How To Make a Saxophone Pad Leveling Tool

[@WillowsGarden]

Hi Art! Hope you and your family are doing good. This should help some people to make their own tool, very generous to share your knowledge. Have a blessed day!

[@jonhyaku4581]

Thanks for this video; some of these basic tools are so expensive to buy, it's worth making your own when you can and save your hard-earnt cash to buy those that would be too difficult. But may I (very humbly) add that a scriber can be easily damaged if you use it in this way. Less of a problem when using brass, so you may have got away with it, but steel would probably dull the end so much that it would need regrinding. Scribers are generally tempered for scratching whereas centre punches are thicker and are tempered for hitting. Using a centre punch for marking centres will keep the scriber good for marking fine lines.

[@peterstewart9983]

Hi Art, thank you for your excellent videos. I gain two things from your videos, firstly, knowledge of the saxophone mechanism and its repair and maintenance. Secondly, and very importantly, watching your videos puts me in a good frame of mind to tackle delicate repairs. Although I am primarily interested in the saxophone, I enjoy all your videos. It is such a pleasure to watch a true craftsman at work. All the best for you and your family.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Thank you Peter. I am glad that the videos are helpful. I enjoy repairing instruments and I love helping others feel confident at attempting repairs and enjoying repairing too. Art

[@cristianomaker]

amazing, thanks!

[@raimop9225]

👍 Saves my hobby. Thank you.

[@ahmedmoustafa8816]

Thank you, this is very informative. Do you carry Dark honey gold Lacquer (cognac) spray to touch up an Alto P Mauriat 67RCL Saxophone? or do you know which color number that matches it?

[@geosekiro324]

Hey i have a question, when i put my saxophone through the leak light, some pads have little spots of light coming through. any thoughts as to why that is and how to fix it???

[@Gator1699]

Crusty pad build up or lime Mr sheen is a good cleaner for both if that fails change pad. Cheers

[@geosekiro324]

@@Gator1699 thanks a bunch!

[@bgclarinet]

So the million dollar question: when do you use a leveling tool vs floating? I feel more reluctant to bend pad cups if I don’t have to.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Floating does not work well on pads that have been installed with a thin layer of shellac, which is most of the pads that I see in my area. Also, bending pad cups side to side is a lot easier than front to back.