I bought last month what I believe to be a nice metal blank to make a
mouthpiece, but when arrived to me I saw immediately it was already
touched as previous owner try, than sold on ebay because not able to
do or just probably he start with too much decision and make a big
mistake... it was hungry with the wife? probably!

I'm still learning about "make from a blank" and that my question on.
The previous work have been done to flat the table but the curve of
facing is already made (not refined) and it's too much up on one side,
even in front of the tip. From table line to tip right side I have
around .200 and the opposite left side is .160. So I'm in trouble
because there is no so thick brass to flat down the table to get a
reasonable.110. Working there I will arrive to the window easily, but
I dont want to open more...
Who work this before take out to much from the front. I have the same
mp made from the manufacturer at 115, so I just have the perfect model
to copy and I can see how the previous owner remove too much from
front giving a very hard job to me, maybe without chance to finish it. 

Is this blank to throw? My idea, seeing the state of things, is to
change the slant of the table, but at this point I get problem with
the rail, that are sculped inside, not strait, and it will be removed
the rolled part going on tip spot.

I know procedure starting from a blank, but looking on live it seems
to me I can only change the slant without to be sure to have rails
good for the reed. The blank is very sculped inside rails.

Keith and Paul, please give me some of your helpfull advice without to
see it...
and anybody welcome, I appreciate to get any idea or I will do a .160
opening tip for the mouth of an horse and not for a human!

Ciao. Gian 

It sounds like the blank is ruined.  You can do a lot with a piece if it
does not have curved inner sidewalls.  But with them you are limited.  The
only other thing you can consider is bending the tip down.  What have you
got to loose?  I have only done this on soft Dukoffs but there have been
several reports of bending open the tips of vintage Link STMs.  Some
reports say metal head hammers are used.  But I would insert a bar for
leverage in the shank.  It would have a good fit with the bore.  Then I
would try bending the tip on a hard surface, like the top of a bench vise.

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Gian, some things can be fixed, but only with so much work that it is a waste of your time.  Your time is worth money, too.  You have to make the decision.
   
  I was sent a Link tenor by a man who had bought it and could not play it.  Once I received it I could see why.  Someone had milled down the table so that all that was left was an angle toward the tip with .050" (1.3mm) tip opening and about 10 mm of facing length, which was not even a curve, but just an angle.
   
  I told him no wonder he could not play it, no one could.
   
  There was no way to reface it.  To do that would put the tip in the area of the plastic teeth insert.  There was just not enough metal left on the mouthpiece to do anything with it.  I returned it with the advice to use it for a paperweight.  
   
  Somethings even the most skilled person cannot fix.
   
  Paul

Gian Luca Corino <cubismofree@...> wrote:
          I bought last month what I believe to be a nice metal blank to make a
mouthpiece, but when arrived to me I saw immediately it was already
touched as previous owner try, than sold on ebay because not able to
do or just probably he start with too much decision and make a big
mistake... it was hungry with the wife? probably!

I'm still learning about "make from a blank" and that my question on.
The previous work have been done to flat the table but the curve of
facing is already made (not refined) and it's too much up on one side,
even in front of the tip. From table line to tip right side I have
around .200 and the opposite left side is .160. So I'm in trouble
because there is no so thick brass to flat down the table to get a
reasonable.110. Working there I will arrive to the window easily, but
I dont want to open more...
Who work this before take out to much from the front. I have the same
mp made from the manufacturer at 115, so I just have the perfect model
to copy and I can see how the previous owner remove too much from
front giving a very hard job to me, maybe without chance to finish it. 

Is this blank to throw? My idea, seeing the state of things, is to
change the slant of the table, but at this point I get problem with
the rail, that are sculped inside, not strait, and it will be removed
the rolled part going on tip spot.

I know procedure starting from a blank, but looking on live it seems
to me I can only change the slant without to be sure to have rails
good for the reed. The blank is very sculped inside rails.

Keith and Paul, please give me some of your helpfull advice without to
see it...
and anybody welcome, I appreciate to get any idea or I will do a .160
opening tip for the mouth of an horse and not for a human!

Ciao. Gian 



         


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I've read months ago on this forum about this "bodyshop" technique... as you said what I have got to loose? Unfortunately I have a deep curved inner sidewalls.
 
 Will see how it come, but I think first I need to calculate how many mm. of  thickness is still remaining available to use from the table on the curve side of the window. From the Barone I own, I compare the window refinished by him to the blank and it's the same lenght, so I need to work on table not too much and the bent on tip should be going well down...
 
 Now my dubt is... I hammer one time strong...table parallel to the bench and mandril on bore... or I slowly kick it for long time but less pressure ? I think first I will try to use only the bar in the bore as lever.
 
 amleto? who was this guy?
 
 Gian

Keith Bradbury <kwbradbury@...> wrote:                                  It sounds like the blank is ruined.  You can do a lot with a piece if it
 does not have curved inner sidewalls.  But with them you are limited.  The
 only other thing you can consider is bending the tip down.  What have you
  got to loose?  I have only done this on soft Dukoffs but there have been
 several reports of bending open the tips of vintage Link STMs.  Some
 reports say metal head hammers are used.  But I would insert a bar for
 leverage in the shank.  It would have a good fit with the bore.  Then I
 would try bending the tip on a hard surface, like the top of a bench vise.
 
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 Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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The vintage saxophone webpage is here!
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 Need a vintage sax in perfect condition?
 Need a flute or a windwood? Need a mouthpiece?
 Need an hard to find model? Just order to us!
 WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU AT NICE PRICE
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I once worked on a Duk Hollywood that someone had used a bench grinder on
the rails.  It was either that or a chain saw.  I built it up with brass
powder epoxy but I told the client it would not last.  I have a pic on my
site.


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