Posted by Brad on December 06, 2003 at 22:46:45:
I know, I know. Everyone's going to say "Take it to the shop!" but I'd rather learn how to take care of my own instrument.
Anyway, my at home practice horn is a school owned Olds O-991 circa 1965. It just came back from the shop in march and had the bell and first branch removed and rolled out. The bell was so mangled it now has a marble like appearance because of the bare lacquer areas, and actually had enough holes that some fairly large patches are on the bell. The first branch was so dented that it is almost totally raw brass. As a matter of fact a new bow guard had to be put on it was so bad.
I took this tuba home as my practice horn after I discovered that the bell already has new creasing in it, and there is a nice dent in the bottom bow. I've taught myself how to align the valves using the felt pads and discovered the extra tall valve buttons were not letting the valves down all the way (you can easily see down the tubing into the valves on this O-991. I found spare valve buttons and re-arranged the felts and it plays like new.
Now I want to get rid of the folds in the bell. I've been successful in removing dents from a trumpet using a towel and a very shot, un-playable tuba mouthpiece that I bought from a famous auction site (big mistake playing that mouthpiece, it gave me chapped lips, so I said, no more, and got what I thought to be a good mouthpiece, then bought a real mouthpiece). It got rid of the crease put left little ping marks. I want to know what household tools I could use that could get rid of the creases in the tuba bell. Mind you, it doesn't have to be pretty, this tuba is about as ugly as they come.
Thanks