Klarinet Archive - Posting 000150.txt from 2010/09

From: Jennifer Jones <helen.jennifer@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Stuck barrel
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:36:52 -0400

I haven't tried this, but you might want to avoid powdered rubber
gloves, or wash the powder off; the powder can make them pretty slick.
You could try unpowdered gloves, purple nitrile (or grey or other
color) or other.

Another thought is one of those thick rubber lid grippers:
http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/Rubber-Jar-Lid-Gripper-104.html
They often come as freebies from community organizations.

This may be a crazy idea and perhaps is only something to try on a
clarinet that is beyond playing already, but:

If it is a matter of moisture in the wood; maybe a silica gel
dessicant packet from, for example a shoe box might be an interesting
thing to try. I don't think I'd try dessicants such as Drierite
(calcium sulfate) without putting them in a packet first; direct
contact with the bore might damage it (e.g. suck water out of a
localized region, causing localized contraction of the wood and
perhaps cracking.) The insulating air cushion created by a paper or
other sturdy porous packet should create a larger area for water to be
drawn out (generally drying the air in the bore rather than the wood
itself). e.g. dessicant draws water out of air then air draws water
out of wood, as opposed to dessicant draws water directly out of wood.
Maybe even something like a cello humidifier, though you have to use
something like a cloth tube insert make sure that the calcium sulfate
doesn't leak out of the holes of the cello humidifier.

This might be tricky because the dessicant is in the bore, whereas the
swelling is in the junction between the barrel and the tenon. Maybe
wrapping a dessicant packet like a ring around the outside along the
joint would pull water from the tenon faster (esp. if it is the bit of
wood below the cork closest to the keys).

Dampit:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Original-Dampit-Cello-Humidifier/dp/B000F3KSOK

One brand of powder free rubber gloves that I have used in the past.
There are tons out there and there is no reason other powder free
gloves wouldn't work.
http://www.bldsci.com/Microflex_Evolution_One_Powder_p/mflxmp05.htm

A question that comes to mind is:
Whether this a plastic or wood clarinet? (Does anyone make plastic A
clarinets?)
IF it is wood, the above thoughts were formulated with that in mind.
IF it is plastic; maybe water expanded the cork excessively; resulting
in the stuck barrel-tenon situation. (even though cork is relatively
softer...). Plus, in the case of a plastic clarinet, you are less
likely to have problems with cracking using a dessicant!

On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 3:09 PM, Clark Fobes <claroneman@-----.net> wrote:
> I have a method that I have used for many years that works really well an=
d I
> suppose I should post an article with some photos on my website.
>
> Barrels almost always get stuck on barrels when they are too tight to beg=
in
> with. Once moisture settles between the wood of the barrels and the wood =
of
> the tenon both surfaces may swell and the barrel can become unmovable.
> Placing the top joint with the barrel in the fridge for about 20 minutes =
can
> help, but usually the really stuck ones don't respond to this.
>
> For my method you are going to need:
>
> A vise
> Old belt or leather strap
> Rubber or latex glove.
>
> Cut a strip of the rubber or latex glove approximately 1" wide by about 6"
> long. =A0Close the vise to about 1/2 inch. Place the belt in the vice so =
that
> it makes a loop slightly larger than the diameter of the barrel. Place the
> rubber strip inside the loop. Place the barrel in the loop and cinch the
> loop down tight and then close the vise so that the barrel is gripped very
> firmly. (The rubber strip is necessary to keep the barrel from slipping)
> With BOTH hands grip the body of the clarinet and twist. Try as much as
> possible to exert most of the pressure from your grip on the body of the
> clarinet and not the keys. This is going to take some pressure, but the
> barrel will come loose.
>
> Clark

Cork on wood tenons made me think of
http://www.antique-antiques-uk.com/antique-furniture/2065-victorian-walnut-=
sideboard.htm
http://www.antique-antiques-uk.com/med_pages/antique_sofa_writing_table_amb=
oyna.htm
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