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Years ago, when I decided I wanted to learn tuba, I bought for dirt cheap a 12J that was ultimately beyond repair. Then when I got a better 12J, I kept the other one around for the possibility of spare parts.

Now I just want to get rid of it. A friend talked about scrapping the brass and possibly selling the pistons. I think I threw out the bell? It's no longer in the case, but it was in such bad shape it would have made an awful flower pot.

Is scrapping the brass easier than trying to sell crumbled parts? Are the pistons something worth selling to someone?

BopEuph wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 8:32 am Years ago, when I decided I wanted to learn tuba, I bought for dirt cheap a 12J that was ultimately beyond repair. Then when I got a better 12J, I kept the other one around for the possibility of spare parts.

Now I just want to get rid of it. A friend talked about scrapping the brass and possibly selling the pistons. I think I threw out the bell? It's no longer in the case, but it was in such bad shape it would have made an awful flower pot.

Is scrapping the brass easier than trying to sell crumbled parts? Are the pistons something worth selling to someone?

Email a picture of the pistons.
If each has a "worst" side, put that side (of all of them) in the picture.

Will do. I'll be pulling the case down later, since I need to get some repairs done on it for the tour. The horn is going to travel in a company truck.

Oh man, I forgot how "good" in shape the cluster was, but one fatal flaw: the lead pipe was ripped off at the casing. Everything else in the cluster is actually in better shape than my playable horn, and I've considered using it to make a better combined 12J, but all my friends have told me that it's just easier to keep the one I have in playing order.

The valves are actually in good shape, too (albeit sluggishly, hence the half valve in the pic), and still move, even after five years of sitting in the garage. The bugle is in great shape, but I've realized nobody really cares to have a bugle. The bell...well...I DIDN'T throw it out, so you can see it in all its crumpled glory.

I bought this horn on eBay for like $75 locally. I thought it would be an easy fix, then I find out that lead pipe was like a death blow. Sure, it's repairable, but the cost of the instrument wasn't worth it. But now I have a case for the playable 12J...but it's in ROUGH shape. Then again, I've only ever needed it now, in roughly 10 years of playing. Nobody else has required me to have a hard case. So it might have been worth it to get rid of it, and buy one used when the need comes around again. The latches work, but the case doesn't align properly, and the molding is making it difficult to align. So I'm going to just get a ratchet strap for the company truck.

BUT, since I don't see these parts moving quickly, I assume the brass would be better to scrap for a few extra bones?

Both of my Tubas arrived with me in poor condition and a mix of diy and brass technician has help me turned them around. My three valve Eb had a crumpled bell and the case was badly damaged too, the case is now functional but it wasn’t easy to sort the distortion and my technician sorted out the bell - the Tuba plays just great and has given me many hours of pleasure, those hours have by far repaid my outlay.

If you could get one then a new 12J would cost a small fortune but besides a lead pipe - availability of which I do not know - you have everything needed to creat a refurbished to as new 12J … and very possibly a better 12J than the other one that you have. Pick your technician with care and see if they have a quieter time of year, but in your position I’d happily pay a bit more than the 12J’s market value to restore it to being functional as a second instrument for me to use. From here in the UK I can see onto eBay in the USA, both parts and rough looking instruments seem to go for a lot of money.

Is this scrap Brass? To me it’s better than that and much better than that to someone like you who has a potential use for 12J parts.

A new lead pipe would have to be brazed on, which is a very rare skill, and would cost hundreds. The bell is way beyond repair. That crumple zone is so perforated the rim side would just fall off should it be rolled out. Used bells are in high demand, and a Chinese bell that fits is 800 for the part.

The images aren't showing up for me, but I might be interested in some of the parts.

BopEuph wrote: ↑Tue Aug 23, 2022 7:39 am A new lead pipe would have to be brazed on, which is a very rare skill, and would cost hundreds. The bell is way beyond repair. That crumple zone is so perforated the rim side would just fall off should it be rolled out. Used bells are in high demand, and a Chinese bell that fits is 800 for the part.

I’ve been mulling this over for a few days and do see where you’re coming from.

Yes, looking closer at the photos the bell does look shot … nothing much to be done with it.

I checked on eBay USA and a 12J in need of work can be had (was) for $300 including shipping and including a bell that wasn’t too mushed up, the main bugle on the two that I saw on eBay weren't pretty but you have a good one already. A good 12J costs > $1000 ? Of course what might be economic for a repair man to do varies …

The lead pipe on your valve set has gone and so has its receiver and valve block entry pipe. Brazing on a new receiver / valve block pipe isn’t practical - or even needed right now - but a repair scheme that soft solders a suitably long stub pipe (into the valve block) that has a lead pipe receiver several inches away from the valve set might well be a possibility / workable solution.

My way of doing things won’t suit all but to my mind, because you already have a 12J, all of the 12J parts that you have - except the bell - are worth hanging on to, if such retention is possible. If you’re pushed for space then I’d retain all of the valve set and it’s slides plus the main tuning slide. Some parts on old Tubas are repairable, but should you have to replace any part of the valve-set then that’s likely to be costly, if even possible at all

Good luck with whatever course of action you decide to take.