Klarinet Archive - Posting 000751.txt from 2000/06

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Key oil.
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 12:40:19 -0400

On Sat, 17 Jun 2000, Patricia Smith wrote:

> I found, also, that I had to oil my keys more frequently, about every
> two weeks, sometimes even more often, while living out West in San
> Diego - the dry air made them click even more, and the moisture in the
> oil evaporated more quickly.

Unless you have some kind of lubricant which is water-based, there
shouldn't be any "moisture" there to evaporate. As far as I know,
petroleum-based oils will not evaporate. An open container can be left in
the open air indefinitely, and none of it will evaporate. But, naturally,
it will pick up contaminants.

One might suspect that in the less-humid air, moisture was escaping from
the wood, and thereby changing the physical dimensions of the instrument.
However, that's a little puzzling, because that should result in the wood
shrinking and the posts being moved closer together. Therefore, the keys
should have less play in them, not more. But corks would also shrink in
those conditions, and perhaps that would account for the clicking you
experienced.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org