Need a thumb ring

[Rick Denney]

Before I start to make a mandrel to bend a piece of nickel-silver rod into a ring, I thought I would ask…

Anybody know where I can find a B&S part number SP129058? Silver-plated not necessary at all. I found one from this Austrian shop, but they don’t sell outside the EU:



A take-off would be fine.

Rick “let me know” Denney

[York-aholic]

https://shop.voigt-brass.de/en/B2B/THUM ... -Tuba.html

They even have different thumb rings for different key tubas (?), the link above is for BBb tubas.
https://shop.voigt-brass.de/en/B2B/THUMB-RINGS/

[bloke]

I haven't checked the price of those new replacement ones.

Considering the fact that you've got the instrument working well and looking "pretty good" - and also considering that you expressed interest in the instrument originally due to its low cost, you might consider just going to the hardware store or to Ohio Travel Bag and purchasing a ring that is roughly the same opening size but of course it's going to probably be smaller rod diameter. I'm assuming that you still have the flange, and that the whole busted in it is not so large that you can probably braise a ring onto it.

Hollow brass tubing - when annealed - is a little easier to bend into a small circle then solid brass rod. I've bent really large brass rod (that resembles the size of those used by B&S) into circles, but I've had to try a couple of times in order to do it without cracking it.

[YorkNumber3.0]

.

[bloke]

[Rick Denney]

Jürgen Voigt doesn’t seem to have them in stock—no price is given even after I opened an account. I’ve made enquiries.

Rolling brass stock around a steel mandrel in the lathe isn’t that difficult. It needs a lathe of decent size and I’d need to make a feed block to clamp in a tool holder. But if there is an out-of-the box solution that isn’t too expensive, it will get on the tuba a lot faster.

It’s not like 3/8” German silver rod is that cheap even as a raw material.

Rick “time is the usual constraint” Denney

[bloke]

Is nickel plated brass too cheesy?

https://antiquelampsupply.com/products/ ... HSEALw_wcB

[Rick Denney]

That’s more expensive than a foot of solid 3/8” German-silver rod from Online Metals.

Rick “McMaster only has brass” Denney

[bloke]

aware...but was considering ease of bending

[Rick Denney]

Take a block of aluminum, maybe 3/4 x 3/4 x 2, drill a 7/16 hole in it lengthwise, and clamp it in a lathe tool holder positioned for turning (rather than facing). The hole will point across the axis of the lathe spindle. Countersink the hole towards the lathe centerline generously.

In the lathe chuck, chuck up a steel 1.5” round bar with maybe six inches of stick-out. Line up the hole in the block with the bottom of the 2” bar. Line up the carriage to provide about a half-inch clearance from the chuck jaws to the hole in the block. Back the tool block using the cross slide about two inches away from the 1.5” bar.

Bend a 2” L in the end of the 3/8 rod using a vise, insert it into the aluminum block, and rotate the rod so the L hooks on a chuck jaw. Set the lathe’s thread pitch to 2-3/4 threads per inch. With the lathe off, engage the lead screw to feed the carriage away from the chuck and engage the half nut on the apron.

Warning: this isn’t that safe. :)

Turn on the lathe. Stand back.

The chuck jaw will pull the rod through the hole in the aluminum block and wrap it around the 1.5” bar. The threading feed will move the carriage enough away from the chuck so that the second wrap will lay next to the first. Keep going for two wraps. The rod will now be shaped like the coils of a spring.

Cut out an individual coil, and bring the ends together in a vise. Voila!

That’s how you make a ring in 3/8” rod stock if you have a decent-size lathe. The inside diameter will be a bit larger than 1.5”.

Rick “annealing first would help but may not be necessary” Denney

[YorkNumber3.0]

.

[Tubajug]

Take a block of aluminum…

I think I can speak for many that we would like video of this adventure!

I second that motion!

[TheBerlinerTuba]

Hi Rick,

in case it's any help, there are several different alloys and quality levels of nickelsilver. The one that usually comes up from most shops is CW400J which is quite hard even after annealing. What we use in Germany for most solid NS rings is what's called Schmiede Neusilber, loosely translated, blacksmith quality nickelsilver. It's unusually soft and can be worked into braces or rings without too much fuss. I'm sorry but I don't know the name in english.
If you go the CW400J route, you probably should anneal it multiple times, and do not quench or it will harden.

Worse case, I have a couple NOS from B&S I can sell for 50€ + shipping.

Cheers

[Rick Denney]

PM sent.

Rick “thanks!” Denney

[YorkNumber3.0]

.

[The Big Ben]

Take a block of aluminum, maybe 3/4 x 3/4 x 2, drill a 7/16 hole in it lengthwise, and clamp it in a lathe tool holder positioned for turning (rather than facing). The hole will point across the axis of the lathe spindle. Countersink the hole towards the lathe centerline generously.

Rick “annealing first would help but may not be necessary” Denney

"Watch me reinvent the mouse trap! New and improved with many more steps to make and much more time. Afterwards, you *will* know that *I* know how to work the lathe."

You do this as a hobby and as a creative output for your inner machinist and blue collar worker. Making your own might be the best direction for you to take.

However, Dan Oberloh has a drawer full of big thumb rings which must have bases put on them to use on a horn. If you called him and paid for it over the phone, you could be attaching it to your horn sometime next week. The number is in the Usual Places.

[Rick Denney]

Huh? I think I already said that I would prefer to buy one, even though I know how to wind springs using a lathe. My reason for writing that down was because the responses seemed to over-estimate the difficulty, even with strong solid (steel) wire, for those who have access to a lathe of appropriate size.

One reason I asked was to see who might have something original in their pile o’parts, or access to a supplier. My preference is for an original, if possible, with making something being a backup plan. And I’m hoping that has worked.

Rick “appreciative” Denney

[matt g]

[Rick Denney]

The new thumb ring from [mention]TheBerlinerTuba [/mention] arrived and he asked to post a pic of it installed. I like B&S thumb rings, though I like Hirsbrunner thumb rings just a bit more. I couldn’t even get my thumb knuckle through the one some had cobbled onto this instrument. Yup, the original thumb ring had been broken off and they had just soft-soldered a ring that was probably off a Chinese sousaphone or whatever. Wrong angle, too small, and weakly mounted. This one is mo bettah.

I had to work on that spot of the bell a bit after removing the old flange. There was some damage hiding under there.

Rick “about a week and a half shipping from Germany” Denney

[York-aholic]

Excellent!