Klarinet Archive - Posting 000028.txt from 2002/08

From: @-----.uk>
Subj: [kl] Swab problem and speaker tube removal
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 20:47:05 -0400

Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net> wrote:

> Leave it to the professionals to take care of. They probably won't even
> charge you.

He's probably got his problem dealt with by now; but usually in such a case the
swab is stuck round the speaker tube, and it's not too difficult to get the
speaker tube out yourself, thus releasing the swab.

It's worth saying how -- after all, it might happen to *you* somewhere, in a
concert even, with no 'professional' available....

The crucial thing to know is that the speaker tube is sealed into the body of
the instrument with shellac. When that's melted, the speaker tube can easily
be pushed out from inside using the leverage provided by a tapered piece of
wood. If you don't have such a thing handy the cylindrical handle of a
smallish wooden spoon is often just as good. But in this case, where it's
probably difficult to get to the speaker tube because of the swab, I think I'd
use one of the curved handles of my small pair of pliers. These are smooth
metal, and are thin enough for it to be possible to work one of them between
the bore and the swab from the top as far as the speaker tube. Then, the
convex rounded part of the handle rests against the bore, while the end of the
handle makes contact with the end of the speaker tube -- or with the part of
the swab that's covering it. A bit of leverage does the rest.

Oh, and before you push it out, notice how much of the tube is standing proud
of the outside of the instrument, so that you can replace it accurately.

How do you melt the shellac? Well, if you take off the speaker key, and heat a
screwdriver in a flame for a bit, then laying that up against the inside of the
speaker tube will have enough heat be conducted through the metal of the
speaker tube to do the job.

Reassembly is easier, this time using the screwdriver to hold the speaker tube
while you heat it, and also using it to carry the tube to the instrument and
drop it quickly and neatly into the hole. Use leverage again, this time on the
whole top joint, pressing the protruding end of the tube against the side of a
table, say, so that it ends up back where it was.

Don't use too much heat, or too much force, and don't burn your fingers!

Tony

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