John Kowalchuk, Mutes etc.
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The first step is to begin removing the braces holding the bell section in place. | |
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Next come the braces connecting the valve section to the bell. | |
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When everything is freed up the ferrule joining the bell to the horn is separated. | |
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The bell section is now free of the horn and gets thoroughly de-soldered. | |
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The lower (male) ring is located on the bell and enough lacquer is removed to permit a good solder joint. | |
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The lower ring is securely soldered to the bell. This step should be as complete as possible. | |
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You can still change your mind up to this moment. | |
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There is no going back now. | |
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Not a sight for the faint of heart.
THE REST OF THE JOB Once the lower portion of the bell has been sawed off, the upper (female) half of the ring is soldered flush with the freshly cut end. After that, it's just a matter of reversing what was done to get the bell off in the first place and cleaning up after yourself. |