On any travel, it is very important to prepare the horn against damage. Thee are the various cases with advantages & disadvantages. But few have thought about preparing the horn against an heavy impact when the case falls down either on the broad side or the smaller side. What happens then ? The heavier "machinery" (valves) part of the horn forces the tubes of the main coil to be bent or distorted, where they connect with the valve section or about one inch earlier, resulting in a complete distortion of the horn. Sometimes even the braces are getting lose.
How to prevent this ? Get some stiff moss rubber plate, half an inch thick, or some other stiff thick plastic sheet, just cut a 2" x 2" or 2" x 3" piece & place it below the valve sections slides, so they are supported against weight resulted ripping on the main tube. Also, cut a similar piece (depending on the horns design) to be placed between the lowerest valve (3rd) & the bell section, could also be a cube of stiff styrofoam. With this precautions, the entire horn becomes a mechanical stiff piece & the damage as in the description will be prevented. A thin sheet of air bubbles enveloping material wrapped around the edges of the bell & the main coil will prevent the horn from moving inside the case. If the horn now drops with the case, it might get a little dent perhaps, but not be internally damaged, resulting in very costly damage. If flight attendants will store the horn in their compartment & the horn slips off their hand, you can be sure, the horn is still safe. It might also happen to you after a very long drive. So it might be clever, to make these precautions to your routine, when travelling. My own horns fit into a very compact flight case, which is even smaller than the rules allow. But anyway, the horn inside is packed as said above, but also wrapped in a very protective thick blanket, cut like a cross, so left & right (West & East) can be wrapped together plus top & bottom (North & South); plus there are four straps to secure the bell on top of the horns body, after a sheet of soft styro foam with a cut out big hole in the middle is put on top. Read this again & try to imagine how this works. After that adopt what you need for your own. Be happy about the safety of your horn. _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
