 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-07-07 19:22
hi folks,
I've recently bought an old Leblanc clarinet (as some of you will remember my requests for help in selecting a wooden instrument !!)
My question is :
How often should it be oiled ??? Oh ......... and HOW ???
Is this something I should do or leave it to the expert and take it in for an MOT every 12 mths or so ????
I bought a care kit for wooden clarinets with a so-called instruxtion leaflet in it which frankly is worse than useless !!!
Appreciate your help as ever.
Thanks
Sue
:)
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-07-07 20:48
Sue,
Oil seals the pores of the wood and makes the bore shine. When it starts to lose its shine, it's time to oil it.
Protect the pads with small pieces of plastic during oiling.
Place a small amount of bore oil on a swab and run it through the instrument when the bore is dry; i.e., before practicing.
Here is a site with a discussion on oiling that might be useful:
http://www.naylors-woodwind-repair.com/GrenadillaWood.htm
Hans
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2003-07-07 22:36
Hi, Sue, I used the Doctor's oiling products on my LeBlanc, and they were good. The doctor recommends oiling every three months or so. I have read other posts that say twice a year. I guess, as Hans said, you can tell if the shine gets dull. There seems to be a feeling that it's bad to overdo it also. Maybe others will comment on that. Like so many, I find the Doctor's products to be excellent, and the service is great. I called with a question about my order and spoke to the man himself. Now that's something in this day and age.
Leonard
Post Edited (2003-07-07 22:36)
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-07-08 12:23
(Disclaimer - I sell bore oil and oiling applicators) As Hans indicates - your clarinet will tell you when it needs oil. My observation is that the first indicator is the wood inside the first tenon (where the barrel attaches). When it starts to look grey, rather than black and shiny, and dull then I oil the bore. Each piece of wood in your clarinet is different and you handle it enough to see the signs of drying. Some wood will remain black and shiny for a long time while others require more frequent oiling. It also depends on the amount that you play and swab. More moisture and frequent swabing will remove more oil from the surface few millimeters of wood. I check my horn often and for my situation I oil about every 3-4 months.
I would look to see what oil you are using. If it is colorless and clear it is probably light mineral oil (baby oil) which is often sold as bore oil. IMHO mineral oil is not good for the wood in the long term. This is not the oil that was used to impregnate the wood (which is plant derived) at manufacture by the "Big 4" and why they sell it in the after-market is beyond my comprehension.
The Doctor
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-08 12:45
Generally agree with the above and you can believe the Doctor's advice is good. I use small pieces of aluminum foil under the pads of the keys that are in the closed position rather than plastic as I find them easier to manipulate. An easy way to oil is to get a shotgun cleaning/oiling kit. Comes with an aluminum rod with threaded end to hold a "cotton ball" size swab. Put oil on the swab and insert through bores. Keep the swab in an airtight container for future use. On the top section do not attempt to push the swab past the thumb and register key tubes......go from each end separately. The above works for me(use Doctor's bore oil).
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-07-09 05:26
I was taught to oil seasonally ie. at the change of seasons. I prefer to use more natural oils than the commercially available bore oil. I have found sweet almond oil and linseed oil to be the two best. The almond oil takes a little longer to soak in than linseed. Commercial petroleum based oils soak in quickly but usually go straight through to the outside.
If restoration of the wood is required then the process usually requires a full overhaul of the clarinet. All keys and posts need to be removed, keeping track of where the posts go is difficult most repairers will string them up in the order they came off or use an assembly board. It can take well over a fortnight of oiling to bring the wood back slowly and some repairers actually soak the joints in the oil and then let them dry.
I have struck many old horns where the wood is still in great condition and many more that have dried out to the extent where they need at least a fortnight of oiling and then drying time. A cigarette papers under closed pads will also offer some protection. If the papers get oil on them you are using too much.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-07-09 12:13
If you are using just olive oil I seriously suggest you search all the previous discussion and expert advice offered in this forum.
Olive oil + time & contaminants eventually = rancid oil &/or polymerisation, turning it into something resembling smelly, half-set varnish. I've seen it on the shelf under the olive oil bottle. Ugh!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-09 14:35
But of course there are different purity grades of olive oil. I suppose one would have to use it as a bore oil for some extended period of time to determine if rancidity was a real problem.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-07-09 18:27
Once upon a time, I used Olive Oil with no apparent problems. I now use Bore Doctor from The Doctor's Products to minimize the possibility of rancidity.
IMO, oil should be used when needed. My use and the environment of my Clarinets are not constant. Hence, oiling on a schedule would seem no more reasonable to me than changing reeds on a schedule. It depends on too many variables. YMMV.
Regards,
John
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2003-07-09 20:53
Along the same lines - when to oil - Is a lack of water beading inside the instrument a sign that oiling is necessary? Should it bead up just like a freshly Simonized car or is beading an irrelevant indication?
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-09 23:23
Don't really know about the beading thing. But I'm inclined to think that a properly oiled bore won't have surface tension properties like a simonized surface. On the other hand if one were to use tung or linseed oil and subsequently polish the bore the results might be different. There are those who are proponents of those methods.
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-07-10 18:40
Thanks for all your suggestions folks - it seems that I should oil periodically but I'm still a bit confused as to the "how" exactly???
I can understand the need to protect the keys with either paper or foil but ....... er ......................... do you oil from the inside or the outside of the instrument ????
I assumed that you oiled the outside but having read some of your posts- particularly the one from Hans, I'm not so sure now.
Not really sure what you mean by the "bore" either I'm afraid - I'm sure I should but sadly I don't !!
Can anyone explain a little further to me please ???
Thanks for your patience !!!!!
Sue
:)
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-07-10 19:58
Hi Sue,
I'm sorry I have confused you. Please let me try again.
The bore is the inside of the tube, which needs protection from moisture and from the enzymes in our saliva. We achieve that protection by applying special bore oil to it.
Oil the bore when it is dry (before practising), by placing a small amount of bore oil (not the same thing as key oil) on a swab or other applicator and passing it through the disassembled sections of the clarinet. Swab out the excess the next day if you haven't used and swabbed out the clarinet in the meantime.
I wipe the outside of my clarinet with a little bore oil occasionally to keep it looking healthy, but the inside needs it the most. Here are some other maintenance tips:
The clarinet should be disassembled and the bore should be swabbed dry after each use with an absorbent material (like silk or chamois, which don't leave fibres behind) attached to one end of a piece of string with a weight at the other end. Be careful in swabbing the upper section, since swabs sometimes get stuck there. Pulling the swab against the side of the bore without protruberances as it is pulled through may reduce the risk of a stuck swab. Each section's mortise and tenon joints should be dried too.
Mouthpieces should be kept clean by washing in warm - never hot, which can warp a mouthpiece - soapy water and dried with a soft cloth after use. Do not force a swab through the mouthpiece or pull it through quickly.
Key mechanisms should be kept clean and bearings oiled with key oil when they seem dry. Do not apply too much - a small drop applied with the tip of a needle is enough.
If you are not sure what supplies you need to maintain your clarinet, you could consult with The Doctor (he brings science to the art of clarinet playing; his insightful comments are above), who is a sponsor of this BB. I have seen many favorable comments about both him and his products here.
Best wishes to you and your new "toy",
Hans
Post Edited (2003-07-10 22:42)
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Author: bannedfromdelphi
Date: 2003-07-11 04:46
I don't think you know what you are talking about, I have used Olive oil for over 30 years and not one of my clarinets have ever cracked. Please do not state your assumptions as fact that others may be influenced by your lack of real knowledge.
[ and you sir, need to go read and understand rule #1 on this BBoard. Mark C. ]
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-07-11 05:00
The cracking issue:
As has been stated several times in this forum:
Some pieces of timber will never crack, irrespective of what you do.
Some will crack no matter what you do.
Bore oil is used as one of the methods to guard against the OTHERS cracking.
This topic is probably not about your particular clarinet.
BTW did you know it was one of the will-never-crack variety when you bought it?
The choice-of-oil issue.
There are many other factors involved here apart from the one of cracking.
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-07-11 14:02
bannedfromdelphi,
Thank you for your comments.
Congratulations on your 30 years of success with olive oil. I have been playing clarinet and saxophone for only 44 years but am always willing to learn from the experience of others.
Re the choice of oil... my clarinet's manufacturer, who has been making clarinets for over 100 years and is likely to know more about this than either of us, recommends special bore oil rather than a food product.
You may be sure that I would not represent my opinion as fact.
I hope that the obvious chip on your shoulder does not interfere too much with your clarinet playing.
Hans
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-11 14:06
Somebody wrote: "I don't think you know what you are talking about"
I assure you that you are incorrect in your assumption. On the other hand, if you have been doing what you say you have then perhaps you are onto something.
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-07-12 11:44
Oooops I seem to have started something .........sorry !
Thanks very much Hans for taking the time to post such detailed instructions for me - they're great - just what I needed !
Thanks again Hans
Sue
:)
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Author: William
Date: 2003-07-12 14:30
Once again, for the record--I've never oiled any of my twelve wood clarinets and have never had any of them crack. Good wood, good luck....maybe, but I also do not know "first hand" of any clarinetist who does oil their bore regularily. My theory is that if it is going to crack--it will. (And if it does, have it repaired) Crackage of wood clarinets remains an unpredictable science and it's prevention via oiling, unsubtanciated and unverifiable.
To oil or to oil not, that is the question (sorry WS). And it is anybody's guess. Good luck with yours.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-12 18:54
William, you certainly have had good luck and your theory is hard to refute but it does remind me of a friend of mine years ago who never changed the oil in his autos and who never had serious engine problems. Still.....bore oil is relatively inexpensive and the process simple enough. Call it wishful thinking, superstition or insurance......I oil my wood horns and have never had one crack. Knock on wood!
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