Trombone shoulder mount repair/improvement
Our client is a veteran of the gulf war which has significantly impacted his health since. He plays in a brass band, and had previously had adaptations made by another organisation to help with the stable holding of a trombone, and comprising a shoulder holster and special clamp. There is movement between the two in only one direction so the clamp mounting to the shoulder holster had disintegrated over time with use, to the point it was having to be held together by tape. A screw toggle formed part of the clamp and was difficult to use, so an improvement was needed in this area too.
The solution
The client is practical and often tackles tasks like this himself. He had already made a heavy duty replacement shoulder holster from leather, and bought a small ball joint he thought would give a more flexible linkage to the trombone. He had found a piece of scrap copper plate too, which he planned to bend a little and secure to the new holster with rivets.
Having no lathe, Remap Harrogate and Ripon Group were approached for a bit of extra help.
A threaded copper stud was turned on the lathe, and then soldered into a threaded hole in the copper plate for maximum strength.
The copper stud finished close to flush. It has since been finished in primer ready for the client to paint it in a colour of his choice.
The ball joint mounts were then machined down to the required height, and aluminium billet was then machined and threaded to form the clamp, and a compact “knurled” screw made to lock the trombone in place.
The benefit
The overall solution is a significant improvement over the original design of the adaptation.
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