Klarinet Archive - Posting 000435.txt from 1996/01

From: CLARK FOBES <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Crack pinning, again!!
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 14:47:36 -0500

Even thought this subject has come up, I think the topic merits
continued discussion and cautionary remarks.

As I have stated before, I believe that it is almost always better
to pin a crack than replace the upper joint. That said, I would like to
dispell a few comments that seem to me to be somewhat cavalier even if
presented with the best intentions.

Number one. Super glue IS NOT a good substitute for a good pin job
or banding.

Number two. Pinning IS NOT a simple task easily performed by any
competent repair person.

Number three. In some cases, not all, you get what you pay for.

In my experience, pinning a clarinet is one of the tasks that on a
scale of 1-10 for technical difficulty is a 10+. I "practiced" on old
clarinets before I did my first professional pin job, which was on one
of my old Buffet clarinets. I still allow approximately 45 mins/pin.
This gives me enough time to approach the problem slowly and
thoughtfully. I usually do pinning in the late evening when the phone
does not ring and my son is in bed so that i have no distractions.

I have probably pinned well over 100 clarinets which means at least
300 pins. It still scares the ---- out of me. I have found no good
reason to pin a clarinet at angles like on oboes (they do this so that
the pin can grab a sufficient amount of wood) so I make the pins
perendicular to the crack ,which minimizes some of the danger. What is
important is the depth that the pin is set. Too close to the bore and
the pin really does not keep the crack from moving. Too close to the
surface and you may cause a secondary crack or force out large sections
of wood. I have some fairly standard ways of measuring to accomplish
the correct depth, but an experienced eye and hand are indispensible.

The banding procedure of Albert Alphins sounds like an excellent
idea, but I wonder if several bands are installed if the sound of the
instrument changes dues to the removal of material.

I also caution players about letting cracks go unpinned for more
than a few weeks. In some cases the crack may not proceed, but if you
are in a climate that has swings in humidity, the crack will most
likely become longer and deeper over time.

Cracks most often occur through the auxilliary or "trill" Bb tone
hole. I do not advocate the use of tone hole inserts. It is an easy
thing to wax a tone hole with a crack in it to seal it. This may need
to be repeated over time. We really do not have a glue that can
withstand the constant expansion and contraction that exist with
African blackwood. I also have not found an adhesive that bonds wood to
plastic or rubber very well. The danger in making an insert is that the
glue may release over time and then you have a constant problem with a
leak around the insert.

Contrary to some statements on this board, my experience is that
superglue will not hold a crack together. Once a crack is stabilized
superglue does make a good filler. In fact, to fill the holes I make
when drilling into the body I use a mixture of blackwood dust and super
glue. The best glue I have seen is sold by Feree's Tools and is called
"Hot Stuff".

If you take a cracked clarinet to a repair man, try to let it
stabilize in an environment of about 50% humidity. A crack should be
pinned when it is as close to "closed" as possible. Pins do not pull a
crack together. They merely stabilize the position and prevent further
movement of the wood.

Clark w Fobes