Re: Questions on fixing dents


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Posted by John Swensen on November 14, 2000 at 16:56:35:

In Reply to: Questions on fixing dents posted by Avogadro on November 14, 2000 at 16:33:56:

Paintless dent extraction relies on there being relatively thick steel, relatively thick, opaque paint, and a shallow dent. Also, the paint is not nearly as good a reflector as is shiny brass or silver, so residual waviness is not so visible on a car. Some dents come out nearly perfect; others (like one I paid to have removed from my hood) show the waviness.

I have had tiny dings removed from lacquer horns with no visible evidence of a dent, afterwards (by Dick Akright in Oakland, CA, a master), but they are probably the exception. Usually, lacquer crazes when its brass substrate is dented and then pushed back.

Dents in the exposed bell area should be easy (and cheap) to have removed by a professional in a few minutes. Some internal dents can be removed using dent balls (many hundreds of dollars for a tuba-sized set), but they may not do a perfect job.

If you want to try it yourself, find a cheap trumpet on eBay, buy a few hundred dollars worth of dent-removing tools from Ferree's, and practice on the trumpet until you are happy with your results. Then buy a few thousand dollars worth of dent removal tools for a tuba and have at it.

If you want to buy a new bell and pay to have it installed, by all means, hammer away at your dents. The hammer blows will permanently stretch the brass, and then no one will be able to repair the damage without major scars.


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