 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-03-03 20:20
I've had an old Buffet (c. 1936) barrel repaired twice, by a supremely competent repairman. It's cracked (in the same place) yet again.
This is an odd barrel with a lower exit bore that is smaller than anything I've ever seen (it's off the charts, measured against about eight other barrels). You want to talk about what they call "choke" in a barrel/UJ set-up, this it IT!!! I believe it's the original barrel for my 21K series Buffet and I hate to say goodbye to it - but - that's how it's looking now.
Are there any more permanent fixes for these old wooden barrels?
I suppose I ought to send it to alseg and have him duplicate the specifications .... shoudk have done this awhile ago!
Bill.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-03-03 21:35
> Are there any more permanent fixes for these old wooden barrels?
Sand down the cork on the UJ or ream out (ie have reamed out) some of the barrel's lower end's inner circumference.
The symptomps simply say that the barrel was still under too much stress.
As soon as that stress (the "choke") is gone, the crack repair should remain permanent.
Speaking of barrels: I noticed that on all of my [wooden] horns which have shiny joint bores, the barrel's bore is, well, rather rough and unpolished. What's the plan behind that?
--
Ben
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-03-04 12:34
I have owned a 21K series Bb Buffet and the "choke" was only slightly narrower than the UJ entrance. They were nice horns.
You have a unique barrel, there.
It must do something for your set up to elicit such warm and cozy feelings.
If your sockets are too tight, maybe that is what is leading to the cracking, but the "choke" itself would not.
If this barrel works for you, you might want to check something of interest:
See if there is a gap between the bore of the barrel and the top of the UJ bore (and also in the mouthpiece-barrel joinery). A gap can negate the "choke" making the whole business of the "choke" a non issue.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-03-04 14:02
tictactux,
You wrote: "Speaking of barrels: I noticed that on all of my [wooden] horns which have shiny joint bores, the barrel's bore is, well, rather rough and unpolished. What's the plan behind that?"
I've noticed the same thing; however, my clarinet came with two barrels and I've only ever used one of them (for ~17 years). The unused one is still shiny. My guess is that the rough barrel is being "digested" by the enzymes in saliva and needs more frequent oiling to protect it.
The lack of shine does not seem to affect the sound.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-03-04 15:28
Stock barrels can be grainy or smooth, as can entire bores. This is even the case when new.Some just do not burnish as nicely as others.
Some techs and players believe there is more resonance in the grainier ones. I had a rather open-grained R13 that was incredibly resonant and a smooth one that was not.
"Handsome is as handsome does" as the saying goes.
Mr. Butler has a solution which may help you....I think I know what it is, and from what I gather, he has been quite successful with it. (Hint. He is in Texas)
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-03-05 00:51
"I've had an old Buffet barrel repaired twice, by a supremely competent repairman. It's cracked (in the same place) yet again..... Are there any more permanent fixes for these old wooden barrels?"
That depends on exactly what this technician did.
- Did he ensure that the tenon timber was not tight?
- Did he ensure that the metal rings were tight against the timber, all the way around.
- Did he ensure that the moisture gradient through the timber was stabilised by using a bore oil such as that from Doctor's Products?
- Did he put glue in the split, or a filler, and did he possibly widen the split so that such material, being thicker, had more chance of expanding and contracting with the timber movement.
- Did he pin or band the split?
- If he pinned, did he use an appropriate fit of hole and threaded rod so that the rod could shear in the hole?
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-03-05 01:04
I think the tech repaired this barrel as well as it could possibly be repaired. I just think several issues are undermining it, namely the wide humidity swings in this area (Washington, DC), the fact that the barrel has always had difficultly accepting mouthpieces (too tight for most), and, finally, the fact that the clarinet gets a lot of of use by me.
B.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-03-05 03:13
Whoa......you just answered the question.
If the mouthpiece is too tight, you are splitting it open yourself.
Have you considered widening the socket?
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: corks&pads
Date: 2006-03-07 16:55
"Mr. Butler has a solution which may help you....I think I know what it is, and from what I gather, he has been quite successful with it. (Hint. He is in Texas)" Jeez ... he's not planning to Bar-B-Que it, is he??!!!
(For the humor-impaired, please insert smiley face here.)
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-03-07 21:10
RRrrrrrrrrriiighhhhttttttttt.
But not the kind that OPEC exports.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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