Fixing loose slide lock

[brassmedic]

Easy and effective way to fix a loose slide lock (the type that threads on). I took a large brass nut and cut a channel inside approximately the outer diameter of the slide lock, than cut a gap in the nut. I can put it in the 3 jaw lathe chuck and tighten it enough to slightly shrink the slide lock. No more wobbling or vibration while playing.

20200303_152011.jpg

20200303_152011.jpg

[FullPedalTrombonist]

All I need is a lathe

[brassmedic]

All I need is a lathe

They are pretty darned handy to have.

[FullPedalTrombonist]

Harbor Freight offerings are definitely tempting, but I can’t let myself buy any more large equipment until the garage work area is nice and tidy.

[Bonearzt]

Great idea Brad!!

[bigbandbone]

Great idea!
How much grunt did it take to actually shrink the ring? Did you have to add a breaker bar to the chuck key for more leverage?

[timothy42b]

Great idea!
How much grunt did it take to actually shrink the ring? Did you have to add a breaker bar to the chuck key for more leverage?

Pretty sure I saw him buying one of these:

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-Com ... 64874.html

[Crazy4Tbone86]

That’s quite ingenious! I have always approached this problem from the opposite perspective. Since the metal on the lock lug is rather thick and the metal at the end of the cork barrel (threaded part) is thin, I assumed that the cork barrel had shrunk in diameter over time. Solution....I would use the inner slide truing tool (small wedges that come in sets of three or four) to expand the end of the cork barrel slightly.

[JohnL]

Robb Stewart used the same sort of technique to tighten up a badly worn valve cap on my Conn double-bell baritone. Chuck it up, give it a little squeeze and Bob's your uncle. A much more elegant solution than the Teflon® tape I was using as a temporary fix.

[Doug Elliott]

Wondering how "Bob's your uncle" translates to different languages...

A tiny bit of Locktite (blue) can also be a solution for loose threads.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

Brad,
Your home-made tool has really caught my attention. I definitely want to make one. It looks like the walls are pretty thin on the flat surfaces of the nut. That’s probably necessary to give it the “flex” to draw in the slide nut. Do you know the size of the brass nut you started with?

[brassmedic]

Brad,
Your home-made tool has really caught my attention. I definitely want to make one. It looks like the walls are pretty thin on the flat surfaces of the nut. That’s probably necessary to give it the “flex” to draw in the slide nut. Do you know the size of the brass nut you started with?

That's funny. I was actually thinking thicker walls might be better, because it does have a tendency to flatten out the curve of the slide lock at the spots where it is being pushed in. I can round it out by tapping around the radius of a dent ball, but it would be better if it didn't happen in the first place. I think thicker walls would distribute the force more evenly, but I haven't gotten around to making a new one yet. Mine measures about one inch from one flat side to the other, so maybe slightly larger than that would be good? I think you would still have plenty of flex.

[Doug Elliott]

I have some 1 inch hex brass stock, far more than I will ever use. If anybody wants a small piece to work with, let me know.

[brassmedic]

Also would depend on the diameter of the slide lock, of course. This particular repair was for a Bach 42.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

I was able to find a hex nut that is about 1 1/8" inch across. It is a standard part for a Toro lawn mower and only cost $2. Looking forward to turning it on my lathe to create this slide lock tool. Now I must wait for a new set of outside jaws for my lathe. This could be a long wait because Coronavirus has closed down so many businesses.