Brasswind Tools

  Hello! This blog will cover a few tools I have made so far in Brass Fundamentals. 

Water Key Installer

This tool is made of brass tubing and is incredibly useful for installing water key springs. 

I made this tool by annealing the brass and then quenching in water. Then, I bent it into this adjustable U-shape. To make the ends even, I sanded them down on a metal sander.      

Draw Knob Installer

When soldering draw knobs onto slide crooks, it can be really difficult to hold them in place with traditional clips. This tool makes that process a lot easier. 

Only two parts are needed, a small steel rod and a solder clip. The steel rod is rounded on one end and internally chamfered on the other. This chamfer will allow the steel rod to have a larger contact area. Then, the steel rod is silver soldered onto one of the clip's legs. 

Band Saw Clip

Made out of a dull band saw blade, it helps with soldering braces on tuning slides. 

The old saw blade has the teeth sanded away, then it is de-burred with a Craytex wheel. The notches are made by a silicone-carbide wheel + bench motor. Lastly, the bends are achieved with heat and some pliers. 

Dent Ball Rod Holder

This is a very useful tool for mouthpiece repair. It is made from only a brass rod and screw. 

I first faced the brass rod on a lathe. Then, drilled a hole to specified depth. Lastly, I tapped the hole with the same thread size as the screw and cleaned any sharp edges. 

The screw can hold many different sizes of dent balls. The rod allows the ball to be hammered and positioned as needed. 

This post may be updated to add any other quick tools in the future, so check back soon!