Klarinet Archive - Posting 000662.txt from 1997/04

From: Mark Charette <charette@-----.com>
Subj: Re: saliva and pads? (Answers from the archives - long)
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 12:55:20 -0400

Jacqueline Eastwood wrote:
>
> I had a repairman once a long time ago who used some kind of silicon
> painted around those channels in the bore, to dissuade the water from
> going in its usual path (straight to the Eb/Bb key tone hole!). I also
> recall that it had to be done on a somewhat regular basis, as it was not
> permanent.

<snip>

> Can anyone explain how this is done, if it really works, if it is stilll
> being practiced, etc? It seemed a good solution at the time, but what did

>From the archives:
------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 15:09:14 UT
From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.COM>
Subject: Re: Water, the odd sound and the blowing clarinetist!

Joerg,
It sounds like the path of water happens to coincide with the location
of your
tone hole. You can redirect the water by taking a cotton swab of sweet
almond
oil, and very lightly "painting" around the tone hole (in the bore) the
oil.
It will redirect the water path. I'm not sure of other oils. I had that
done
by Marc Jacobi, Phila,Pa. and he had to do it twice. The second time, he
used
acetone to clear the oil in the bore, and he re-applied the oil.It
worked the
second time. The water follows the path of least resistance. If the
entire
bore is oiled with the formula stuff you used, the resistance is
equaled
along the entire bore-defeating the purpose of changing the resistance
to
rechannel the waters path. Either do that, or take up snorkeling.
David C. Blumberg
Reedman@-----.com
------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 12:01:28 EST
From: Jim Fay <NVFAYXJ@-----.EDU>
Subject: water, sf get-together

hans moennig, who customized my r-13 when i
bought them from him in 1964 suggested the
following for water in tone holes.
using wire, trace a line of bore oil inside
the bore in a path where you would like the water
to go 9mabye do it a few times. then when you play,
hopefullt the wire9read water will follow that path
please excuse typing, new terminal emulator.
as co-owner of klarinet, the idea of a list
sounds wonderful. as we are in virginia,
cant quites join you this time.
always wondered about having a klarinet
thing at clarinet society annual meeting.
mabye read klarinet khoir music ...
------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 15:49:11 +0000
From: Steve Fowler <sfowler@-----.COM>
Subject: Re: hairline cracks: anyone had experience?

> Not really. I just started playing a wooden clarinet not to long ago. I am
> going to take it back because my spit keeps causing the low E (not the
> lowest) to be a half step falt. (Eb). I am going to try several different
> others.
> >

Joe,

You don't return an instrument for collecting water in a tonehole,
you take care of the problem. 1)Make certain that you swab the
instrument carefully and completely. Do not use those nice fluffy
"Pad Savers" as your only swab. They are fine for whatever purpose
you would store them in your bore for, but not until the bore has
been swabbed thouroughly first. 2)Oil the bore of the instrument with
a very small amount of bore oil. Put it on a wool swab (one with the
metal handle, actually I found that this IS a good use for "Pad
Savers") and run through the dry bore a few times. Let this soak in
for a few minutes and then swab out the excess using a
handkerchief-type swab. 3) Force the water _around_ the tonehole by
placing a small amount of wax just above the offending tonehole. This
will redirect the moisture away from its' normal path, usually
resulting in a new path that is not as offending.

Of course, if you are not inclined to do the oiling, etc. yourself,
take it to a repair person. They will usually be very happy to teach
you how to care for your instrument.

Good luck.

later,

Steve

--
Mark Charette Webmaster, http://sneezy.mika.com/clarinet/ - the
MIKA Systems, Inc Clarinet Info Pages . For Klarinet help, send
charette@-----.com