Replacing cork on trumpet

Anthony Lenzo

Is it possible to replace a cork on a trumpet water key , without removing the water key..what I mean is just taking the old cork out and putting in a new one. Thank you Anthony

Gendreauj

Yes I have done it on many horns. The rubber corks fit better and have a tighter seal. Not sure if the corks are a standard size on all horns.

Anthony Lenzo

@Gendreauj Yes thank you and this just taking the old one out and putting in a new one.Thank you for your reply.Anthony

Dale Proctor

Yes, it’s not very difficult to do. I just replaced one that way this week.

Anthony Lenzo

@Dale-Proctor Did you just change the cork and not the whole key assembly ?

Dale Proctor

@Anthony-Lenzo

Yes. I held the water key open with one hand and popped the old cork out with a mini screwdriver. Held it open again and slid the new cork in. Here are two I did a few weeks ago.

Anthony Lenzo

@Dale-Proctor Great thank you so much.

Anthony Lenzo

@Anthony-Lenzo sorry for all the questions about corks but did you have remove left over cork or glue and did you have to glue the new corks in or just push them in? Thanks again.

Gendreauj

Take out all the old pieces. Use isopropyl alcohol to wash it out. Let dry.
Should fit in without using glue. Drop it in and use it.
Do think rubber works better.

Anthony Lenzo

@Gendreauj thank you so much.

Gendreauj

Your welcome.
Maybe a diluted isopropyl alcohol solution in a spray bottle.

Anthony Lenzo

@Gendreauj you mentioned rubber as a substitute for cork isn't cork better ?

Dale Proctor

@Anthony-Lenzo

In my opinion, rubber is good if the water key and nib are in really good alignment when the key is closed. If they’re a little out of alignment, cork will deform a bit to seal better.

Gendreauj

@Dale-Proctor
Great answer.

barliman2001

Thomann are offering different sizes of waterkey corks as well as different thicknesses of cork sheet to cut your corks out of.
https://www.thomann.co.uk/search_dir.html?__cTr=7bedffb2-1e7f-45de-be1e-2790c2f1c4c7&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6NCwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1&sw=cork&smcs=a935ee_13621

Trumpetb

I dont see what the fuss is.

I made a waterkey cork out of a used wine bottle cork. It worked fine and lasted years.

Most people have corks they throw out in the trash wine bars cant get rid of enough of em.

Many wine corks have a very suitable portion at the end made up of very fine grain cork and its this portion that we can attack with a craft knife.

You can make 4 water key corks out of one wine bottle cork.

If you cant find the right cork first time there will probably be around 1000 others in their wine cork bin you can select from in most wine bars.

Trim it slightly oversize and friction will keep it in place.

5 minutes work zero cost.

The only problem is making it out the door without sampling their wine.

J. Jericho

@Trumpetb

The only problem is making it out the door without sampling their wine.

That's a problem?!?

Dr GO

@Trumpetb said in Replacing cork on trumpet:

I made a waterkey cork out of a used wine bottle cork. It worked fine and lasted years.

So red wine bottle cork for brass trumpet... White wine bottle cork for silver trumpet?

Dr GO

@Trumpetb said in Replacing cork on trumpet:

You can make 4 water key corks out of one wine bottle cork.

5 minutes work zero cost.

Not 0 cost if you purchase a $12 bottle of wine... hum, could use the wine purchase as a business expense under musical instrument parts.

barliman2001

@Dr-GO Red wine cork for rose brass, white wine cork for silver plated instruments... chips of plastic champagne corks for Chinese-made TSOs...