Valve cap insert (pearl) removal

[Dizzy]

Hi there. New the forum. Comeback player after 30 years. Grew up playing cornet in the Salvation Army. Recently purchased a besson sovereign 967 eupho. I would like to change out the valve cap inserts for the black inserts from the besson prestige. I ordered these from England and they just arrived. Can anyone offer any tips on how to remove the original pearls. I am guessing they are glued in. I was thinking of heating them up. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[davewerden]

Welcome to the forum! (I deleted the thread you started in the wrong place)

Others here can probably offer better advice, but I would avoid heating them. I believe in a previous discussion on the topic it was pointed out that certain kinds of glue could be toxic when heated.

[NWDwyer]

Back on the forum after quite some time!

If you are prepared to sacrifice the old inserts the safest way to remove them with the least chance of damaging the buttons is to open a small hole in the top center of the old insert using a small diameter burr in a dremel type tool. Don't route too deep. A small blade such as a screwdriver tip can be use to pry the insert out, the old glue can be cleaned up, and the new insert glued in. Prying around the edge will certainly damage the button.....

Neil

[Dizzy]

Thanks for the replies. The place that I ordered these from suggested holding the cap with pliers and using a lighter to loosen the glue. Dave. Your comment about the glue being toxic when heated makes me a little hesitant to try that. I like the idea of drilling a small hole in the pearl then prying it out. Has anyone here done this with success. Thanks

[daruby]

Hi there. New the forum. Comeback player after 30 years. Grew up playing cornet in the Salvation Army. Recently purchased a besson sovereign 967 eupho. I would like to change out the valve cap inserts for the black inserts from the besson prestige. I ordered these from England and they just arrived. Can anyone offer any tips on how to remove the original pearls. I am guessing they are glued in. I was thinking of heating them up. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

On my 2001 Sovereign, I just ordered the complete gold plated buttons with black inserts and screwed them in in place of the Sovereign buttons. I also gold-plated the water keys and the valve caps (top and bottom). The lead pipe was changed over to a York Eminence 4052 lead pipe, so in the end, I had a horn that was essentially a Prestige without the trigger. I have since replaced it with an Adams E3 top-sprung prototype.

Here are pictures of that Sovereign:

[Dizzy]

WOW. That is a beautiful euphonium. Now I wish I ordered the complete valve cap. At this point I might as well try and change the inserts as I already have the new black ones. If I mess it up I will order the complete cap.

[bbocaner]

Heating them will only release toxic fumes if a former owner used the wrong type of glue. If they are the the original inlays, you're fine. And a professional technician wouldn't have used anything dangerous to their own health.

[Dizzy]

I do think that the inserts are original to the horn.If I decide to heat them maybe I can do it outside and I have a mask with filters for renovation projects.