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With sincere congratulations to the person who obtained that wonderful gold brass rotary Miraphone tuba with which they are so very happy, I’ve been really lucky in that I actually have my dream tubas…
… but my dream FOR my dream tubas is that some of them - that could use it - were beautifully re-lacquered, and without me having to do it or pay someone else to do it.

bloke “enough of a realist to admit to myself that I do care about more than just how they sound”

Looks ain’t everything, but I’m helps!!

The older I become, the more I pay attention to my hair cut, combing my hair, dressing well (when appropriate), shining my shoes, etc.

There's a commonly-passed around carton showing an old tuba player with their old tuba, how they imagine themselves to appear to others, and how they actually appear to others.

bloke "I need all the help I can get."

I've lost track of that cartoon, and would love to see it again

The cartoon book is “Les Brass”.

https://www.amismusicalcircle.com/library/bk-001.htm


The funniest “how they think they look vs how they actually look” is the euphonium player, imo.

I’m not sure what that first sentence is about, but … I seem to be one of those people, so … thanks! The lacquer is even pretty good, so I’m not worried about that right away.

jtm wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 10:24 pm I’m not sure what that first sentence is about, but … I seem to be one of those people, so … thanks! The lacquer is even pretty good, so I’m not worried about that right away.

(I semi-quoted another's thread title about their beautiful new (new-to-them?) Miraphone "Bruckner" model tuba.)

The older we get, the more we need to work to hold it all together.

I avoid mirrors and pictures of myself. My first reaction upon seeing either is usually same as when entering my son's room: "What the hell happened here?"

My F tuba's bell has been "back to perfect" for quite some time.

I'm pretty sure I can get the bottom bow there ("back to perfect") without taking anything off it (and only removing that bow from the instrument), including (as @TheBerlinerTuba has pointed out) slightly re-rounding the bottom bow - back from past "really good" dent removal to "absolute original shape" (if not even a bit rounder - calipers don't lie). There is already very good clearance between the bottom bow and the main slide, but I would still like to measure and pull the rounding rings down off the wall.

The upper bow is very good, but there are solder prints in it's nickel cap (from past hurried "make-do" dent removal).
These old nickel caps were extraordinarily thin, so I really do NOT wish to remove it.

I believe I'm going to hand Mrs. bloke the torch, have her heat those areas, and then re-iron portions of the cap - squishing out excess solder and flattening the cap smoothly against the upper bow.

Once these things are done, the valves/slides/etc. are all in really great shape and ready to polish and spray.

Again: I might (though I honestly believe that DuBro plastic is BETTER - and though scoring ZERO points in cachet) replace the links with Minibal - just so my heirs might be able to sell it for more - after I zombie out from a stroke or croak.

I would prefer epoxy lacquer, but I just don't have the oven (nor the practiced routine) for that, and I have had good luck with nitrocellulose (and my nitrocellulose will be considerably better than the $h!tty oem nitrocellulose), so I'll probably do everything myself.

After this one, I suppose I'll tackle the Holton B-flat that I built, and then I'll look at the pair of Besson compensating tubas.
oh yeah...I also only PARTIALLY (bell section and upper valve section) lacquered the cimbasso - so that thing (as well as finishing the #2 slide trigger assembly), so the lower (dangerous-to-polish) portion needs lacquer on that thing.

silver plating:
- expensive, and turns black...so an instrument might as well be un-lacquered as silver plated.

bloke wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:24 am

jtm wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 10:24 pm I’m not sure what that first sentence is about, but … I seem to be one of those people, so … thanks! The lacquer is even pretty good, so I’m not worried about that right away.

(I semi-quoted another's thread title about their beautiful new (new-to-them?) Miraphone "Bruckner" model tuba.)

Don't worry; I knew it wasn't really about me. But I am still happy with the recently acquired wonderful gold brass rotary Miraphone. I didn't take it to rehearsal tonight (for variety, mostly; I'm playing Eb parts and thought I'd bring something closer to the right size), and the guy next to me said something like, "if you're tired of the other one already, I'll help you find it a home." Then, a little later, "seems like the other tuba was easier to play in tune and is easier to hear to tune with." So, that seals it, and the gold brass tuba will be back next week.