Braces for Blessing Marching Baritone
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2024 8:27 am
So I recently bought a trashed Blessing M-300 Marchigin Baritone with the Bauerfeind valves. It was listed as a parts horn but the valveset and block were in good shape. It was a school horn and as @bloke would say the "young scholars" did a real number on it. The sellers photos cleverly obscured the true extent of the damage but basically every brace is snapped in half or missing (to be fair there were selling for parts and I didn't pay much for it). The leadpipe is completely detached from the body and the valve block is basically floating. Also someone did some really nasty solder work sometime in the past, so most of the braces that are not broken will need to come off and be cleaned up. There is a glob of JB weld or some other epoxy on the leadpipe, so I am guessing I will find a tear under that.
I've already spent a pretty penny on instruments and repairs/maintenance/service this year and my wife is watching the checkbook like a hawk.. sending it out is not an option. So I am embarking on a project. I am undecided about leaving it 50% lacquer and embracing the rotten banana peel look or maybe giving it a Scotch-Brite scratch and spray can lacquer finish.
For the braces that are broken. Is it worth removing and cleaning then brazing or hard silver soldering them back together.... or am I better off fabricating new ones?
Looking online I found these flanges from Votaw tool, but I don't really want to spend $30 for a pair of brace flanges given how many I would need. I was planning on picking up some sheet brass and thin rod stock and make by own braces by dimpling and silver soldering.
Is this whole thing a fools errand? According to the misses I am a pretty big fool, so maybe I am destined to do this anyway.
I've already spent a pretty penny on instruments and repairs/maintenance/service this year and my wife is watching the checkbook like a hawk.. sending it out is not an option. So I am embarking on a project. I am undecided about leaving it 50% lacquer and embracing the rotten banana peel look or maybe giving it a Scotch-Brite scratch and spray can lacquer finish.
For the braces that are broken. Is it worth removing and cleaning then brazing or hard silver soldering them back together.... or am I better off fabricating new ones?
Looking online I found these flanges from Votaw tool, but I don't really want to spend $30 for a pair of brace flanges given how many I would need. I was planning on picking up some sheet brass and thin rod stock and make by own braces by dimpling and silver soldering.
Is this whole thing a fools errand? According to the misses I am a pretty big fool, so maybe I am destined to do this anyway.