Klarinet Archive - Posting 000270.txt from 1999/08

From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Clarinet in the Bathtub- .573 to a .566!
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 00:43:49 -0400

Joe Butkevicius posted this on the Flute list - I'm sharing it with Klarinet:
There are those, (oboe maker laubin) who absolutely forbid oiling wood. To
do so is to void his warranty. The points you made regarding the expansion
and contraction of wood relative to moisture are correct, however "sealing"
the wood is perhaps not the best choice of words. Sealing would not allow
the wood to shrink and swell. Wood wants to shrink and swell. The idea
is to strengthen the wood fibers and minimize the amount of shrinking and
swelling by maintaining a relatively narrow range of moisture (defined by,
during playing and during non playing, i.e., the two extremes). Guy Chadash,
designer for Buffet, describes wood instruments in this way. Think of your
instrument as a sponge tube. As you put it in water and it absorbs it, the
tube swells. The bore shrinks and the exterior becomes larger. It is the
sudden and rapid changes off this effect that causes cracks.
It is the opinion of some that oiling, in effect, causes the same phenomenon,
since the oil fills the wood cells causing expansion/shrinking. Since most
woods for instrument making are very dense, it is believed that the oil only
penetrates a small layer of the bore and this process causes uneven stress in
the wood due to uneven absorption. Hence cracking can result. (This is the
difference in reasoning between Chadash, the former and Laubin, the latter.)
Maintaining a relative moisture level when your instrument is at rest helps
to minimize the effect. The instrument can be considered with 100% humidity
while being played. (the hot moist breath). Setting the low level and not
letting it fall below a certain moisture level (depending on your
environment) will reduce cracking. A small moisture meter in the case can
help you gauge when the moisture level is approaching danger! (an aside here
... too much moisture at rest will ruin your pads)
If you must oil, just about any natural organic oil will work. Olive Oil,
Peanut oil, Pharmaceutical grade, "sweet" almond oil, will all accomplish the
same things. Do NOT use the commercial bore oils on the market, they are
useless. These are Petroleum based and do not interact with the wood. The
old saying "oil and water don't mix" is certainly true here.
Waxing the bore is an excellent alternative. It allows the wood to breathe
as well as allow excess moisture to roll off the bore. Two excellent sources
are butchers wax and good ole shoe polish. I've given up on oiling and gone
to waxing entirely, the results that I have experienced are superior. ( I
have NEVER had an instrument crack when customers follow my care guidelines).

There is an article on my website if you would like to read more and a link
to a more in depth article on wood, oil, and water:
http://users.aol.com/JButky/wood.htm
I had a clarinet come in this past year. The girl, wishing to clean her wood
clarinet, filled her bathtub with water and submerged the clarinet in it
overnight. The disastrous results were brought in for repair (no hope for
this one). The top joint weighed 3 times the normal weight and its .573"
bore spec was reduced to .566-8"! We now have a clarinet that holds its
water <GGG>
Joe Butkevicius
Flutist/ Repair Technician/ Member of NAPBIRT

David Blumberg
playit@-----.com
Have you heard? http://www.mytempo.com

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