's all taken apart, wanna clean it top to bottom.

Keep it cheap and easy please.

Thanks

 

[datsaxman]

Well, once you start taking things apart, it gets harder. Until it starts getting easier.

Take some fotos of the horn before you start. More than you think you will need.
Some of the mechanisms will go together
In unexpected ways.

Clean gently. Then oil lightly and reassemble. No repairs the first time. Just apart, clean the body, then back together.

Don't break it.

Once you can do that, you can start thinking about repairs.

I am not one of the serious experts on here, but I do lots of repairs.
That was how I started.

Took some instrument repair classes at the local JC too. Hat was later.

Dive in !!

 

[crash480]

Clean with just soap and water? and lube with just basic clear oil? Can I use cork grease of some screw rods?
I would like to try to make the sax look a little "prettier". Any tricks?

 

[datsaxman]

I like simple stuff. WD 40 or similar for cleaning.
Good grade car wax. I like a shiny sax.
Synth motor oil for the rods n screws.
A decent supply of sax-specific cork and felt and glue and such.

 

[megwenda]

So, after reading lots of places, that you shouldn't do this without experiance. I decided to take my tenor sax apart. It's an old dolnet tenor, that needed a complete overhaul, it had broken springs and missing pads. I have a king tenor, in much better shape that requires a few pads.
I really dont have the cash to have someone else fix it at the present time. It's a secondary instrument for my son. He plays the alto, but wants to learn the tenor too.
I would love simple advice, cleaning, lubing, etc. What I will.be using is just simple stuff I can buy from a home depot, etc place. I have a set if pads, and a few extra springs.
First step, is cleaning it. It's all taken apart, wanna clean it top to bottom.

Keep it cheap and easy please.

Thanks

What model of Dolnet is it? Can we have some more photos? If it is estimated before 1950, (a series 2 or a bel air), I would really appreciate photos of the octave mechanism from every angle, showing as much detail as possible, preferably next to a ruler.. I need to make one of these, and that would be a huge help to me

I am no expert, so take my advice for what it is... mostly gleaned from Stephans book, musicmedic site and posts on this and other forums
https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...FjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw3OmfOnoKStx8IyN0TNsbDo

Soap, water, and I like to add a bit of vinegar into the water, depending on the condition of the inside.
I was told to use motorcar gear oil instead of the thinner motor oil
Someone has mentioned put it all together again before starting repairs so you know how each part fits. Strip it again
Put the parts together one at a time, and test each part is correctly aligned tonehole levelled etc before moving to the next part
Dryfit each pad and test again, strip again (oh, you going to need a lot of time)
Recognise what you can do, and if in doubt or y9u dont have certain equipment etc, get a professional to help.... neck testing, key bending etc.
Updated: oh, and be careful of the needle springs... They hurt!
Dont use cork (or any other) grease anywhere near the moving parts, it will collect dust and become an abrasive paste... goodbye sax

And we dont want to waste Dolnets

Main thing is enjoy it!

 

[crash480]

The serial number is 54163C. The octave key is on 1cmx1cm graph paper.

 

[megwenda]

The serial number is 54163C. The octave key is on 1cmx1cm graph paper.

Many thanks for responding with that.
What I actually need is the whole octave key, from where the thumb presses it to where it lifts the neck. This same part will either lift the neck pad, or if the g key is pressed, will lift the body octave pad instead
The top left pic in this schema shows it

Enjoy the rest of the holidays

 

[crash480]

Once it's back together I will figure out what part it was, and take some more pictures. Can you take a picture of that page at the back of the picture of your sax. With the parts

 

[saxoclese]

You may find some of the information in this earlier thread helpful. https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...n-Sax-Repair&p=3735300&viewfull=1#post3735300

 

[Mark Fleming]

I've done this with a Dolnet. Nothing unusual about them.

Here is some advice on old horns generally. Once all stripped down (hopefully in an orderly manner with notes and pictures), check the straightness of the body tube and rods. The body tube might have been knocked out of straight, usually in an arc with the bell brace at the zenith. Place the body tube on a stiff pillow with the thumb rest pointing down. Gently straighten the tube by pressing down at the neck and bow. This can make a big difference in regulating the "long rod" key work. Easy does it. Not for the faint of heart.

Put each of the longer key rods on a glass table top or granite counter top and roll them. If the rod doesn't roll evenly then it has been bent, which means that the key tube has been bent. Straighten the rod and then use it to find where the tube has been bent by inserting it and rotating. Kind of tedious, but these are the little details that end up making a big difference if you intend to keep the horn.

The best scenario is that after checking you find that none of this is necessary.

Mark

 

[1saxman]

Hope you left the pivot screws and short rods in place to avoid some problems later, like some loose rods and some tight ones. Sometimes pivot screws are 'select-fit' at the factory, using slightly longer and shorter ones.
Anyway, a rule of thumb is to start the disassembly with the side keys first and the stack keys last, putting back in reverse order with the lower stack first. You must be able to feel when screws and rods are tight enough - the small threads in brass/bronze will strip easily. I almost never take the flat springs off the octave key and palm keys - imagine losing those tiny screws or stripping the threads.
For your broken needle springs, you need the spring pliers with a hole in one jaw for the spring to back out of the post. Always use a good penetrant on any springs to be removed, preferably a day in advance or as much as you can.
I like the advice above, just clean and reassemble now. Once you do this a few times, you learn all the little tricks, like getting the LH table keys on in the right order.
To wash it you need a brush long enough to get the whole body or at least use a 'stuffer' to wash the inside. Lay the horn in a bathtub and use just warm water and dish soap. Don't use a stiff brush on the finish - use a medium paint brush to wash the outside. Find whatever works to wash the bell and bow. Rinse and drain. Use a hair dryer on 'cool' to blow off surface water. Here is where the WD-40 comes into play - spray the horn with it on some newspapers or other waste paper - get it good all over and it will displace any remaining water, like on the springs, body clamp screws, etc. The next stage is to wipe off the WD-40.
The keys, with their pads, have to be cleaned by hand to avoid wetting pads and felts. Use 'pipe cleaners' to clean the hinge rod tubes and threads in posts.

 

[crash480]

This the picture you looking for?

 

[crash480]

Quick question. Of many. The palm keys have 3 rods, 2 the same, 1 shorter, which key gets the shorter. Small, med, large. Sorry don't play the sax or know the keys.

 

[saxoclese]

Quick question. Of many. The palm keys have 3 rods, 2 the same, 1 shorter, which key gets the shorter. Small, med, large. Sorry don't play the sax or know the keys.

You can see which key has the shorter hinge tube, or you can install the rods on the saxophone without the keys. If you don't yet have a "rod board" to hold the rods you can always store them inside the keys they go to when each is removed.

 

[crash480]

I'm guessing, and more hoping, that things fit together only 1 way.
Got everything clean, cant believe how gross it was, but in my cleaning, all the previous lacquer pealed away, only used dish soap and water. Left the sax alot brighter and shinier.
Replaced a spring, ouch.
My bag of "tenor pads", only had 8 pads that fit. Gotta find out when my woodwind repair shop opens again.
I guess mixing pads at this stage is pretty stupid. Just get a proper size set.

 

[datsaxman]

Good work so far. Best to measure the cups and order by actual size. Sets are rarely all the right size.

 

[crash480]

I measured the old pads. These are the numbers, the 1/2 mm are maybe a guess. Gonna try to get a better caliper to measure the cups, but these are my numbers, if something looks strange, or someone has the proper measurements please let me know. 18, 19, 19.5, 21, 21.5, 29.5, 31.5, 31.5, 32, 32, 33, 33, 38, 39, 40, 41, 41, 43, 47, 48, 53.5.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

 

[megwenda]

Once it's back together I will figure out what part it was, and take some more pictures. Can you take a picture of that page at the back of the picture of your sax. With the parts

I am on safari in Tanzania, so have very limited access to Internet.. also, the book (Haynes book by stephan howard) is in Switzerland.
Not sure if the book is available on line.. definately worth buying

 

[megwenda]

This the picture you looking for?

Oh yes, thats exactly the ones, thank you so much!

If you have time, what is the exact distance between the long key, and second rod. Also, can you estimate what the angles are between the two controls the one is for the neck octave key, and the second is for the body octave key.
I need to make these two parts as they were missing on mine

Again thanks for info

 

[megwenda]

I measured the old pads. These are the numbers, the 1/2 mm are maybe a guess. Gonna try to get a better caliper to measure the cups, but these are my numbers, if something looks strange, or someone has the proper measurements please let me know. 18, 19, 19.5, 21, 21.5, 29.5, 31.5, 31.5, 32, 32, 33, 33, 38, 39, 40, 41, 41, 43, 47, 48, 53.5.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

I don't have my measurements here, so cant check... mine may be different as it is an earlier version.
I did check with the very helpful team at MusicMedic. They advised that when a measurment is above .30 to round UP to the nearest .5, else round DOWN (so 33.80 becomes 34, or 33.3 becomes 33.5 and 33.27 becomes 33 etc)
Also measure the cup at several points in case its not completely round