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 loose ring on bell
Author: john gibson 
Date:   2003-05-05 01:30

Just had the horn overhauled....and the silver ring on the bottom of the bell....is spinning around and around....should I oil the bell....or what the heck? I know there's probably a thread on this.....but I've not found the search portion of the sight as user friendly as....or maybe its just me....
Help with the loose ring please...thanks...

the real John Gibson
(not the guy on FOX)

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: Robert Small 
Date:   2003-05-05 04:26

Take it back to whoever did the the overhaul (or any competent tech) and get it tightened. Takes about 20 seconds.

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: Mark Pinner 
Date:   2003-05-05 10:32

Tightened or packed? Makes little difference.

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: hans 
Date:   2003-05-05 12:01

Mark,
You wrote: "Tightened or packed? Makes little difference."
You have piqued my curiosity and now I am wondering what is involved, in case I need to ask for this some day. A search did not turn up additional information. If you can spare a minute, perhaps you would enlighten me?
Thank you,
Hans

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: Don Berger 
Date:   2003-05-05 14:18

I posted here recently re: my loose ring success. So, again, following J B's suggestion, I found some Apricot oil [preferred over Almond oil by some] , gave the bell a modest application, which tightened the L7 ring significantly. Then, with the return of higher relative humidities with "spring weather", I checked R H's throughout our home, finding the higher ones in kitchen and bathrooms, no great surprise!, and began storing my L7 and CT in a corner of the bathroom. Rings are very snug now. I didn't want the ring-shrinking "operation" for fear of bell-cracking, unless obviously required. Luck, Don

Thanx, Mark, Don

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: Henry 
Date:   2003-05-05 14:42

I recently had a thread on this BB on this topic, as I had loose rings at all the sockets, as well as the bell. I managed to tighten the socket rings by carefully winding thin strips of cigarette paper around the sockets and pressing the rings back on. Of course, this cannot be done with the bell ring. Applying oil did nothing for me (I don't think oil swells the wood at all; only moisture can do that.) More recently, I had my clarinet completely overhauled. The tech insisted that the way to deal with this problem is to "crimp" all the rings with a special machine. As Don, I was slightly concerned about this, in view of possible cracking, but I had enough confidence in him to let him do it. All rings are very tight now and there is no sign of any cracking. I just hope and pray that this will not change with the increasing humidity.
Henry

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: SusanB 
Date:   2003-05-05 14:45

My bell ring (on the bottom of the bell) was loose, and my repair tech made me a little humidifier out of a film canister, which he said to store in the bell. This fixed my problem. My ring is no longer loose.

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: JMcAulay 
Date:   2003-05-05 14:51

There have been a number of threads re oiling the Clarinet, humidity, loose rings, etc.

Here's a brief summary of my view: I am not a believer in mechanically tightening loose rings. When the instrument was new, they should have fit. If a ring loosens, it is due to shrinkage of the wood, which is in turn due to water leaving the wood in a low humidity environment. If this water is replaced by appropriate non-volatile oil, there will be much less opportunity of future shrinkage. If the lost water is replaced by more water, the Clarinet will be at the mercy of its environment forever.

I suggest considering the use of "Bore Doctor," an oil produced especially for wood instruments by Dr. Omar Henderson, a Bulletin Board sponsor.

Regards,
John



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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: BobD 
Date:   2003-05-05 15:40

JMcAulay remarks are "right on". But I can't help making my own: It is amazing how sensitive wood in clarinets is to slight changes in humidity. Perhaps your technician's shop was dryer than where you were storing your horn. To put your wood in a more or less stable condition requires that it have both moisture in it as well as some bore oil in the surface layers. Maybe your horn needed oiling before you had it worked on but oiling was not included in the overhaul. There are various interpretations of "overhaul".
I certainly agree with John's attitude on mechanical crimping and especially would be upset at getting a horn back from any "overhaul" with a loose bell ring.

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: Burt 
Date:   2003-05-05 22:31

I bought a used Buffet bell with a loose end ring. After a heavy oiling (ordinary bore oil), it's tight.

Burt

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 Re: loose ring on bell
Author: jbutler 2017
Date:   2003-05-05 22:44

Okay, Yes the amount of moisture does affect the fit of the ring. Yes, oiling with the correct oil does help with the fit of the rings and posts. I've restored plenty of clarinets that come to me with everything and I mean everything loose. Sometimes it takes a good three to four weeks for the clarinet to stop soaking up the oil. I really don't think that "hot oil immersion" is any better than letting the oil soak in naturally. I've done it both ways.

Once in a great while I have to use a ring press. Twice in the last year anyway. I didn't own one so I had to go to another music store and use one there with the graciousness of one of my friends. I finally broke down a purchased one this year.

My advice follows those above. Monitor the humidity level in the case. Apply a good bore oil such as the Dr's. and the bell ring should stabilize.

jbutler

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