Klarinet Archive - Posting 000307.txt from 1996/05

From: Roger Shilcock
Subj: Various
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 03:50:00 -0400

Previous messages have got garbled through the appalling interface I have
here wth our Vax editor. So here goes from the *other* big machine ...
1) Perhaps "cheapskate" was going a bit far re plating companies.
Clearly, these guys are going to use the least amount found to be
necessary for a given job, however. Mr Lytthans' comment is interesting
- perhaps Buffet in particular are not too good as giving adequate
specifications to whoever plates their keys. Is this a facet of their own
operations, or contracted out, or - as seems most likely - both,
depending on available capacity?
2) I agree with Steve Fowler that my centre joint needs the attention of
a (my?) repairman; I only wish I could find him at times when I have the
money ... The more one pulls out at the centre, though, the worse the ill
effects. If the low chalumeau notes (or some of them) on an instrument
are persistently sharp, possibly they could be controlled by a more
responsive mouthpiece.
3) Returning to keys, it very unlikely that keys could be made of solid
nickel - I'm no metallurgist, but I'm pretty sure that it is not a
suitable metal for forgings. It is also quite expensive. Solid
cupro-nickel is also not likely. The keys mentioned (I forget who by) are
probably plain german silver or some similar white bronze, like those on
my own ancient Buffet. This does not seem to tarnish appreciably in the
usual sense, probably because of the high tin content, but it has turned
green in awkward corners, probably from residual moisture plus acid from
decomposed finger grease, or possibly even stray cork grease. As has
been said before, a coppery appearance on keys is likely to result from
the use of a base metal with a high copper content, and t-h-i-n plating.
Roger Shilcock