The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Got this Victor II elbow with a machine recently. It appears to have bent somehow, downward. It makes the horn look odd. Note the throat is oblong in the second picture.

Does anyone have a know way to take the bend out without distorting or damaging the elbow? TNX, Russie

A musical instrument repairman would be able to fix this. I heard through the grapevine there is somebody in Portland who does this kind of work. Maybe our OTAPS members can help out.
Harvey Kravitz

Thank you, Harvey. I heard there was a musical instrument repairman in the Portland area that was able to straighten brass horns. I haven't been able to track him down yet. Maybe someone knows of him?

Anyway, I was hoping to hear of a way to straighten this myself. I have a couple others like it. Perhaps I'll consider building a jig that can handle the torque required to pull it back into alignment.

Some folks on Facebook were recently discussing straightening brass horn parts using a low temperature melting metal called "bendalloy" of "woods metal". The idea is you fill the tube with the molten alloy and then it can be bent without kinking. The alloy can be removed by melting it out in boiling water.