 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-11-03 23:35
many curse words have been written about these, and until this weekend I thought of them as a built-in design flaw....until I forgot to zip my bass case and the lower joint found itself subject to gravity.
All four pins were cleanly sheared off, probably taking the brunt of the impact. Apart from that just some slightly bent rods but no other damage, and I was able to play the rest of the rehearsal weekend successfully, albeit only right-handed.
I don't know what would have happened if the pins were steel or other "durable" material...
--
Ben
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-11-04 00:06
I doubt if that was one of the advantages Buffet's designers had in mind, but I guess it worked out well in your case.
Karl
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-04 13:07
"Shear Pins" have been used for eons in various applications, so, IMO it is possible that Buffet designers purposely elected to go the plastic route after they got numerous complaints of bent keys. IF they purposely chose nylon, however, it was not necessarily the best choice due to nylon's hygroscopic nature.
Bob Draznik
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-11-04 14:03
Ben, your Buffet clarinet was originally designed as a spacecraft (intended for low-Earth orbit) and the nylon shear pins were actually meant to allow separation of the clarinet body (spacecraft) from the launch vehicle (booster); with the shock provided by small explosive charges rather than your unintentional floor-impact event. So, despite the unusual method of actuation, they worked as designed, more or less. Kudos to Buffet.
In the future, please try to be more careful, eh?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-11-04 14:50
BobD wrote:
> "Shear Pins" have been used for eons in various applications,
> so, IMO it is possible that Buffet designers purposely elected
> to go the plastic route after they got numerous complaints of
> bent keys. IF they purposely chose nylon, however, it was not
> necessarily the best choice due to nylon's hygroscopic nature.
>
It always seemed pretty clear to me that Buffet substituted nylon for metal to silence the linkage and eliminate the need for silencing materials that were (still are on other brands) mandatory to avoid the metal on metal clanking of steel pins.
Short of a more effective re-design of the linkages themselves, another more durable plastic or other synthetic would be a boon to the clarinet world in this application. But not having to maintain fish skin or other coverings, which eventually wear out and need replacement, over the pins is, at least in theory, a great convenience.
I think if I owned a clarinet with nylon pins, though, I would carry extras in my case and whatever tool is needed to remove a broken stub.
Karl
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-11-04 16:04
Delrin (trade name for an acetal resin) would probably have been a better choice than nylon (itself a Dupont trade name) for the pins, I think. I remember when I was much younger there was a French company whose bicycle shift levers were made of Delrin -- we didn't like the feel of them as they were somewhat flexible (compared to the more common steel or cast aluminum levers) but I can't recall ever breaking one either.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-11-04 16:50
If you want durability with Buffet's nylon pins, drill them through with an 0.5mm drill (.20"), then push a No.9 (0.55mm or .22") needle spring all the way through them and finally grind the ends flush which will give them strength.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-04 18:55
A spool of the right diameter "Week Whacker" line will provide years of replacement pins. The problem with nylon is that it swells and contracts with changes in humidity. This can put enough stress on the pin where it enders the holding lever to weaken the pin. And....if the exit end of the lever hole is "sharp" this makes it even worse. It was never obvious to me why Buffet made the change.
Bob Draznik
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-11-05 13:46
Bob, if you're not careful with the Week Whacker you can make it too short and are left with a Week End which is not strong and will break, besides being only two days long.
![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-11-05 18:31
David, I managed to undo nearly all damage this afternoon, via careful tapping, bending, aligning. Replacement pins are on their way... (£0.20 each at WindPlus).
And yes, certain things won't happen to me again.
--
Ben
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