Klarinet Archive - Posting 000028.txt from 1994/08

From: edgar pearlstein <e_p@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: which oil? (Is it needed at all?)
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 1994 14:45:13 -0400

I always thought that cracking would be due to unequal absorption of
water vapor in the inside and outside of the wooden tube. This would cause a
lot more differential expansion than unequal temperatures. On this idea, it
would be worthwhile to oil the inside if the clarinet gets very dry, since
when you blow into it water from your breath could get absorbed rapidly on
the inside surface. Oil on the surface will slow down the absortion, and make
it more likely that the entire thickness will absorb equally. I make it a
practice to breathe on the outside of my clarinet several times while I'm
warming up, so as to get approximately the same humidity inside and out. This
should be more important during heating season than a high-humidity summer.
.