Posted by David on July 15, 2001 at 00:43:49:
In Reply to: Lapping Slides posted by Lapper on July 14, 2001 at 14:50:36:
Some of us repair guys and gals out here cringe when we see some of the remedies people want to do and then we come to our senses and can see the dollar signs.
I am being facetious about the dollar signs, but I, for one, cringe at the thought of someone sanding on slides or valves or anything else. If one must do any lapping, do like one of the other posters said and first take the horn to a repairman to make sure the slides are in alignment. Then, let him do the lapping. If he does too much, it should be his responsibility to remedy the situation to your satisfaction. That is what guarantees are for. Any "good" repair shop will have a satisfaction guarantee. If they don't, don't do business with them.
Yes, you will pay extra for this, but the extra service is worth the cost. Be at the shop when your instrument is worked on even if you have to make an appointment. Check out each phase of work as it is done and know when enough is enough on the slide in question. Most of us respect the opinions of our customers (although don't get carried away and try to tell a repair person how to do his/her job!) and do all that we can to satisfy them.
The bottom line is this: When in doubt, let a professional do the job. Don't try to save a few bucks with a Do-It-Yourself project.
My opinion FWIW.
David