Bach Repair/Mod Question

[Rrova]

Just a few questions:
-Can arrow 1 be buffed off?
-Are arrows 2 and 3 one piece or two pieces? I’m thinking about replacing the clamps with screws.

Thanks all!

[Burgerbob]

It can be buffed, yes.

Those are really one part, but it can be set up for OE style mounts.

[elmsandr]

1, sure. Would have been a heck of a lot easier when they took the flange off the first time. Sadly, looks like something I would have done (I hate buffing).

For two and three; it might be easier to get a new socket and flange. People are occasionally looking for that style at “not Bach” prices, so you can probably come out even on that. However, what is the reason to change it? Looks like that is a Thayer valve tube coming behind it. Pretty easy to screw up the mounting on a Thayer valve, so make sure whoever is doing this brace knows what they are doing. Aside from a prettier screw, what do you want to achieve? Different bell? What are the threads on the bell you want to fit/maybe buy some of those? Different valve? Maybe make the flare fit those threads, again buy some from that manufacturer. You can just cut off that clamp and stick an OE Thayer (Or whoever is making those these days) post in there, but the work will cost a lot more than the parts, it is essentially a whole Thayer conversion for a $10 part.

Good luck,
Andy

[Rrova]

Thanks Aidan and Andy! Yeah purely cosmetic. I’ve had this horn for 15 years. Basically I woke up one day and wanted something differnt. One of my thayers we’re giving me problems but after taking a risk with core, it now moves smooth and fast. The slide has always been awesome. Some Bachs are born great. Some are made great. I feel mine is the latter. So in the end Ive decided to stick with it. But I am going to make it prettier, within reason. I’ve decided to keep the clamps. But I really dislike the “edge bracing” it came with. What do you think I should do?

[mrdeacon]

What's up with the extra braces by the wing nut?

[Rrova]

Haha! That’s what I hate! I assume they’re there as support.

[paulyg]

Those things have "angle grinder" written all over them.

[paulyg]

Those things have "angle grinder" written all over them.

just to clarify, please don't do this.

[mrdeacon]

Haha! That’s what I hate! I assume they’re there as support.

Yeah assuming that the horn is put together correctly and the soldered joints aren't bad on the edge bracing you should be good to take those little guys out of there.

Could be that your horn had early Edge Bracing and the tech was sketched out by them. Anyways you'll find out pretty quickly how integral those braces are to your horn when it instantly falls apart haha. Totally had that happen with one of my horns once.

[elmsandr]

A couple of guys were doing those edge braces like that long before Edwards bothered to coin the term edge bracing. Works better than the stupid lap bracing that Thayer was supplying with them at the time.

I would guess that the angled joint of the small brace to the cross brace isn’t sufficient to be a brace by itself... it could be, but as a soft solder joint, that can be pretty weak. To be a better joint, would probably need to either braze the small rod to the cross brace or braze it to a soldered flange to increase surface area. Also a lot of work for a different $10 part.

Cheers,
Andy

[brassmedic]

Yeah, that looks awful. Have those extra braces taken off, then take off the edge bracing, cut them a little shorter at the proper angle so they come down to the middle of the cross brace (it looks weird for them to be that long). Then silver solder a flange on them and re-install them. If done right it'll look really nice.

[brassmedic]

This is how I did it on my 42.

20200414_195229.jpg

[Matt K]

Edwards sells a kit. It isn't cheap... I want to say $150 per part... I think I inquired last year about needing one of them and that's what they gave me. I ended up finding one from a Thayer conversion. But they will look a lot nicer than that.

[Bonearzt]

This is how I did it on my 42.20200414_195229.jpg

Exactly!! Need to use nickel rod for stability and keep as short as possible!!!!

I don't use a flange on my braces, but only because I haven't taken the time to practice making them!



Eric

[Rrova]

This is how I did it on my 42.

Thanks, Brad! Not surprisingly that looks fantastic!

I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond. Gives me some great options to think about!

[Matt K]

This is how I did it on my 42.20200414_195229.jpg

Exactly!! Need to use nickel rod for stability and keep as short as possible!!!!

I don't use a flange on my braces, but only because I haven't taken the time to practice making them!



Eric

BTW, this is from a guy knows how to bend rods. I still marvel at the linkage you custom bent for me when you finished the linkages on my dependent tenor with the Duo Gravis linkage.

[Bonearzt]

Exactly!! Need to use nickel rod for stability and keep as short as possible!!!!
I don't use a flange on my braces, but only because I haven't taken the time to practice making them!
Eric

BTW, this is from a guy knows how to bend rods. I still marvel at the linkage you custom bent for me when you finished the linkages on my dependent tenor with the Duo Gravis linkage.

Thank you Sir!!