Klarinet Archive - Posting 000095.txt from 2000/03

From: Anne Bell <bell@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Ligatures in general&"Science"
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 02:21:01 -0500

While I'm not maintaining that the ligature does warp the mouthpiece I
would like to suggest another tack. Rubber and plastics are... well...
plastic. Don't they deform slowly over time to a constant pressure? I've
heard that records deform when they're stored on their sides too long (yes,
different material) and that other plastics "creep." Could it be possible
with constant pressure and enough heat (just to make things interesting)
that this ligature warpage could well exist? Even if it is just in band
land where the ligature becomes a virtual part of the mouthpiece and the
instrument is tossed in the trunk...

Anne

At 11:27 AM 3/2/00 EST, you wrote:
>OK. Been listening to this thread.
>
>Designed a simple experiment.
>
>Took an old hard rubber mouthpiece. Measured the bore at the exit point.
14.92 mm
>
>Put on a reed and a ligature. Cranked the ligature down as hard as I
could. Measured the exit bore. 14.92 mm
>
>Took off reed, put mouthpiece in bench vise, where ligature would tighten.
Cranked vise tight, using maximum hand strength, Measured exit bore 14.92 mm.
>
>Put the tenon of the mouthpiece between the jaws of the vise. Cranked down
hard. Measured 14.92.
>
>Cranked down harder. Cracked the tenon, threw out mouthpiece.
>
>My conclusion.....unless you have a 10 pound ligature, with screws that
could be used to hold down an elephant, you are NOT going to change the
dimensions of your mouthpiece.
>
>Frankly, the material is far to dense and stubborn. Also, in a cross
section, the mouthpiece is circular. I would submit that compressing a
cirle, with pressure coming from all sides is not going to be an easy process.
>

*****************************************************************************
Anne Bell bell@-----.net
Bayside HS Orchestra Director
ABC Index: http://www.anne-bell.sneezy.org/ MUSIC LINKS!
****************************************************************************
*

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