Pulling a Leadpipe

[Neo Bri]

Hey! I have a good tech here in town who pulled my leadpipe on a Bach 42. But when he did he had to get the thing so hot that the slide started to come apart. He put it all back together after pulling the pipe and making it removable.

Does anyone have any hints, tips, or tricks about this particular procedure? Any gotchas? He's a good tech but I don't think he's ever done this particular job, and the leadpipe may have been particularly uncooperative.

Thanks for any ideas!

[Burgerbob]

Pretty common for a Bach with a reticent leadpipe.

[hornbuilder]

I've removed "a lot" of leadpipes. It is very rare that the top inner cork barrel section doesn't have to be rebuilt.

[Matt K]

Bach isn't this way, but some inners are cheap enough that it's not that much worse off to just get a new inner w/o the venturi installed. If the slide has to be realigned anyway, may as well!

[Neo Bri]

Speaking of slide tubes without the venturi installed, can I just use MK Drawing tubes, or some other tube? Where should I source tubes for Bachs (42, 50) without paying so much for Bach tubes? Or should I get Bach parts?

Thanks for your help, folks.

[Burgerbob]

I'd avoid new Bach parts. MK drawing is a great choice.

[Matt K]

Got a M/K drawing tube on one of mine that's great!

[hornbuilder]

No slide tubes come with the leadpipe pre installed.

Why do you need a new tube? The only reason you would need to replace the tube would be due to damage or existing wear. Out of all the pipes I have pulled, I have lost maybe 2 inner tubes, but they were early in my career when I didn't necessarily have the optimal tools or techniques.

[Neo Bri]

No slide tubes come with the leadpipe pre installed.

Why do you need a new tube? The only reason you would need to replace the tube would be due to damage or existing wear. Out of all the pipes I have pulled, I have lost maybe 2 inner tubes, but they were early in my career when I didn't necessarily have the optimal tools or techniques.

I don't need a new tube for the existing Bach 42, but I need to do the leadpipe on an old Bach 50 (referenced subtlely above) and the tubes have some stocking wear, so I may as well.

[brassmedic]

Something that's important to know is that the mouthpiece end of a leadpipe doesn't fit in a .547 bore tube, so on the Bach 42, they flare out the end of the slide tube AFTER it's inserted in the cork barrel assembly. So if you ever plan to remove a 42 upper slide tube, you will need to shrink down the end before you try to pull it out. You can get it so the end is sticking out and then use a tubing shrinker on it, then pull it out the other way. (Or I suppose you could cut off the end if you're not going to be using that slide tube again.)

[Posaunus]

Ouch!

I'm happy that I get along with the factory leadpipes on my "vintage" trombones.