Klarinet Archive - Posting 000104.txt from 1999/10

From: "O'Neile & Fisher" <redcedar@-----.au>
Subj: RE: [kl] Clarinet in intensive care
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 05:00:37 -0400

David,

When I read your message that you had:

"...an old Boosey & Hawkes Edgeware model that I've stripped down. And I've
actually sanded back the body, bell and Barrel. (I can here your "oh my
god!" from here);"

I initially reacted as you surmised, but in a subsequent post to the List
you said:

"I was told they used Indian ink to dye the clarinets. And that you can't
get rid of it or if you tried you would fundamentally weaken the structure
of the wood. So I'm not attempting to remove the ink but to enhance the grain;"

at which point, I almost recovered my composure.

Writing inks contain carbon black, and the pigments are resistant to
bleaching with conventional chemical treatments such as Oxalic acid,
Chlorine or A/B wood bleach. Such staining can only be completely removed
by scraping or sanding the colour off the surface of the wood. So, you
started correctly. With any luck, the high density of the wood resisted
deep penetration in the course of the original staining, so you haven't
needed to sand too deeply. This could be a possible concern as you wouldn't
want to appreciably reduce the wall thickness of the instrument and
adversely affect tonality.

If there is still some residual staining in evidence, the other way is to
bleach the stain through exposure to sunlight, probably over a prolonged
period (months rather than weeks), rotating the wood for consistency of
bleaching, although you run a small risk of inducing surface cracks due to
heat damage. I say a small risk, as in over 20 years of doing this with
Rosewood and Ebony to achieve certain effects, I've never had a piece fail
yet, although there is always a first time.

You also said:

"I need to oil it, bring out the grain and seal it. If this isn't possible
I'll simply redye it and attempt the reassembly task."

I suspect you want to bring out the "figure" of the wood rather than the
"grain". This can be done with a number of different treatments. At any
rate, at this point, you should consider whether you wish to have a
near-mirror surface on the body of the clarinet, or a finish which has the
more usual texture of a dense close-grained wood. If you chose the former,
then a light sanding with (say) a 150/220 micron paper (ideally silicon
carbide or aluminium oxide, rather than garnet or sand-paper) will suffice
to eliminate any furriness on the surface. If you are not happy, try a
slightly finer paper, such as a 280, after which, apply successive coatings
of a selected oil, say, once a week, and allow to stand. If the oil
penetrates the timber more quickly, apply successive coats of oil more
frequently. It's a "by-guess-or-by-God" method, and if the grain becomes
raised after oiling, a light sanding across the grain will suffice. If,
say, a week following one of these applications the surface is still oily to
touch, wipe off the excess and perhaps buff it with butter muslin and/or a
polishing cloth. Theoretically, the natural figure and colour of the wood
should be well evident, as too the grain.

If, however, you elect to have a near-mirror surface, then the steps are a
bit different. In this case you will need to repeatedly paper the surface
with successively finer abrasive paper grades, and between each papering, to
lightly oil the timber, leaving it to stand for a few days before
proceeding. Each "sanding" will produce a slurry of fine wood particles
mixed with oil, which slurry will tend to fill the surface grain of the
timber, ultimately yielding a mirror-like surface, which when finally oiled,
should be left to stand for a week or so and the excess wiped off. The
abrasive paper grades to use here should be graduated up to 1200 microns,
preferably using the paper in a strop motion around the cylinder. The end
result of this processing will be to retain the natural colour and figure in
the wood, but diminish the visibility of the grain and reduce the textual
"feel". Hence my earlier comment about the distinction between the figure
and the grain, as I felt you perhaps meant to refer to a desire for the
preservation of the wood's figure, rather than the grain.

I have assumed you will use an oil in this process, and although I am
unaware what the mainstream clarinet manufacturers now use, there are any
number of woodwind craftsmen in the USA who typically use Linseed Oil or
Tung Oil although I think these oils are actually more effective on more
open-grained woods than Grenadilla etc. For example there is/was an oboe
maker in Mass. (Jonathon Bosworth??) who regularly used Linseed. Whilst not
knowing it with certainty, my own toying around suggests that some of the
common domestic oils are less viscous and perhaps are more inclined to be
absorbed into the denser wood. Cindy Field has mentioned Almond Oil, and
that is a good suggestion. I've also used Safflower and Peanut Oil as
substitutes on dense, turned surfaces. There are some, (such as William
Koch in NH who used to make Renaissance recorders, perhaps still does), who
use orange shellac, inside and out, which I find a bit amazing.

However, there is an alternative to oil on the exterior surface of the
instrument, and one for which I have a decided preference - that is,
beeswax. In my opinion, it is easier to apply, less often needed in repeat
applications over the life of the instrument, has more effective sealant
properties than oil in the longer-term, and would be less conducive to the
fractional dimensional instability sometimes sustained in the wood from
swelling due to oiling, and contraction due to subsequent drying. Indeed,
I've sometimes used beeswax as a final coat over an oiled timber, also with
good effect. I've been using beeswax since the mid-70s in all manner of
applications and have never yet experienced a problem (touch wood!).

As for the instrument's bore,.... Personally, I believe in oiling regularly
as a partial insurance against cracking, but recognise that every-time you
subsequently swab the bore of moisture after playing, you carry some of the
oil away on the pull-through. And the purists will tell you that the oil
interferes with the instrument's tone anyway. If your instrument is as old
as you intimate, then perhaps you should also consider the possibility that
it has a build-up of oil on the bore surface which has hardened over time,
with the resultant patina minutely reducing the bore dimensions, thus
affecting tone. I'm not comfortable with my knowledge in this area, so
you'll need to consult others.

As you expressed a wish to learn something in the process of restoration,
I've gone into perhaps more detail than you might have expected, or wanted.
Before you adopt any of it, it may be prudent to cross-check with Tom
Sparkes, your friendly oboe-maker. (Incidentally, is this the bloke on Ryde
Road? Whatever, could you let me know his contact details, as I'd like to
arrange to see his Mulga Oboe).

Hope this helps in some small way. Whatever, you do, seek other advice and
use your gut to determine fact from fiction. Let me know how you get on,
and good luck.

Ciao,

Michael

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