Posted by Rick Denney on January 15, 2001 at 15:46:30:
In Reply to: Re: Fifth Valve for Mirafone 186 posted by Options on January 15, 2001 at 11:09:19:
I bought a similar set of parts for such a project from Badger State Repair, and the cost was a little less than $400. I bought a first valve, two right-angle branches, a crook for a tuning branch, and appropriate lengths of inner and outer tubing. The inner tubing is for the tuning slides and straight sections (of which you might not have much), and the outer tubing is for the slide sleeve and all the ferrules. The Miraphone parts come ready to trim and solder.
For a CC tuba, a long whole-tone fifth valve should have the same length of tubing as the first valve of a BBb tuba, so find a 186 BBb tuba and measure all the tubing for the first valve.
You might also need a leadpipe designed for a five-valve horn, so that it will line up properly. My plan is to use the existing leadpipe and use the resulting new position as an excuse to leave it detached from the horn.
If you use a typical BBb first-valve crook as I'm suggesting, it may project above the horn too far for comfort. If that is the case, then you can buy two extra right-angle crooks and an extra tuning crook, and fold it over itself, ala Rudy Meinl. Jay Bertolet did the same thing to the fifth valve he had added to his Cerveny 601, and it looks really nice.
I bought the parts for anothe project, but they just look too nice to waste on that other horn. Consequently, I'm working up to the same project you are outlining on my 186 BBb. On the other hand, I'd be willing to part with these that I bought for $325. You'll still have to take them to your favorite repair technician, however.
Rick "sounding like Joe S. with cardboard-box projects" Denney