Klarinet Archive - Posting 000784.txt from 1998/11

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] disassembling clarinet
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 10:46:38 -0500

Kyle Conway wrote,
>>I was wondering how other people take their keys of their clarinet when
they clean it.>>

Disassembling and re-assembling a clarinet requires patience and organization.
Just to be on the safe side, in case I completely fouled up, I did this job
first on an inexpensive clarinet. Before I took apart a clarinet for the
first time, I wanted to be sure I'd be able to figure out how to put it back
together, because once the keys are off the instrument, separated and out of
context, they can look confusing. I thought that trying to figure things out
from a photograph or a diagram seemed too difficult, because the pictures I
had weren't detailed enough, so instead, I had another clarinet available as a
3-D model of how the keys fit and relate to each other when they're working
properly.

In order to make the clarinet easier and faster to re-assemble, it's helpful
to lay the keys out in a shallow box lid (such as the lid from a Xerox paper
box) in the same order that you take them off the clarinet. Then you can put
them back on in the same order, instead of wasting time on trying to remember
how they go and on using trial and error (finding out that to put this key
on, you have to take that one back off again). More experienced people
probably don't need this crutch, but in the bottom of the box lid, as I went
along removing keys, I drew a simple diagram with waterproof felt-tip pen
(laundry marker), showing the basic outline of each key and the note that it
plays in the clarino register. I made one section for the top stack and
another section for the bottom stack. That way, if I jostled the box and the
order got mixed up, I could re-sort the keys by their shapes, without
confusion. Each time I worked on a key to wash it, polish it or re-pad it, I
put it back in its place on the diagram. I saved this box lid so that I can
use it again on future projects.

Keeping track of the screws and making sure you know where each one goes
seemed important, since they're several different sizes. One method would
have been to put each screw back in its post as I disassembled the horn.
However, I was afraid I'd lose screws that way when I washed the instrument,
because while some of them are long rods, others are tiny. Besides, I wanted
to clean out each screw hole with a pipe cleaner and it was more convenient
for me to do them all at once with the holes empty. So from Ferree's Tools
(www.backbone1.com/ferree), where I bought my pads, I also bought a small
wooden screw holder block, covered with a printed, color-coded key diagram,
and drilled with holes for the screws, to show where each one goes in
relationship to that each key. (The screw board is $5.50 and, for anyone who
intends to do this job more than once, well worth it in aggravation avoided,
IMHO, since making such a board would take a fair amount of time.) Since
construction varies, the diagram includes a variety of possibilities. Not
every hole will end up with a screw in it. As I took apart the clarinet, I
cleaned each screw with a slightly oily scrap of paper towel and put the screw
in its place in the screw board diagram. No confusion during reassembly.

Other possible pitfalls: Never force a screw! It may have been put in too
tightly in the first place, or it may have some rust. If it doesn't turn
easily, drip WD-40 or other penetrating oil into the place where the screw
head inserts, into the hole at the other end where it's threaded and into all
the joints where the screw passes through. If the screw still won't turn,
wait an hour. Try again. If the screw still won't turn, add more WD-40 and
wait overnight. If it still won't come out, it's better to leave that key on
the instrument than to force the screw and risk breaking the head or stripping
the threads. Use the exact size of jeweller's screwdriver that fits the
screw. Using a screwdriver that's too small can torque the head of the screw
unevenly, enough to break off one side of it. Musical instruments often have
screws made of non-hardened steel, so it's safest to assume all the screws are
weak. The rod screws, especially, easily break or deform. If the instrument
is old, replacing broken screws can be a major pain and leave the clarinet out
of order until the right size replacement turns up. When replacing the
screws, do it gently, to comfortable "finger tight" degree. Tightening them
too hard can strip the threads or make them impossible to remove next time.

Another nuisance: those itty bitty bumper corks break and fall off easily, so
handle the keys with care.

Good luck!
Lelia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Prudence keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy."
--Samuel Johnson, _The Idler_ #57.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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