Posted by Doc on November 25, 2001 at 22:51:20:
In Reply to: Repair Questions posted by Tom B. on November 24, 2001 at 21:02:52:
If you have no pitting, don't worry about it. Ever notice some horns have leather wrapped around the bell where the player's arm rests? Damage from acidic perspiration, or just plain wear and tear, can be avoided by a leather wrap around the areas that need protection. Go to a local leather craftsman or saddle shop. There are a great variety of leathers, thicknesses, colors, etc. AND IT'S CHEAP! Not $3K by a damn sight. You could even do it by yourself with heavy scissors and a punch. I do leather craft as one of my hobbies. I've never needed that kind of fix, but if I did, I would get at least a couple of square feet of dark brown 1oz. goat or calf leather and a couple of feet of leather string (thong), or brown/black shoelaces. It can be very simple if cosmetics are not an issue. You may find that you want 2-3oz leather. An exacto or box cutter will cut that. Make a pattern out of paper first(tape a few pieces together). Cut the pattern or add paper to fit. Trace out the pattern on the leather. Decide first which side of the leather, skin or rough, you want on the outside before you cut. Lace it together with the thongs or shoestrings. You can spend less than ten bucks, excluding the tools. You could order the leather from Tandy Leather Co. or some other leather retailer. The leather should not be extremely tightly bound to the horn, just snug. It should not affect your sound. As far as the chem clean, I pour a gallon of vinegar through each horn several times a year. In the bell, work it through VIGOROUSLY, and out the leadpipe. Follow with plenty of H2O. You can do the felts, bumpers, etc yourself as well. Good luck. And NO, it will not stink.
Doc