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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000052.txt from 2007/04
From: John Towle <gtowle839@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [DR-L] cleaning sticky pads (cork)
Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:31:23 -0400
Miriam,
I believe it is always best to remove the key. The
major offenders seem to be the small tone holes, the
one below the half-hole & the other one below the
middle large key of the left hand. Easy to do. Use
the straight part of a standard coat hanger to keep
track of the key order. Don't pull the key rod out all
the way; stop short of the G# key. Then you can run a
pipe cleaner through the ferrules attached to the keys
to properly clean them before reoiling. The key rod
extending beyond the tenon should be wiped clean
also. I put a tiny drop of automatic transmission
fluid at the top & bottom of each key ferrule before
threading the rod back through. I lightly oil the
rod, also. A trick I learned from Ron Fox in Muncie
last year. I know John Symer uses manual transmission
oil to lubricate the rods. OK but I don't like the
smell. ATF accomplishes the same thing & is less
malodorous. Clean the pads with a 90 plus solution of
isopropyl alcohol available at any pharmaceutical
outlet, then spray with Woodwind All or Favor
furniture polish & you're home free. Reattach the
springs as you replace the keys. You can do all this
in about half an hour. Longer if you remove octave
keys & octave hole inserts to clean them. I soak the
inserts in the alcohol cap for a few minutes, then
the spray top & bottom before reinsertion. You really
need the hole insert remover tool to take them out &
retighten. A one time investment of about $35 USD,
available from Mark Chudnow, Forrests, or RDG Inc.
Anyway, this all is great preventive maintenance. I
do this every 3 or 4 months or so, about the same
interval for oil changes I do on my car. A good way of
keeping track.
Best,
john
--- mwquacker@-----.net wrote:
> Further comments and questions below from Miriam:
>
> ---- chad taylor <taylor_chad@-----.com> wrote:
> >
> > Here's the actual lowdown on sticky pads.
> When we play our
> > instruments, at time there may be small particles
> from whatever we eat or
> > drink that can sometimes accumulate onto the pads.
> This "residue" will
> > become sticky or tacky and cause ANY type of pad
> to stick. With leather pads
> > on saxes and bassoons it is not uncommon for the
> leather to become tacky
> > from humidity, or even any type od preservative,
> or leather pore sealant to
> > make the pad tacky was well.
>
> I will certainly pass this on to my students to whom
> I have already advised to brush their teeth before
> playing (esp. after eating anything), or at least to
> rinse well with water.
>
> > 1.) The dollar bill trick- The answer that it
> works as an abrasive is an
> > tall tale. Most of the time the reason why it
> works is because the particles
> > of dirt and other mystery substances from the
> dollar being in god only knows
> > how many peoples hands, will accumulate on the
> sticky residue that
> > accumulates on the pads when you pull it across
> the pad facing.
>
> That is why I would only use a new bill. Not sure
> where I first got this advice.
>
> This will
> > only temporarily cure the sticky pad, and will
> definitely reduce the life of
> > a pad. This is the exact same thing that will
> happen with using any of the
> > graphite procedures that have been mentioned.
> >
> > 2.)Wedging closed keys open- This will indeed
> keep the pad from sticking
> > temporarily but, as the horn is played it will
> start to stick. Plus you are
> > not removing the sticky residue off the pad. This
> will also start to make
> > the pad leak from excessive buildup of residue.
> >
> What about placing a leaf of blotter paper
> underneath the key(s), esp. if it's an octave key.
> The ones that seem to stick most on sax are the
> larger ones.
>
> > The only way to properly rememdy the sticky
> pad is to do one of 2
> > things. The first one is to have the pad replaced.
> The second one is to use
> > a specifcally designated pad cleaner to remove the
> dirt and grime off the
> > pad. For leather and bladder pads I used a formula
> of pad cleaner called pad
> > juice. Most music stores should beable to order
> it. With cork pads, I tend
> > to use denatured alcohol as it has a quick
> evaporation time. These methods I
> > have found thus far to be the ONLY effective
> methods for remedying sticky
> > pads. I am not saying that this the end all or
> that I am totally right, as I
> > am always looking for better techniques in my
> instrument repair practice.
> >
> Thanks for the advice!
> Please elaborate on the procedure for using the pad
> cleaner. Is it necessary to remove the key/pad? Is
> it best to advise my students to see their repair
> tech about any sticky pad?>
>
> If you have any further questions, or concerns
> please do not hesitate
> > to e-mail me.
> >
> Best Regards,
> > Chad Taylor
> >Taylor Bassoon
> > Services
> >
>
> And to you likewise,
> Miriam
>
>
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