 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-02-12 00:26
I have The Doctor's bore oil, but have not seen a push-through swab for oiling the bore in any of the stores here. Does anyone have advice on how to make an efficient one at home?
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2003-02-12 00:51
Doc Products instructions say use a cotton swab for this function but doesnt say whether it is a pull through or a push type...Hey doc, how bout some advice on this
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-02-12 01:39
A clean square (7-10 cm) of cotton muslin material tied in the middle with string or chord and then pulled through the bore works fine. I put little squares of waxed paper under the pads in case oil should drip through the tone holes (this should not happen if the swab is just moistened, not dripping wet with the bore oil) - although the oil will not harm the pads. My procedure - which is in a previous post - is to swab the wood and let it absorb overnight. Check the next morning and if there is visable oil on the wood you are done, if all the oil is absorbed the process should be repeated until there is visable oil after the overnight rest. I oil the outside of my horns too but clean the grime and dust off before oiling then apply wax.
I myself use a more fancy oil applicator which is a hardwood shotgun cleaning rod with a cotton fuzzy ball attachment used for cleaning shotgun barrels. This tip screws into the end of the cleaning rod and when I am done I pop the fuzzy ball into a zip-loc pouch for the next use. Plain cotton swabs can be pushed through with another end piece used for cleaning guns. Fine double barreled shotguns are another one of my weaknesses along with fine woodwind instruments.
The Doctor
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-02-12 02:35
Omar, I have a weakness for fine pistols and should have a rod that would be suitable. The "ball" will be too small, but could one use a "cotton ball swab" as an attachment? I realize that I can try it and see, but if others have a poor experience doing this and are willing to share it, I would prefer not to prove them right too.
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Author: Signe
Date: 2003-02-12 03:17
An oboe swab works pretty good. Not the pull-through kind. The kind with the wire rod and a fluffy brush. Signe
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-02-12 03:17
Karel,
The fuzzy ball cotton swab that I use is either a 10 ga. for the lower joint and 20 ga. for the upper joint. These gun cleaning fuzzy balls are manufactured to leave no lint and are relatively sturdy. A plain cosmetic type cotton ball would probably leave lint and also tear on the register tube in the upper joint. A plain piece of cotton muslin pulled through as a swab is probably a better bet. Most gun cleaning rods are metal - usually aluminum which is a soft metal but if the rod is inserted at an angle it could scratch the wood - the hardwood model is better and safer.
The Doctor
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2003-02-12 04:05
I use a string tied to a paper towel. Works great and is disposable. You may have to trim the size of the paper towel a little and tie a weight to the string.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2003-02-12 11:14
Doc is certainly "the" expert on the subject. I use an aluminum pistol cleaning rod but taped to prevent scratching. The circular gun patches prove adequate too and can be reused as per Doc's experience with the "ball". I use small pieces of aluminum foil under the pads rather than waxed paper as I find them easier to manipulate....and they are reusable.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-02-12 12:07
Karel,
If your bore cleaning kit has any rough edges, you could nick the wooden internal sections... particularly where the register vent intrudes.
I would get a cheapo pull-through swab of made of cotton for this.
Less chance to get stuck while pulling, anyway.
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Author: Hans
Date: 2003-02-12 13:59
Until something better comes along....I made my oiling swab out of chamois leather (from an auto supply store) tied to a string with a metal weight on the other end. The weight is wrapped in heat shrinkable tubing (from Radio Shack) to keep it from scratching the wood. Between uses I keep it in an air tight container.
Hans
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Author: Keith Ferguson
Date: 2003-02-12 17:05
Larry Naylor (a sponsor) supplies tapered brass bore oiling rods that hold a strip of suitable cotton cloth. The rod for the Bb clarinet is about 14 inches long. I have one and like the control it provides - it allows you to "paint" the oil inside the bore.
KF
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-02-12 17:50
I have not seen Larry's setup but I hesitate to put anything harder than the wood into the bore. I have received several emails asking where people can get a wooden shotgun cleaning rod that will accept the standard cotton fuzzy ball heads. The hardwood shotgun cleaning kit that I have (new fuzzy balls of course) is an antique made by Abercrombie & Fitch when they were a high class sportsman's store (now they just sell trendy teen clothes) and is no longer made. This is really a classy set with inset brass fittings that screw the rod together and a lathe turned burl wood handle all packaged in a handsome wooden box. Not many people would pay >$100.00 for an oiling setup. I guess that I could have a replica set made with a few modifications but the market is rather limited I would think unless a lot of clarinet players also shoot skeet.
The Doctor
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Author: Jim
Date: 2003-02-12 19:12
Just an idea Doc,
Take a look at this. www.silencio.com/borerunner.html
Of course you can do away with the wire brushes.Buit it might work. The full length one is sold at Cabela's for about $10.
Another thought I had was my hickory ramrod from my muzzleloader. But I don't think that the threads will take the 12ga bore swab. But, what I have used in the past (that I believe you recommended) was just a plain ol' cotton swab attached to a string.
Jim
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-02-13 00:49
I do so love this BB. The imagination, ingenuity, and resourcefulness of the posters is awesome!!! A good thing that I left teaching before the students got smarter than the professor. I guess that I will have to cancel the order for the replica A & F rods for the rich and famous clarinet players that have everything!
The Doctor
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-02-13 01:05
Thank you guys, and gals, for all your descriptions. It would seem that a piece of cotton cloth, perhaps layered and gathered, attached either to a weighted string or a length of thin wood dowelling rod will do. Like Omar, I really appreciate the "Phorum" for its generous willingness to share. For example, I will now construct and use my gadget without too much trepidation, having seen the variety of methods others have used without causing damage. Thanks again.
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Author: Hans
Date: 2003-02-13 01:13
I am wondering if there is any risk of sponteous combustion from oily pieces of cloth sitting in clarinet cases? Should these be stored in air tight metal boxes?
Hans
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