Klarinet Archive - Posting 000102.txt from 1994/02

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: Finish on clarinets
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 09:37:33 -0500

On Wed, 9 Feb 1994, Joshua Proschan wrote:

> In any case, *never* use varnish on a clarinet. That includes drying
> oils such as linseed oil, tung oil, or walnut oil; they will build up a
> film on the surface, and change the sound of the instrument. Grenadilla
> is a variety of rosewood, which is a very oily wood. Varnishes and
> drying oils may never dry properly because of the oil in the wood, and
> may damage the pads.

It is not likely that an oil will dry at all in the dark and moist
interior of a clarinet which is in reasonably regular use. A film of
drying oil on a bore surface would probably be wiped and/or "flushed"
away long before it could do any harm.

Many contemporary woodwind makers deliberately try to seal bore surfaces
both to reduce the hygroscopicity of the wood and to improve sound the
sound of the instrument. There is also historical evidence of the practice.

As Joshua quite rightly observes, the risk to pads is a more important
consideration than any presumed benefit to the wood. If anyone, despite
this, really feels the need to oil a clarinet bore, the means by
which the oil is applied is a more critical than is the type of oil. Wood
conservators have a useful adage -- "for every one coat of oil that you
apply, wipe off two".