Klarinet Archive - Posting 000357.txt from 1998/09

From: "Don Yungkurth" <clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Leaks (was [kl] Introduction and question)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 21:37:49 -0400

Matt Palasik says (in part):

>finger a chalumue c block the bottom tenoe with your free
>hand and blow smoke through the instrument. if the smoke leaks the pad
>where it leak from needs replacing. also doing the same procedure and
>just blowing into the instument will tell you if there is a leak,
>unforunately not hwere the leak is. Just blow air into it and if air
>escapes then there is a leak. And BTW only amatures use leak lights to
>check clarinet pads for leaks,:}

I've watched some pretty competent professionals check for leaks with a
light and I've seen many use a *vacuum* test as well. I've never seen one
use smoke, and probably with good reason. I recall doing this once myself
about 50 years ago and seeing the resulting tar build-up from the cigarette
smoke on the pads. It created a real mess which eventually required that I
replace some pads. I suppose it could be done with some non-tobacco smoke.
It was clearly something I only needed to do once to learn that it was not
a good idea.

Don Yungkurth (clarinet@-----.net)

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