 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben
Date: 2002-11-30 02:13
Are humidifier's really necessary or helpful?
Might it be harmful for the sudden change to keep a clarinet in a humid case, and take it out and play it in a dry room?
Is part of the reason most cracks form on the outside of the instrument because it is always drying out, while the inside bore is constantly getting moist?
If a humidifier ought to be used in the case when not playing, what is an exceptable humidity range to have in the case (ie: 60-80%)?
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-11-30 11:33
IMHO it is a good thing to keep your horn in a relative humidity situation that is between 60-70%. The extent to which you have to alter the RH within the case depends on your own micro environmental conditions and the places that the horn travels. This may dictate removing humidity with desiccant or adding humidity with some incarnation of humidifier. You should have a measuring device - either a dial type or chemical indicator strip in the case to tell you what the RH is within the case. If any of us knew the exact culprits for crack formation we could address those directly but there are too many variables which may contribute to offer a definitive answer. Large or abrupt swings in RH, temperature, etc. have been implicated in the process but many horns have stabilized wood configurations that rebuff these insults quite readily. Unfortunately there is no number etched into your horn to tell you if it is prone to cracking so the prudent person will try to reduce the factors that may cause cracking.
The Doctor
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2002-11-30 16:54
Sometimes I think that these wood horns are more durable than we give credit for. I bought a Yamaha YCL-32 horn from a pawn shop in Austin, Texas, a very dry place. The horn was bone dry to the point that the large bell ring would spin freely. I was afraid it would crack here in humid Long Island NY summer conditions. So, I overhauled the horn and oiled the bore frequently for a month. Here it is 1 year later and the bell ring will not budge no matter how hard I try. The wood apparently recovered and did not crack. I view this as worst case scenario. I believe that most cracks are caused more by thermal shock than variations in humidity. After all it would take considerable time for a wood as dense as blackwood to absorb or release large amounts of water (a year in my case), but heat can have an immediate effect. What I would recommend is to protect the horn from temperature extremes by using an insulated case for transport and allowing the horn to warm up before playing to lessen the thermal shock caused by hot breath on a cold instrument. It is no suprise that most cracks occur on the barrel and the top of the upper joint. (the warmest as well as the wettest during play) Remember thermal shock is caused by RAPID heat transfer. If you want to get technical the rate of heat transfer is directly proportional to the temperature difference of the two mediums (factoring in densities of course). In our case the horn and your breath. Your breath is at your body temperature (98.6 degrees F), the closer your horn is to that temp the less thermal stress it will experience. Basically a slow warm up and a slow cool down are in order.
Mark
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