LA Olds Standard slide lock

A
arpthark
Posts: 174
Joined: Jul 09, 2022

by arpthark »

I recently acquired an Olds Standard that is missing the slide lock. I do have some repair experience (not really in trombone) but I was unsure how these attached. There are no threads or anything, just an empty slot.

Here is an image of a similar-era Olds Special (not mine, pic found online). I am assuming the slide lock is similar:

User image

I am wondering if a donor from a junk Ambassador would fit? Can anyone offer any insight?
J
JohnL
Posts: 2529
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by JohnL »

[quote="arpthark"]I recently acquired an Olds Standard that is missing the slide lock. I do have some repair experience (not really in trombone) but I was unsure how these attached. There are no threads or anything, just an empty slot.[/quote]
The little knob on the slide lock is actually the head of a pin; that pin goes through the ring and the slot and engages the lug on the slide. The head is cup-shaped and fits over a mating boss on the ring and (AFAIK) is crimped into place (I've run into a few that were loose).

I am wondering if a donor from a junk Ambassador would fit? Can anyone offer any insight?

Yes, a part from an A-15 Ambassador slide should work. The trick will be getting dealing with the crimp, both when you take the part off of the donor horn and when you put it on the recipient horn.
A
arpthark
Posts: 174
Joined: Jul 09, 2022

by arpthark »

[quote="JohnL"]<QUOTE author="arpthark" post_id="255853" time="1729008908" user_id="15446">
I recently acquired an Olds Standard that is missing the slide lock. I do have some repair experience (not really in trombone) but I was unsure how these attached. There are no threads or anything, just an empty slot.[/quote]
The little knob on the slide lock is actually the head of a pin; that pin goes through the ring and the slot and engages the lug on the slide. The head is cup-shaped and fits over a mating boss on the ring and (AFAIK) is crimped into place (I've run into a few that were loose).

I am wondering if a donor from a junk Ambassador would fit? Can anyone offer any insight?

Yes, a part from an A-15 Ambassador slide should work. The trick will be getting dealing with the crimp, both when you take the part off of the donor horn and when you put it on the recipient horn.
</QUOTE>

Sounds like I need two junk Ambassador slides -- one to dissect and goof it up in process, and one to do properly! Thank you for your help. I've become really interested in Olds stuff lately and your website has been very useful. I'm a tuba player so most everything trombone-related is a novelty to me, but I'm really digging Olds.
A
arpthark
Posts: 174
Joined: Jul 09, 2022

by arpthark »

Just an update, I was able to get the part off an early Fullerton era Ambassador and it fit. The knob is just the head of a little pin that was soldered in place into a hole on the ring and fit into the slot. No crimp on this one. Less complicated than I thought, and I was able to snag a hard case from the Ambassador to boot. Now I have spare Ambassador parts if anyone needs them.