Klarinet Archive - Posting 000211.txt from 2007/07

From: X-BakerBotts-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] Clarinet Manufacture - Wood is a "Living" Material - Barrels
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:32:58 -0400

Karl,

This sums up much of what I was saying. If you machine 3 barrels
(clarinets, bells, etc.) using CNC machinery to the same dimensions,
each piece will be different as the wood goes back to it's unique
relaxed state. That is why the wood must be absolutely stable before you
work on it and then you must be patient to work it a little at a time.
Even then, minute differences will remain as the wood goes back to it's
non-stressed state. This is assuming that the manufacturer did indeed
machine the 3 barrels to the same "specification".

That is why Wurlitzer under-sizes the bore of the clarinet when it is
first made. After the initial break-in of the clarinet, they rebore it
to the exact final dimensions. This, of course, requires that they also
retune it, but the final product is much more stable and consistent
dimension wise because of all this extra effort. That is why my friend
told me that a French made clarinet will play best when you first take
it out of the case. This is the only time that the dimensions of the
clarinet are close enough to what the factory originally intended. It's
all downhill from there is what he used to say.

Tom Henson

=20

<< Karl Krelove said:=20

From a practical point of view how do-able is it to produce three or any
number of identical barrels (or mouthpieces or bells - fill in the
part)? Or is this in fact the first, maybe most important influence of
the "living"
character of wood - that it somehow makes identical machining of each
separate piece impossible or at least impractical with current
techniques? >>

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