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lead pipe swab stuck in lead-pipe



 
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chapahi
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 2:17 am    Post subject: lead pipe swab stuck in lead-pipe Reply with quote

The other day I was swabbing out the lead-pipe on my trumpet with a very old old dried out Bob Reeves lead pipe swab and the string broke. The swab is stuck near the receiver. How do I safely remove this? Also one of the Amado water keys on my flugelhorn is stuck in the open position. Both problems are minor but I'm not sure how to fix them safely would like to avoid a trip to the shop. Thanks in advance for the replies.
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JayKosta
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 4:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can you use a crochet hook or piece of metal coat hanger with a 'barb' on the end to 'pick apart' the swab to remove it?

For the Amado, I think you can use a ball point pen to press on the opposite side - but first use a little valve oil to seep in the water exit hole area.
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Croquethed
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have an old rifle cleaning kit for just such leadpipe obstruction problems.

M Amados have never gotten stuck, but I have been told a paper clip end through the hole in the cap and some oil can help fix that.
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Irving
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Turn the trumpet upside down, and set it on the floor. You will have to find some way to support the trumpet this way. You could also hang the trumpet this way instead. Then fill the lead pipe with water. Let it sit over night. It should be soft enough to come out with a trumpet snake. Or a brass brush for cleaning rifles, if you have one. You can also try this setting your trumpet on a trumpet stand. If the swab is close to the receiver then you won't be able to put much water down the lead pipe which is why doing it upside down might work better.

Don't try and pick apart the swab. You risk damaging the lead pipe and receiver. Take it to a shop and let them deal with it.
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cbtj51
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have run into a stuck Amado (closed position) key only twice over my lifetime and resolved both by simply running very warm water followed by cold water while pressing. The stuck key freed up immediately with very little pressing pressure. Oiled, moved on, forgot about it! I have carried a paperclip in my accessories bag for decades in case a situation arises when I have no water access or the key is stuck in an open position...that situation has not yet happened.

Life is Short, find the Joy in it!

Mike
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huntman10
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As an extreme "serial brass collector" (I have probably averaged a horn a month for 25 years), I have dealt with a lot of severely stuck Amados. Yes to the soaking, but I soak first with a thin valve oil like Al Cass first.

Press against the back side of the water key with a small dowel or similar solid object, but be careful that it fits inside the little C clip that holds the "innards" together, without hitting the clip.

If the plunger goes back out, but is still hard to move, I have put a small piece of leather or plastic from a glove over the plunger, grab it with some small pliers, and twist it a bit to free it. If that frees it, soak it with some heavier oil, such a rotor oil, or my favorite, mineral oil from the pharmacy.

You can buy the parts for an Amado water key online, but be sure that yours is actually an Amado. There are similar water keys being used that won't fit those parts. Also, installing the little C clip on the back of the water key is tricky unless you are experienced with small parts. I use a very small needle nose plier to insert that clip.
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huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
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etc-etc
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

With two problems on hand, I would suggest visiting a good tech. In some difficult situations, the stuck swab remnants have to be burned out to avoid distorting / scratching the leadpipe. A seized Amado may also be not possible to loosen using simple tools.
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giakara
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Croquethed"]I have an old rifle cleaning kit for just such leadpipe obstruction problems.

M Amados have never gotten stuck, but I have been told a paper clip end through the hole in the cap and some oil can help fix that.[/quote

I haveexactlythesame kit for all my Amado horns and feel very safe.

Regards]
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stuartissimo
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:30 am    Post subject: Re: lead pipe swab stuck in lead-pipe Reply with quote

chapahi wrote:
I'm not sure how to fix them safely would like to avoid a trip to the shop.

‘Visit a tech’ is my go-to answer whenever someone is unsure how to fix something. Damaging a brass instrument is so easy to do and many home remedies may have unwanted or unexpected results. If the problem truly is minor, most shops will charge you little to nothing anyway, and you’ll avoid making things worse (and more expensive).

I had a stuck mouthpiece once and when I went to see a tech, he offered to show me how to remove it myself next time. Half an hour later after he finally got it loose he mentioned I’d probably wouldn’t have been able to get it unstuck myself (the cause was a really tiny bump against a closet door, but it got stupidly stuck somehow). He didn’t charge me anything.
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JoeLoeffler
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You will usually get the best results (or at least the cheapest) when a competent, skilled professional has the first crack at a problem. (actually true for many non-trumpet issues as well...)

Trumpets are made out of thin, comparably soft material and things can go badly without you even realizing it. Professionals have experience to anticipate problems and the tools to recover if something bad does happen.
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