Re: Re: Bumpers for Miraphone 186


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Posted by Joe S. on January 21, 2000 at 22:18:58:

In Reply to: Re: Bumpers for Miraphone 186 posted by Rick on January 21, 2000 at 08:30:59:

This is my ALMOST injury-proof and ALMOST scratch-proof technique. Just like any other technique for installing bumpers, it DOES require a good "eye" and a good "memory" for how much to trim away and how much to leave. I won't discuss that part. I will just discuss my "how-to":

I take the cork plates completely off of the tuba (the pairs of two mount screws and often the eccentric collars need removing). Once they are off, I clamp each cork plate (one-at-a-time, of course) into a smooth-jawed vice with brass jaws with the two C-shaped bumper receivers facing up. Cardboard padding would do just as well as brass jaws. After removing the old bumpers and rough-cutting new ones, I place each bumper, one-at-a-time, in the C-shaped bumper receivers. I then "roll" each bumper into its receiver using a flat-bladed screwdriver. (Use care here.) I DO loosen the vice and turn the cork plate around between bumpers, so that I can roll each bumper into the receiver on the "far" side of the cork plate, to avoid doing either one "back-handed". Once I have "rolled" both neoprenes into their C-shaped receivers nicely with no gaps, I then take the plate out of the vice and get busy with a NEW single-edged razor blade, trimming up the top and bottom (for professional appearance) and then the critical edge, to control the travel of the rotor. (THIS final cut is where the good "eye" and good "memory" PLUS willingless to DO IT OVER if necessary are required.) I don't try to get too many cuts from one blade (Usually, I toss them away after two cuts from one end of the blade and two cuts from the other end of the blade.), realizing that the blades ARE disposable, and that the neoprene bumpers are the things which are expected to LAST, and that need to be cut very cleanly to look nice.

Maybe my technique will work for others. At first glance, it may seem to be more trouble, but it sure speeds up the job for me while making it easy to make the job look professional.


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