TubaForum.net

I've been repairing so many messed up 6/4 bells and sousaphone bells (including freakin' 26" sousaphone bells, lately) that I was able to
- buff the thick brown patina off this Olds bell
- straighten the rim
- remove (thankfully) soft creases
- burnish out deep vertical tracks in the throat area (someone used the wrong tool...probably a rod and a ball )
- slick out the entire flare/throat/stack (including a deep karate chop in the small end)
- hit it a couple more times on the polishing machine
- clean off grease and buffing dirt

....all between a radio station's two adjacent top-of-the-hour breaks

another secret: head out to the shop needing to pee, and hold it in the whole time you're pushing to do a complete tuba bell repair.

(I needed to have this bell done for someone prior to Thanksgiving, but there's nothing else to do for them other than this. I was playing my tuba, and the thought of this chore looming just kept buggin' me...so I decided to dispense with the chore - as well as the worry.)







bloke "the 'Darling Of the Sousaphones' , unschooled/shot-in-the-dark/inferior mouthpiece guy, and previous procrastinator"

I thought you meant this:

sweaty wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 12:14 pm I thought you meant this:

I absolutely DID mean that...

...the point being that repairing a bunch of huge bells - as fast as possible - has defined that I seem to be repairing normal-sized bells lickety-split.