Scratch repair in BRASS ? SAX?

Sep 06, 2007 6 Replies

I would like to repair a scratch in Brass saxophone. ? What technique is good? Can I fill the scratch with solder and cover with gold lacquer? I have never seen this type of repair done before .. silver solder?? Is there another tech?



thanks



fraser



is it just a scratch?

or is it a dent?

How deep of a scratch? Post a picture? Randy

Well, from a jeweler's point of view, scratches are never filled with solder, but sanded smooth, after which the metal is polished.

Heating the instrument will alter the tonality in a way that cannot be reversed.

You might repair the scratch and destroy the instrument if you solder.

If the sax is half way decent, you're better off having a professional deal with it.

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and many more.

How about brush-plating with brass, wet-sanding the scratch flat, and then polishing?

Would something like the Caswell kits work?

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They aren't cheap.

-- Ed Huntress

Here is the real problem... the finish. A scratch of the garden variety is pretty easy to fix, it is buffed out. If it is really bad it is first sanded or filed out and then the buff is used. But once you have the scratch out you have an area on the sax that is bare brass. It can be buffed up to a high shine and resprayed but there are very few times it matches the rest of the finish perfectly. Saxes very often have a gold dye mixed in with the spray and that is really hard to match.

Best bet? Leave it alone until the whole instrument needs an overhaul, then everything matches.

The dremmel tool with a buff takes a long time but it can come in handy.

LLBrown

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