 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-09-20 18:48
Attachment: DSC_0564.jpg (735k)
Attachment: DSC_0562.jpg (932k)
I have recently noticed, as I play in orchestras more, that my left hand low F# and E have become really clunky. I am just wondering if you have any suggestions on how to dampen these rods. They are metal, not the newly introduced nylon ones.
This clarinet is in dire need of a service or even an overhaul, but I need quiet keys until I can get it overhauled. Any suggestions would be great.
I have attached two images.
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-09-20 19:02
How comfortable are you with dis-assembling your clarinet? If you're not, take it to a tech for a simple fix. If you are, pull the levers off, cut the surface material from a pad, cut a circle about a quarter inch in diameter from it, put a tiny dab of pad cement on the pin and fold the skin patch around it. Re-assemble the clarinet pushing the pad material into the hole with the pin and the pad material will take up the slack and quieten the action. Simple 10 minute fix.
Tony F.
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-09-20 19:16
Thanks for your quick response! Ill try it now and get back to you.
Thanks
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-20 20:25
There shouldn't be anything glued to the underside of the connecting lever linking the end of the LH F#/C# lever to the F#/C# key - that can prevent the F#/C# pad closing if it touches the surface of the joint. Looks like someone's stuck a piece of felt on it and that's not necessary.
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html/1,3882/DSC_0564.jpg
If there's hardly any room between the pins on the ends of the LH levers and the holes in the connecting linkages, then either put a drop of thick oil in there or cover the pins with a small piece of PTFE (plumber's) tape. If there's a lot of excess play, then you can cover the pins with the snipped off corners of a self sealing plastic bag - put a drop of oil on the pins and open up the snipped off corner of the plastic bag and slip it over the pins, the oil will help keep it on there pins when replacing the levers. Put them on so the pins locate in the holes - the pointed tips of the cut off plastic bag corners will help here. Then add a drop of oil to the holes once the LH levers have been fitted.
Remove and replace both of LH levers together (instead of trying to remove/replace one before the other) and don't mix the screws up just in case they aren't the same (eg. if one of them has been replaced and may have a different thread).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-09-21 00:32
I tried cementing some pad skin onto the the pins but it's too fiddly and I failed a few attempts. I ended up putting contact cement on the pins in a blob. I let this dry completely and put it back together: the noise was all gone.
Chris, in the process of this I removed some double action from the F to F# linkage! could the felt have caused the double action? Do think I should take it off?
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-21 02:14
Definitely take the felt off the linkage arm as it shouldn't be on there. There should be a space between the underside of it and the joint surface.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-09-21 02:28
I took it off, before I did though, I looked and it wasnt touching the wood which confused me.
Chris, can I PM you about fitting a Ton Kooiman Thumbrest?
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-21 02:39
Do you need advice or want someone to fit it?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-09-21 02:43
Advice, seeing if I could potentially do it myself.
Im just wondering if you would need to drill screws into the body. Also, if you put one in, would you ever be able to go back to the standard thumbrest or would the wood have lost its integrity?
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-21 03:20
You only need to drill a third screw hole lower down from the existing screw holes - the existing ones should line up with the upper holes in the baseplate of the Kooiman thumbrest.
Best thing to do is fit the baseplate with the two existing screws and mark the position of the third with a pencil or a sharp scriber tip. Then drill a 1.6mm diameter hole to a depth of 5mm into the joint (measure the screw before drilling to determine the diameter of the drill - take 0.4mm off the diameter of the screw threads for the drill size). You have around 8-9mm of wood so you shouldn't go through to the bore. Mark the drill bit with a piece of tape to the depth of 5mm from the tip so you know when to stop drilling.
If you do want to remove the Kooiman baseplate later on to reinstate the original thumbrest, you'll be left with a single screw hole to fill in - this can be done with superglue and wood dust, then filed and sanded down and finally polished to hide and blend it in with the surrounding joint surface.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-09-21 05:47
The Ton Kooiman rests that I use have only 2 fitting screws, and they coincide with the holes for a standard thumb rest. Changing over from the standard rest to the Kooiman rest took only a couple of minutes. Other models may have the 3rd screw that Chris mentions, but if you follow Chris's excellent directions then installation should present no problems. Put a wrap of tape around your drill bit at the 5mm point to give you a depth marker.
Tony F.
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