Honestly! But in a funny way, I remember using worse ones because they would be both crumpled and lost all of their shine! Public school elementary bands don’t have a budget for polish ;)
@@bobboscarato1313 even in our highschool, my graduating class was 21 people. Most of the parents were meth heads and their children were about as careless as well and still I had never seen an instrument this bad looking
the first most important part of the technique of any Master is the belief that anything is possible. this is why Masters accomplish and others just wish.
I did this job as an assistant for a summer and I can attest to how difficult it is just to get small dents out of a horn bell. This guy's a wizard. Unbelievable
Adding heat may stretch it to a point of no return. This can happen on auto body (metal, of course) as well. BTW, you can repair a 70s or older VW Beetle in this same way.
The most impressive thing to me is that if I personally received this instrument in such condition, I'd instantly cry. But not because I love music and instruments; because I know for a fact how much patience and strength it requires to get it back into shape. This man has my admiration.
Quite impressive. I have been curious about bell repair since I was in high school and a sousaphone player left his removable bell section out of his case and it was run over by our bus. At the time I thought there was no way it could have been repaired but it came back a month later.
What a random video to stumble upon... I was pretty blown away by your craftsmanship sir, that was incredible! Inspiring to see someone saving what I would have thought to be trash, but instead ready to make more music.
I would love to hear the stories behind all of these smashed up instruments. All of them were crushed under some weight. My guess is tripped and fell on them possibly. He does unbelievable craftsmanship to bring them all back to life. Nothings impossible. Fun to watch.
A fall down some bleachers would do it. I slipped off the last step of the back bleacher staircase at our HS stadium when I was carrying my tenor saxophone. I held it up so it wouldn't get damaged and bruised my tailbone pretty badly, but I saved my horn!!
My guess would be bullies or post game "band fights".I have seen both, unfortunately. The worst I ever saw was when a bully tossed a kid's flute case into traffic. As for " band fights", after a game between rival high schools, the football teams squared off & fought, while the bands did the same. Apparently it was a tradition, regardless of which team won.
I used to be a panel beater, brass is soft compared to steel and easier to work with. I would have thought he would have been able to repair this in a day easy .
It's a question of 'economically repairing', i.e. cost of repair over replacement. Beautiful job, but I hope he was adequately rewarded. That's very specialist work
@@melakee5321 Well, everything existed before hipsters, so you could say that about anything. My point being, he wears clothes from different age, it has nothing to do with his skills as a craftsman. Most craftsmen, great or bad tend to wear modern functional clothing.
Or maybe there is still a demand for this work because orchestras are still a thing. I love how there are hundreds if not thousands of videos of people doing this stuff and some old fart has to say no one is learning this craft. Bullshit, new young people learn this stuff everyday, you just don't see them because you're probably not looking. So stupid.
My god that looks as if it were thrown out of an aircraft at 30,000 feet! Brilliant Job Wes! I love watching craftsmen at their trade. It doesn't really matter what the craft is, but it's extra satisfying when you watch someone repair something in the brass family that you may have played at sometime. From one musical instrument maker ( pipe organ here in the UK) to a musical instrument repairer par excellance salutations Sir!
Patience and skills of a saint! That metal was deformed, stretched and compressed. Easier to form a new horn from new material than restoring it. Great job
Not the usual sort of video I watch. But I appreciate music. Just about every kind. From classical to death metal. Punk rock, rockabilly, classic rock, 80s synthwave, drum n bass, dubstep...all of it. When I saw the thumbnail of the sad state of that horn I HAD to see it fixed. You sir are a master at what you do! Fantastic work!
Tools strength and skill, what I find surprising is the brass took that abuse with-out cracking from being work hardened. I would of thought that one would have had to apply some heat to anneal the metal. Pleasure to watch in this in instant world of gratification !
@@bigfootsburneraccount9160 On part two he has to resolder some areas and the heat does discolour it, so he uses his buffing wheel to bring it back. There also looks like there is some sort of varnish on it to keep it rom tarnishing. I'm sure that will be reapplied after he buffs the bell.
@@HaggisCat1 probably some sort of wax, or at least I'd assume that's what they originally used, today it might be something else I'm not one for brass instruments.
@HaggisCat1 Those were my exact thoughts! I make some brass things for sale and it would be a dream if I could work them and not anneal and clean up before working again. Mr. Bell what is this magic?
Hi there. I've been playing tuba for atleast 4 years now and i can definitely say that it's worth it. if you have any questions about how to get started or if you need any tips your welcome to ask :)).
I can absolutely not understand how anyone can allow his precious instrument to fall into such a pitiful state. Nice to see some people have a heart and passion and the (awesome) skills to repair even such seemingly hopeless cases. Respect!
@@fivefingerfullprice3403 I don't know what happend to this instrument, but to me this damage doesn't look like it was one single accident that damaged a well preserved Instrument. More thinkable that this horn was tortured for a long time. If it fell off a building, it probably was an attempt to suicide.
Hi, I just want to thank you for taking the time to make these video's. I have only just found your channel when it popped up after watching one of Art's videos and i have been binge watching them since :) I Joined a brass band in England in 2008 as a beginner with my then 8 year old son and learned to play, I am a mechanical engineer/bodywork guy by trade and was shocked at the expense my band incurred for instrument repair and just how few repair shops there are in England. I built a very small workshop in the garden and started to learn instrument repair and twelve years later i am well established and giving back to my banding community but it's all thanks to channels like Art's and yours. I have had to improvise a lot of tools or just build them myself but i am always on the lookout for tips and advice on repair techniques and tools. Great job on that horn bell btw. Never seen a bell wire so bent as that one, makes you wonder how they get that way. Was it a school instrument? I just repaired a schools Euphonium bell that looked almost as bad as that horn.
Thanks for watching. Art is a good guy, we actually went to Redwing together. Lost touch after graduation as people got their lives together and there were no cell phones/internet. I’m glad you find the videos helpful, and I’m very excited to hear that you practice the trade. We are a dying breed. I’m also pleased to read that you make a lot of your own tools as well. We often have to think outside of the box to do the best job.
Absolutely beautiful results. As a flooring guy, I'm gonna try to use the mans' techniques with a commercial vinyl seam roller and several shaped stones here at home on the tailgate of my truck. What an inspiration!
It's easy to forget that metal is malleable; what has been bent can be straightened to *almost* its original shape/ position. With patience and thinking about the work, great results can be achieved even by us amateurs :-)
In 1977 at the Texas state solo and ensemble in Austin, I was there to play Mozart horn concerto #1 that I had made a one on the same in regional. I was to meet my piano player ( John Dixon) about 20 minutes before my time slot. I was late as usually was the case. Ran to the bus,, grabbed my horn in the case, and hurried off to the warmup room I was assigned to. With about 5 minutes to go before I was scheduled to play I opened my case and the bus had run over my horn. Apparently when the instruments were unloaded my horn was in front of the rear wheels just enough for the bus to flatten and tear the bell of the horn. I knew nobody, I didn't have time even if there had been another horn. I played that horn after I had opened the bell up enough to get sound. After I finished, the judge asked if that had just happened and I said yes. He smiled and shook his head with his eyes down. I got a ...5. Yes that is as low a score as can be given. (For those who may not know its like golf lower the score the better). No mercy. It worked out okay I majored I music in college and my solo and ensemble result did not make any difference except to me. Oh well.
I would've never recovered hahah. It's like being an artist and realizing all your paint is dry and your pencils are disheveled ... Good to hear you ended up doing well though! Now it's just a funny story lol
This was a very interesting video! I played French Horn in high school. Graduated in 1974. So it's been awhile since I've played. There was an old horn that hung around the band room that had really bad damage to the bell similar to the one you fixed. You couldn't have told me that it could've been fixed until I watched this video. Great job my friend!😍
@@kishascape Looks like one of those 'Don't ask' situations. I too played French horn in from 7th grade til I graduated, in band and orchestra. Indeed a remarkable repair job.
I have no idea why the almighty algorithm recommended this to me, but I'm glad it did. WOW! What the hell happened to that horn? Amazing job restoring it! Wouldn't have thought that was possible when I saw the first few seconds of the video.
"Skilled Craftsman". And then some. Superb work. I hope some young person out there somewhere takes up apprenticeship with this man. We have to nurture and appreciate folks who get things done using skills like these.
As a metalsmith I must applaud your hand strength! You literally muscled the wrinkles put of the bell.. I wouldn't have believed it possible without seeing it.
I watched Trumpet manufacturing videos, and hammered one piece bell starts out as wrinkly piece of brass sheet and end up as smooth and shiny bell shape.
I work in the metal fabrication industry and I have had to repair damaged parts and remove bends placed in the wrong dimensions. It always takes patience and some very inventive tools and approaches to accomplish a successful outcome. Wes, you are the next level above a talented craftsman! It was a great video and I really enjoyed watching you accept the challenge at repairing something that many would not consider possible!
Before I started watching, I figured he would have some kind of magical tool that would fix it straight away...but nope...old fashioned elbow grease, patience, knowledge and general metal working tools. Fantastic Job.
Sir, every time I watch one of your videos I am impressed at what a master repairman you are. I never would have thought in a million years that bell could have been salvaged. I have dabbled in sheet metal for a few jobs I've had, but you are an absolute master in knowing how to make the metal move in just the right ways. If I wore a hat, it would be off to you.
Отличная работа! Хотелось бы услышать, как звучит поврежденный инструмент, а потом сравнить со звуком отремонтированного) Интересно, на сколько сильна разница.
I am thoroughly impressed with how well this kind of damage can be repaired! I would have never thought someone would or could do this! Amazing work sir. You're expertise, knowledge and dedication show!!
I played the horn for 10 years, but the past couple years had me practicing less and less, and now my once pride and joy sits in my apartment gathering dust. I think you've inspired me to find some time to play tomorrow.
What happened to it that it was so messed up when it came to you? Either way.....borderline unbelievable job!!! You clearly did a wonderful job restoring the bell!
@@nickknapp5782 Mine too. Was it in a case when whatever happened to it? Can't imagine how an instrument could be damaged that badly. Looks almost like intentional vandalism.
probably a school instrument, when I was in middle school about 16 years ago I saw some seriously abused brass instruments in my band class, never understood how some kids can have such an uncaring attitude towards others possessions, I guess they don't realize how expensive instruments are or they just don't care.
I agree with@@bug3518. And I presume it was done over the course of many years. Likely some children that didn't know how to properly hold the horn (among other things) and repeatedly dropping it by accident. When I was in Middle School, some of the trumpets I would practice with had dents similar to this French Horn. Although not to this degree.
#1) How in the heck would a French Horn get so badly damaged? #2) Thank goodness we have people like Wes that have the patience to actually repair a beautiful horn like this.
I suspect the forces he's applying are very gentle to avoid creasing or work hardening the brass (which it and copper are notorious for in engineering), but the precision whe he's working it with the ball hammer, just nudging the metal around - keeping your forces under control is its own kind of tiring
Just when I was going to comment that an English Wheel would be great for smoothing those ripples, you put it right on an English Wheel. That's the best sheet metal tool ever along with a brake.
You are a brave man repairing that horn. I would have cut the end and weld a new piece onto it just like the jewelers do when fixing a cut ring. I appraise you for your determination. Good work!
Respect. With the right knowledge, tools, effort and patience no problem what so ever. A very time consuming repair. Would be interesting to hear how it became so damaged.
@@andrewut7ya511 don't get me started, unless you wanna hear a story about flowers and an electronic key board. But in sure everyone has heard that story.
My thoughts exactly. I've made copper model steam engine boilers and had to anneal multiple times. I would have thought the copper content of the brass would make this impossible, but he just did it right before our eyes.
This was awesome to watch. I need to get my grandfather’s baritone repaired. The bell flare is almost as crumpled as the one in the video.😕 Awesome work, sir!!👍🏼👍🏼
Idk what surprises me more lol to see a French horn damaged like that or the fact that I never thought there was people that specialize in fixing that kind of damage. Very interesting video thank you
I'm always a little surprised when I end up watching these sorts of videos all the way through. Really fascinating, great watch. I was shocked there wasn't some sort of small blowtorch even at a distance to help with the molding of the horn, but I guess the friction from all the work applied was all it needed, and of course the elbow grease pulling the weight there it seems. Really cool stuff. Time to go find part two!
I remember seeing a tuba far worse than that years ago at school. The bell was completely twisted and crumpled in. Was so disgusted to see how badly it was treated.
Probably years of students dropping it and mistreatment here and there, schools don't typically sink money into music let alone upkeep of the instruments.
My husband was a band instrument repairman (RIP), and I saw him doing a heap of work like this: just take care of your horn or get insurance if you can't do that. A crumpled bell is never the same again. It may be cheaper than a NEW horn, or ANOTHER horn, but who wants to deal with that the rest of their days, it's all glory to the repairer than the player who didn't watch over his own horn. Our musical instruments are our "children", so don't even LET this happen by mistake - someone's mistake!
A repair like this is similar to a "restored" (repaired) broken NECK on a violin, viola, cello or bass: it reduces the value of the instrument CONSIDERABLY, yes, considerably and when you sell the instrument it HAS TO BE PART of the deal to reveal this repair. No purchaser will want such a deal, unless they are dirt poor in buying a high quality instrument. Then they can insist on a reduced price no matter how long ago it was repaired.
Funnily enough guitar headstock repairs, where the headstock has broken off eg on a Les Paul are stronger than the original neck joint. The value is obviously negatively affected.
@@robertritchie2860 musical instruments are like people: when "broken" they can be "mended", and made "stronger", but what a pain; it is better altogether not to NEED to be repaired.
Never in my life did I think I would watch a trained professional butter a French horn with a giant lubed up knife while grunting, and yet, here we are.
How!?! How did it get so crumpled in the first place? These instruments he repairs so astonishingly well - they make me wonder, do brass instrument players break a lot of hearts?!
Kids are just terribly rough. I did a work shop with junior high kids. Most rehearsal areas are very close quarters. One kid entered the room with lovely tenor sax when someone called his name. He spun around and the damn sax into the door way. I was terrified for sax the entire work shop.
That horn was disrespected! I've seen horns that were thrown after a solo that didn't get that smashed. Anyone else would of cut that bell off and added a new one. I'm glad you were the one chosen to fix it! Nice job!
This French horn hasn’t been to the chiropractor in 10 years - with an active lifestyle and little rest, this chiropractor was able to adjust all its kinks until it felt brand new
My music teacher once had a bunch of the school’s brass instruments in a trailer to take to some event. She didn’t secure the door to the trailer properly. Several of the instruments were later found on the highway looking like this horn.
Absolutely brilliant. Artistry/skill combined with very hard work. That work must be so hard of your joints, hands etc. Brilliant not just because of the skills and hard work involved, but also the ingenious shop made tools that facilitate the work. Anyone that makes some difficult task seem easy is across their brief. Wow. i would love to see how these things were made in the first place!
As a former high school band student, I watched in horror as my 2nd chair fellow horn player grab and wrench the bell of the school owned horn one day as he laughed. I took care of the double horn that the school provided me. Great times.
@@kishascape The metal is fairly thin and soft, not thin and soft enough to deform with normal, careful use, however. Like I said, I have never seen one that badly damaged. I don't know this horns story, so I can't imagine what was done to it to cause that!
Absolutely horrifying! I had no idea that brass instruments could be damaged that badly. To see it restored is fascinating, but I’m curious: is it possible to bring it back to the same tonal quality that it had when new, or would it be like the knee that still reminds of a motorcycle crash I had in 1974?
Exact same quality is more than likely unachievable, but restoring tone to a pleasing quality is more than likely. Personally I'm one to believe the occasional dent or scratch adds to personality in tone as it makes the instrument vibrate in it's own unique way. I wouldn't recommend going out and actively damaging instruments in hopes for an altered sound though.
Not only did he repair the horn's bell, he repaired the deepest pain in my heart from seeing it in such a horrendous state.
Yep
Hello my brother.
Honestly! But in a funny way, I remember using worse ones because they would be both crumpled and lost all of their shine! Public school elementary bands don’t have a budget for polish ;)
yes
666 likes
Wes that bell was a crumpled ball tin foil! Beautiful work bringing it back from the dead! Impressive Sir!
Some folks are careless with their musical instruments; maybe a school band?
@@bobboscarato1313 im still confused how it even became crumpled in the first place
@@parrotmaster8787 Probably was a demo!
@@bobboscarato1313 even in our highschool, my graduating class was 21 people. Most of the parents were meth heads and their children were about as careless as well and still I had never seen an instrument this bad looking
I went to private school so I didn't have any kids doing drugs etc. We didn't have a school band either. I went to music school when I was 18 y/o.
That was amazing to watch. I would have never thought that bell could be restored.
Thanks for watching
the first most important part of the technique of any Master is the belief that anything is possible. this is why Masters accomplish and others just wish.
@@etyrnalr/imindianandthisisdeep
As a blacksmith, I tip my hat to you, Sir! I kept waiting for the torches to come out but your skills, your tools, and your patience left me in awe!
I was waiting for at least an annealing but nothing came.
Same,I wish steel was this easy while forging lol
honestly, torches would have caused a tear. you just have to cold work brass and be patient.
You don't need annealing for brass. Would also cause more damage.@@LifeAccordingToMatt
Same here! I was also wondering how in the heck it got thata way in the first place....lol!!!!
I did this job as an assistant for a summer and I can attest to how difficult it is just to get small dents out of a horn bell. This guy's a wizard. Unbelievable
Its when they wrinkle that just makes you go AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!
This man has the patience of a saint and the skill of a master. Thank you for recording your work. It was amazing to watch.
The way you get that metal to shift and go back to straight without a lot of heat is really amazing to watch
Just the heat from his breath when he grunts
I am assuming you don’t play an instrument or at lest not a brass one because it is vary easy to bend and damage
Adding heat may stretch it to a point of no return. This can happen on auto body (metal, of course) as well.
BTW, you can repair a 70s or older VW Beetle in this same way.
the bell is lacquered and bent so applying heat to that combination would create a gawd awful mess.
@@aperson5551 no he's never seen a man that intimate with a trumpet before
That is a very fortunate customer to have you as their repair tech =)
Thanks for watching.
As a sheet metal worker, I can totally relate to what you have done. I can only imagine the face of the owner upon recovering his horn. Awesome.
I bottom out around 20 gauge steel. Can't imagine how he does that with paper thin brass
The most impressive thing to me is that if I personally received this instrument in such condition, I'd instantly cry. But not because I love music and instruments; because I know for a fact how much patience and strength it requires to get it back into shape. This man has my admiration.
I never would’ve thought that was possible - amazing restoration work!
Yeah same. Good to know they can get repaired
Quite impressive. I have been curious about bell repair since I was in high school and a sousaphone player left his removable bell section out of his case and it was run over by our bus. At the time I thought there was no way it could have been repaired but it came back a month later.
This one sure looked like it got run over, that was my first thought
High school band disasters! Bet that Sousaphone player had a fun bus ride back to the school...
@@dragonmeddler2152 He was always one of the goofier members of a goofy section. He got plenty of ribbing for it.
Just hearing that made my heart drop (coming from another Sousa player)
Thank you! Being a musician, but not an instrument player (I’m a vocalist), you saved me from having to ask how such damage could possibly occur.
What a random video to stumble upon... I was pretty blown away by your craftsmanship sir, that was incredible! Inspiring to see someone saving what I would have thought to be trash, but instead ready to make more music.
I would love to hear the stories behind all of these smashed up instruments. All of them were crushed under some weight. My guess is tripped and fell on them possibly. He does unbelievable craftsmanship to bring them all back to life. Nothings impossible. Fun to watch.
I asked the same thing. Luggage handlers at the airport?
Maybe tripped while marching?
A fall down some bleachers would do it. I slipped off the last step of the back bleacher staircase at our HS stadium when I was carrying my tenor saxophone. I held it up so it wouldn't get damaged and bruised my tailbone pretty badly, but I saved my horn!!
@@ivanv754 You typically don't march with this style of French horn.
My guess would be bullies or post game "band fights".I have seen both, unfortunately. The worst I ever saw was when a bully tossed a kid's flute case into traffic. As for " band fights", after a game between rival high schools, the football teams squared off & fought, while the bands did the same. Apparently it was a tradition, regardless of which team won.
It is so deeply satisfying to watch people do the impossible. Thank you !
I'm curious how many actual hours went into straightening out the bell? Remarkable craftsmanship, Sir.
My question as well.
Mine too.
I used to be a panel beater, brass is soft compared to steel and easier to work with. I would have thought he would have been able to repair this in a day easy .
It's a question of 'economically repairing', i.e. cost of repair over replacement. Beautiful job, but I hope he was adequately rewarded. That's very specialist work
The bell would be 45 minutes to an hour. He showed several techniques, not required to use them all
Leather Apron, grey beard, fedora, impeccably organized shop.. you know this man is a master craftsman of a slowly disappearing art! Awesome work!
Or a hipster! Though I'll give you he's talented!
@@GAIS414 nah, pretty sure it was hipster people who copied this kind of clothing. It existed way before hipster clothing exists
@@melakee5321 Well, everything existed before hipsters, so you could say that about anything. My point being, he wears clothes from different age, it has nothing to do with his skills as a craftsman. Most craftsmen, great or bad tend to wear modern functional clothing.
@@GAIS414 He is wearing the most practical and tested clothing for this and similar jobs.
Or maybe there is still a demand for this work because orchestras are still a thing. I love how there are hundreds if not thousands of videos of people doing this stuff and some old fart has to say no one is learning this craft. Bullshit, new young people learn this stuff everyday, you just don't see them because you're probably not looking. So stupid.
I've been playing the french horn for 10 years, and watching you fix the bell soothed my soul. Great video!!
My god that looks as if it were thrown out of an aircraft at 30,000 feet! Brilliant Job Wes! I love watching craftsmen at their trade. It doesn't really matter what the craft is, but it's extra satisfying when you watch someone repair something in the brass family that you may have played at sometime. From one musical instrument maker ( pipe organ here in the UK) to a musical instrument repairer par excellance salutations Sir!
Patience and skills of a saint! That metal was deformed, stretched and compressed. Easier to form a new horn from new material than restoring it. Great job
Not the usual sort of video I watch. But I appreciate music. Just about every kind. From classical to death metal. Punk rock, rockabilly, classic rock, 80s synthwave, drum n bass, dubstep...all of it. When I saw the thumbnail of the sad state of that horn I HAD to see it fixed. You sir are a master at what you do! Fantastic work!
what about extratone
I love punk and goth music and I play French horn in an orchestra lol just extreme opposites music wise
Tools strength and skill, what I find surprising is the brass took that abuse with-out cracking from being work hardened. I would of thought that one would have had to apply some heat to anneal the metal. Pleasure to watch in this in instant world of gratification !
My guess is the heat would affect the finish of the brass but I'm not sure
@@bigfootsburneraccount9160 On part two he has to resolder some areas and the heat does discolour it, so he uses his buffing wheel to bring it back. There also looks like there is some sort of varnish on it to keep it rom tarnishing. I'm sure that will be reapplied after he buffs the bell.
@@HaggisCat1 probably some sort of wax, or at least I'd assume that's what they originally used, today it might be something else I'm not one for brass instruments.
@@eve_squared Brass instruments like this are usually lacquered to stop them tarnishing.
@HaggisCat1 Those were my exact thoughts! I make some brass things for sale and it would be a dream if I could work them and not anneal and clean up before working again. Mr. Bell what is this magic?
So physical! Hands, forearms, even threw an elbow in there! Great work.
That is nothing short of miraculous. This Master of his profession has an extraordinary combination of physical strength and supreme dexterity.
Talk about witnessing a miracle! I still can't believe what I just saw you do. Beautifully done.
I'm a bassist and I tend to watch guitar repairs, but wow this is top notch! Had to subscribe. I'll be starting tuba soon
Nice! I’m a student trumpeter, and I would love to learn something like the bass guitar. Good luck on the tuba!
Hi there. I've been playing tuba for atleast 4 years now and i can definitely say that it's worth it. if you have any questions about how to get started or if you need any tips your welcome to ask :)).
Why hello fellow Bassist!
Welcome fellow tuba player
Remember to breath deep and push with your diaphram
I can absolutely not understand how anyone can allow his precious instrument to fall into such a pitiful state. Nice to see some people have a heart and passion and the (awesome) skills to repair even such seemingly hopeless cases.
Respect!
What if it was in a car accident? What if it was on a plane in the cargo hold and something heavy landed on it? What if it fell off a building?
@@fivefingerfullprice3403 I don't know what happend to this instrument, but to me this damage doesn't look like it was one single accident that damaged a well preserved Instrument.
More thinkable that this horn was tortured for a long time. If it fell off a building, it probably was an attempt to suicide.
Hi, I just want to thank you for taking the time to make these video's. I have only just found your channel when it popped up after watching one of Art's videos and i have been binge watching them since :)
I Joined a brass band in England in 2008 as a beginner with my then 8 year old son and learned to play, I am a mechanical engineer/bodywork guy by trade and was shocked at the expense my band incurred for instrument repair and just how few repair shops there are in England.
I built a very small workshop in the garden and started to learn instrument repair and twelve years later i am well established and giving back to my banding community but it's all thanks to channels like Art's and yours.
I have had to improvise a lot of tools or just build them myself but i am always on the lookout for tips and advice on repair techniques and tools.
Great job on that horn bell btw. Never seen a bell wire so bent as that one, makes you wonder how they get that way. Was it a school instrument?
I just repaired a schools Euphonium bell that looked almost as bad as that horn.
Thanks for watching. Art is a good guy, we actually went to Redwing together. Lost touch after graduation as people got their lives together and there were no cell phones/internet.
I’m glad you find the videos helpful, and I’m very excited to hear that you practice the trade. We are a dying breed.
I’m also pleased to read that you make a lot of your own tools as well. We often have to think outside of the box to do the best job.
I just love what you do. There is nothing better than watching a craftsmen at work
Absolutely beautiful results. As a flooring guy, I'm gonna try to use the mans' techniques with a commercial vinyl seam roller and several shaped stones here at home on the tailgate of my truck. What an inspiration!
It's easy to forget that metal is malleable; what has been bent can be straightened to *almost* its original shape/ position. With patience and thinking about the work, great results can be achieved even by us amateurs :-)
In 1977 at the Texas state solo and ensemble in Austin, I was there to play Mozart horn concerto #1 that I had made a one on the same in regional. I was to meet my piano player ( John Dixon) about 20 minutes before my time slot. I was late as usually was the case. Ran to the bus,, grabbed my horn in the case, and hurried off to the warmup room I was assigned to. With about 5 minutes to go before I was scheduled to play I opened my case and the bus had run over my horn. Apparently when the instruments were unloaded my horn was in front of the rear wheels just enough for the bus to flatten and tear the bell of the horn. I knew nobody, I didn't have time even if there had been another horn. I played that horn after I had opened the bell up enough to get sound. After I finished, the judge asked if that had just happened and I said yes. He smiled and shook his head with his eyes down. I got a ...5. Yes that is as low a score as can be given. (For those who may not know its like golf lower the score the better). No mercy. It worked out okay I majored I music in college and my solo and ensemble result did not make any difference except to me. Oh well.
I would've never recovered hahah. It's like being an artist and realizing all your paint is dry and your pencils are disheveled ... Good to hear you ended up doing well though! Now it's just a funny story lol
You showed your professional self so proud!! The show must go on!!! You will do well in life!!
This was a very interesting video!
I played French Horn in high school. Graduated in 1974. So it's been awhile since I've played. There was an old horn that hung around the band room that had really bad damage to the bell similar to the one you fixed. You couldn't have told me that it could've been fixed until I watched this video. Great job my friend!😍
How did it even get damaged this way? Did someone faceplant while holding it or does this happen just from normal dropping or what?
@@kishascape Looks like one of those 'Don't ask' situations.
I too played French horn in from 7th grade til I graduated, in band and orchestra. Indeed a remarkable repair job.
@@kishascape I imagine they must've been malled by a Bair while playing in the forest
I have no idea why the almighty algorithm recommended this to me, but I'm glad it did. WOW! What the hell happened to that horn? Amazing job restoring it! Wouldn't have thought that was possible when I saw the first few seconds of the video.
Wow this guy here is a absolutely amazing craftsmen totally outstanding work. I wouldn't ever of believed such a repair was even possible. 💯💯💯💯👌👌👌👏👏👏
I always do appreciate the great work of these artisans... Watching the results that they get seems like magic to me. Great work 👍👍
Magnificent metal work. If the French Horn musician ever does it again, he’ll/she’ll be wearing it as a head piece.
Ah yes
The Brass Dunce Hat experience
"Skilled Craftsman". And then some. Superb work. I hope some young person out there somewhere takes up apprenticeship with this man. We have to nurture and appreciate folks who get things done using skills like these.
I do not think he has any idea how to re-store the metal structure.
@@CarloFerraro In his defense, his last name isn't Ferraro XD
As a metalsmith I must applaud your hand strength! You literally muscled the wrinkles put of the bell.. I wouldn't have believed it possible without seeing it.
I watched Trumpet manufacturing videos, and hammered one piece bell starts out as wrinkly piece of brass sheet and end up as smooth and shiny bell shape.
@@davidjacobs8558 I use a hammer and anvil pretty regularly, but not like these. Definitely specialty equipment
The metal is surprisingly thin any pliable. Easy to manipulate, but also.....easy to tear. Fine work
@@ericvi3921 for sure, it definitely takes an experienced hand
French Horn bells are usually very thin which means it’s easy to crumple the bells and it’s also easy to roll out the bells.
Stumbled upon this video and loved the workmanship that was displayed. Great work.
Great metal craftsman! This man is a talented individual who shows he knows how to be patient, persistent and takes pride in the workmanship as well.
Beautiful to watch! Wes has tremendous experience and skills.
I work in the metal fabrication industry and I have had to repair damaged parts and remove bends placed in the wrong dimensions. It always takes patience and some very inventive tools and approaches to accomplish a successful outcome. Wes, you are the next level above a talented craftsman! It was a great video and I really enjoyed watching you accept the challenge at repairing something that many would not consider possible!
Also, knowledge of metal hardness and ductility.
This effin blows my mind. You sir are a master of your craft!!!
Cabe Prestwood appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
If I had not seen this for myself I would not have thought it possible to restore this instrument. Well done !
Before I started watching, I figured he would have some kind of magical tool that would fix it straight away...but nope...old fashioned elbow grease, patience, knowledge and general metal working tools. Fantastic Job.
This was amazing to watch! I didn't know that a horn that smashed could be saved.... what a display of craftsmanship! Great job!
Sir, every time I watch one of your videos I am impressed at what a master repairman you are. I never would have thought in a million years that bell could have been salvaged. I have dabbled in sheet metal for a few jobs I've had, but you are an absolute master in knowing how to make the metal move in just the right ways. If I wore a hat, it would be off to you.
Отличная работа! Хотелось бы услышать, как звучит поврежденный инструмент, а потом сравнить со звуком отремонтированного) Интересно, на сколько сильна разница.
My thoughts exactly!
Much like hammered cymbals, a damaged bell will have a more dry sound with less resonance.
Я думаю что звук будет выше - истонченная стенка резонатора
Used to work in a repair shop in Memphis… I’ll tell you that mess ain’t easy. Fantastic job sir!!!
That is an amazing demonstration of craftsmanship. Not many people left who can do that level of repair. Thanks for sharing this.
A true artisan, the ease of how he uses those rollers tells me he knows his skill and has for a long time, absolutely fabulous ❤
I am thoroughly impressed with how well this kind of damage can be repaired! I would have never thought someone would or could do this!
Amazing work sir. You're expertise, knowledge and dedication show!!
All metal work!!!!! pulling, pressing tapping rolling, smoothing , like European body workers this is a lost art!!!! Fantastic work !!!!!!!
I played the horn for 10 years, but the past couple years had me practicing less and less, and now my once pride and joy sits in my apartment gathering dust. I think you've inspired me to find some time to play tomorrow.
Hows that on your front?
That’s one of the best repairs I’ve seen before. It looked totaled in the beginning. Great work!
What happened to it that it was so messed up when it came to you?
Either way.....borderline unbelievable job!!! You clearly did a wonderful job restoring the bell!
That’s my question
@@nickknapp5782 Mine too. Was it in a case when whatever happened to it? Can't imagine how an instrument could be damaged that badly. Looks almost like intentional vandalism.
probably a school instrument, when I was in middle school about 16 years ago I saw some seriously abused brass instruments in my band class, never understood how some kids can have such an uncaring attitude towards others possessions, I guess they don't realize how expensive instruments are or they just don't care.
I agree with@@bug3518. And I presume it was done over the course of many years. Likely some children that didn't know how to properly hold the horn (among other things) and repeatedly dropping it by accident.
When I was in Middle School, some of the trumpets I would practice with had dents similar to this French Horn. Although not to this degree.
Must've been the same one Sandy used to to stuff Patrick with Lol
I never would have believed that was the same French horn in the end that we saw in the beginning. Simply amazing!
#1) How in the heck would a French Horn get so badly damaged?
#2) Thank goodness we have people like Wes that have the patience to actually repair a beautiful horn like this.
I think it was from the marching band in Animal House.
Master of the English Wheel. I thought there was absolutely no way this could be done. Amazing skills, congratulations!
Amazing what a skilled craftsman can do. In the opening shots, that instrument looked beyond hope to me.
The amount of hand strength! My forearms and hands were sore just watching!!
For real, most people could do this for like a minute.
I can only imagine a hand shake from this dude would crush you hand
I suspect the forces he's applying are very gentle to avoid creasing or work hardening the brass (which it and copper are notorious for in engineering), but the precision whe he's working it with the ball hammer, just nudging the metal around - keeping your forces under control is its own kind of tiring
Just when I was going to comment that an English Wheel would be great for smoothing those ripples, you put it right on an English Wheel.
That's the best sheet metal tool ever along with a brake.
You are a brave man repairing that horn. I would have cut the end and weld a new piece onto it just like the jewelers do when fixing a cut ring. I appraise you for your determination. Good work!
How much did you decide he's worth?🤣
This guy has truly mastered his craft. Well done sir!!!
Amazing work, really glad I was able see how this type of repair is done. I would have thought for sure that horn was done for. True mastery!
Respect. With the right knowledge, tools, effort and patience no problem what so ever. A very time consuming repair. Would be interesting to hear how it became so damaged.
It got rekt
@@andrewut7ya511 ...I mean, youre not wrong
I'd guess that there was a monkey that got caught monkeying with another monkey's monkey.
@@bipedalbob hold up, you sayin you know a monkey that can play a horn!? This, i gotta see
@@andrewut7ya511 don't get me started, unless you wanna hear a story about flowers and an electronic key board. But in sure everyone has heard that story.
Was that a french horn or a used aluminum chocolate bar wrapping? You're really good at it, Kudos! 👍🏼
I wonder just how the bell got so beat up compared to the rest of the instrument. Amazing job restoring it
Talk about being a master at your craft. Extremely impressive work.
another video of your skill in a few minutes of video,you are a craftsman that earned your shingle
Both of my parents studied band instrument repair. This is impressive to see.
What I find astounding is how this was accomplished without annealing. Though, soft working the brass in this case would likely be more problematic.
My thoughts exactly. I've made copper model steam engine boilers and had to anneal multiple times. I would have thought the copper content of the brass would make this impossible, but he just did it right before our eyes.
@@mhagnew Do you mean, because copper is notorious for work-hardening?
@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co Yup
This was awesome to watch. I need to get my grandfather’s baritone repaired. The bell flare is almost as crumpled as the one in the video.😕
Awesome work, sir!!👍🏼👍🏼
How did that happen? Do you drag it behind your car on a rope everywhere you go?
Idk what surprises me more lol to see a French horn damaged like that or the fact that I never thought there was people that specialize in fixing that kind of damage. Very interesting video thank you
I'm always a little surprised when I end up watching these sorts of videos all the way through. Really fascinating, great watch. I was shocked there wasn't some sort of small blowtorch even at a distance to help with the molding of the horn, but I guess the friction from all the work applied was all it needed, and of course the elbow grease pulling the weight there it seems. Really cool stuff. Time to go find part two!
I remember seeing a tuba far worse than that years ago at school. The bell was completely twisted and crumpled in. Was so disgusted to see how badly it was treated.
How did it even turn into that state?
Probably years of students dropping it and mistreatment here and there, schools don't typically sink money into music let alone upkeep of the instruments.
えぇ？！この状態から入れる保険があるんですか？！
と言いたくなるほどの惨状からちゃんと修理できるんですね
驚きました
Great Job!!
My husband was a band instrument repairman (RIP), and I saw him doing a heap of work like this: just take care of your horn or get insurance if you can't do that. A crumpled bell is never the same again. It may be cheaper than a NEW horn, or ANOTHER horn, but who wants to deal with that the rest of their days, it's all glory to the repairer than the player who didn't watch over his own horn. Our musical instruments are our "children", so don't even LET this happen by mistake - someone's mistake!
A repair like this is similar to a "restored" (repaired) broken NECK on a violin, viola, cello or bass: it reduces the value of the instrument CONSIDERABLY, yes, considerably and when you sell the instrument it HAS TO BE PART of the deal to reveal this repair. No purchaser will want such a deal, unless they are dirt poor in buying a high quality instrument. Then they can insist on a reduced price no matter how long ago it was repaired.
Funnily enough guitar headstock repairs, where the headstock has broken off eg on a Les Paul are stronger than the original neck joint. The value is obviously negatively affected.
@@robertritchie2860 musical instruments are like people: when "broken" they can be "mended", and made "stronger", but what a pain; it is better altogether not to NEED to be repaired.
How would something like this happen?
Do instruments get crumpled up by cars?
BEAUTIFUL WORK !!! Know-how and Elbow-Grease & lots of BOTH !!! Thank you for posting!
Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
Outstanding...
Brut force, but with a delicate touch!
Amazing restoration!
✌️
Never in my life did I think I would watch a trained professional butter a French horn with a giant lubed up knife while grunting, and yet, here we are.
Wow, what a great repair job! That much damage looked intentional,
i had a dream my trumpet looked like this and this man just fixed all my trauma from it thank you brother
How!?! How did it get so crumpled in the first place? These instruments he repairs so astonishingly well - they make me wonder, do brass instrument players break a lot of hearts?!
As an amateur French horn player, this hurt to watch. I'm glad he restored it 😊
Wow! That damage had to have been intentional, right? Amazing work - looks like a lot of strength was required!
Had to be id think. No way could it do that without ruining all thoes other pipes. Very good work tho
Kids are just terribly rough. I did a work shop with junior high kids. Most rehearsal areas are very close quarters. One kid entered the room with lovely tenor sax when someone called his name. He spun around and the damn sax into the door way. I was terrified for sax the entire work shop.
That was amazing. I am curious, how long did that take and what was the cost of the repair?
Great job.
Well...... he didn't have the beard when he started......
@@colehara fact's
It NEVER sucks to watch a TRUE craftsman do his deed whatever field that he/she may be in.
👍👍😎
That horn was disrespected! I've seen horns that were thrown after a solo that didn't get that smashed. Anyone else would of cut that bell off and added a new one. I'm glad you were the one chosen to fix it! Nice job!
This French horn hasn’t been to the chiropractor in 10 years - with an active lifestyle and little rest, this chiropractor was able to adjust all its kinks until it felt brand new
Its amazing to see how little some people care for intruments that can make some cool sounds, and change up a band.
My music teacher once had a bunch of the school’s brass instruments in a trailer to take to some event. She didn’t secure the door to the trailer properly. Several of the instruments were later found on the highway looking like this horn.
Was this near gothenburg, sweden by any chance?
That is masterful work. A true artisan taking that and renewing it.
Absolutely brilliant.
Artistry/skill combined with very hard work.
That work must be so hard of your joints, hands etc.
Brilliant not just because of the skills and hard work involved, but also the ingenious shop made tools that facilitate the work.
Anyone that makes some difficult task seem easy is across their brief.
Wow.
i would love to see how these things were made in the first place!
I did not know such work was possible. Amazing! How many hour of labor were involved?
Quite a few
@@wesleemusicrepair9820
Это восхитительно!
У меня 9 сыновей и все играют на духовых инструментах ! Как же мне нужен такой мастер !)
最初の状態を見ると絶望的だけど、信じられないほど綺麗に修理されてますね。
素晴らしい職人技に感動しました。
あのグシャグシャ破損状態を、ハンマーで叩くのじゃなくて、ローラーで転がして平らにするのが驚異。
でも、破損前の音色が復活しているのかな？音を出してみてほしかった。
そもそも、どうやってこんなに壊したんだよ？？
アップするためのネタかなあ。
That’s an incredible amount of hard work and skill.
Having seen the ‘before,’ I’m stunned you could get it to the ‘after.’ Bravo, Sir!
In all the years that I worked as a band instrument repairman, I never saw one as badly damaged as that!
As a former high school band student, I watched in horror as my 2nd chair fellow horn player grab and wrench the bell of the school owned horn one day as he laughed. I took care of the double horn that the school provided me. Great times.
How does that even happen? Do they damage this easily from a drop or did someone faceplant while playing?
@@kishascape The metal is fairly thin and soft, not thin and soft enough to deform with normal, careful use, however. Like I said, I have never seen one that badly damaged. I don't know this horns story, so I can't imagine what was done to it to cause that!
Absolutely horrifying! I had no idea that brass instruments could be damaged that badly. To see it restored is fascinating, but I’m curious: is it possible to bring it back to the same tonal quality that it had when new, or would it be like the knee that still reminds of a motorcycle crash I had in 1974?
Exact same quality is more than likely unachievable, but restoring tone to a pleasing quality is more than likely. Personally I'm one to believe the occasional dent or scratch adds to personality in tone as it makes the instrument vibrate in it's own unique way. I wouldn't recommend going out and actively damaging instruments in hopes for an altered sound though.