Starting Easy

As you can see below, the neck came out looking great after a good polishing.  Since it's an easy place to start, I'm going to seat the octave key pad and put the cork on the neck.

One of the great things about old instruments is the attention given to detail when designing them.  The brace on this neck, while not the most elaborate ever made, has a nice touch of style.  It almost looks like the crescent phase of the Man on the Moon.  Today, it seems like manufacturers tend to omit details like this in order to keep costs down.  Too bad!


The octave key pad went in really easy, as expected, and the key itself moves freely without much wobble.


My first attempt at installing the neck cork failed as the contact cement I was using didn't stick.  After a quick trip to the hardware store, I tried again with some industrial grade stuff.  Now, I don't think it will come off for another eighty years.

Here you can see the beveled edge that goes on the neck first.  Beveling it in this way makes for a smooth seam that will hold well.  Sanding the cork was a little difficult since I didn't have anything to hold it with, but it turned out okay.

Next time, seating pads...