Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Tail piece repair

  1. #1
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Question Tail piece repair

    I need to repair my D'jangolin tailpiece ..

    do I have no choice but to order a 2" square piece of 1mm thick brass from China?

    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    If it is brass and not bronze you could have it brazed. Any machine shop should have a piece of brass.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  3. #3
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    It's thin ,8mm, it cracked from metal fatigue, Vibrations .. I want another piece of brass or bronze sheet 1mm thick
    to laminate it to the tailpiece sheet metal with silver solder doubling it and it's still only 2mm thick ..

    Background in metal arts study , just could not afford the tools & real estate, when out of Uni & into the real world.

    I have a friend to help with the heat source & silver solder just the brass is hard to find out here in the boonies.

    you got some in a shop you know in Wisconsin?
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Silver Spring, MD
    Posts
    269

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    Mandroid,

    McMaster-Carr is a good source for metal, fasteners, tools and specialty hardware. They ship quickly and usually have items on hand.

    Here is a listing for sheet brass.

    https://www.mcmaster.com/sheets/meta...-brass-sheets/

    https://www.mcmaster.com/brass-sheet...-brass-sheets/

    Mark
    Mark Lynch

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post

    you got some in a shop you know in Wisconsin?
    Ha mandroid, I do know a machine shop where I can get some, but like you I am in the boonies and would have to drive a bit to a town big enough to get to a machine shop.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  6. #6

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    You should be able to get .8mm - 1mm brass from any decent hardware store. Any old-school Ace/True Value hardware, or even any Michael's should have a craft metal section. It's either 260 or 360 brass, so decent quality stuff.
    I require my students to make themselves business cards from 360 brass, makes a nice ring when you drop it on the table at a job interview...

  7. The following members say thank you to Marty Jacobson for this post:


  8. #7
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Blue Zone, California
    Posts
    1,867
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    I was able to get sheet brass for a 1930s double bass tuner repair a few years ago, McMaster-Carr.

    Be aware, the alloys that are available today may not be the same alloys as were used in the past. This can make a difference when using heat to bind surfaces.

    Brass is difficult to cut and shape (compared to softer metals). Be prepared to spend time shaping the metal, to as close to the final shape as possible, before the soldering begins.

    Practice with non-important scraps can be very helpful.
    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


    2002 Gibson F-9
    2016 MK LFSTB
    1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
    [About how I tune my mandolins]
    [Our recent arrival]

  9. #8
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Question Re: Tail piece repair

    I see mcmasters has a square foot of precise thickness shim stock , a bit pricy ,
    when I just need a 2x2 inch square piece..

    I have A hacksaw + Jeweler's saw frames & blades to cut away excess once I'm done.. with the silver brazing.. +It will be annealed then..
    take a while to work harden again with those string vibrations..

    Trying to get out to a goodwill or other charity store to get something to cut up, next..


    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  10. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Silver Spring, MD
    Posts
    269

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    Hmmm, let’s see, drive around to various goodwill and thrift stores looking for something that might be adapted to repair your expensive instrument versus buying a known material from a reputable supplier and have it delivered to your mailbox? Gosh, that seems like a really difficult choice. :<). All for material that costs less than a few sets of strings. Plus, you’ll have extra material to help out the next fellow in our society with a broken tailpiece. (Tongue in cheek) And, once it is fixed, you can use the extra drive time to practice FFCP or the circle of fifths...

    Can’t you buy a replacement tailpiece? That might be the best and cheapest solution all around but maybe not as much fun!

    Mark
    Mark Lynch

  11. #10

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    A picture might help. I'm not sure what a D'jangolin is.

  12. #11

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    Just PM me your address and I'll send you some, I run a machine shop. I am swimming in 2" wide x 1.25mm and .8mm, let me know what you want.

  13. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Marty Jacobson For This Useful Post:


  14. #12
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Exclamation Re: Tail piece repair

    Thanks, PM sent ...

  15. #13
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    A picture might help. I'm not sure what a D'jangolin is.

    http://emando.com/builders_inactive/Hodson.htm
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  16. The following members say thank you to mandroid for this post:


  17. #14

    Default Re: Tail piece repair

    I see the problem. A quick search on both Google and eBay shows several choices for guitar, but none for mandolin in this style. I would say unless one can be obtained from the maker, then repair is your best option, IMHO.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •