 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dad
Date: 2003-10-19 22:44
Hi, my daughter has just received a new Buffet e 13 and the bell joint has stuck fast. The retailer said if this happens then we are to take it back to be serviced. I am wondering what he will actually do to the instrument to stop this happening again. Thanks for your help, Dad.
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Author: wjk
Date: 2003-10-19 23:02
I had the same problem and a tech adjusted cork and a tiny bit of wood that was binding. It works fine now--I'd suggest you have a professional do this for you!
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-10-19 23:29
It happened to me 11 years ago (the clarinet was ~4 years old then), in spite of careful application of cork grease. A repair tech undid the stuck joint but the cork needed to be replaced. It hasn't happened again.
Hans
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-10-20 01:24
This is almost the norm now with brand new French instruments. It seems that the grenadilla now being used is not as dimensionally stable as that of some years ago, perhaps because of skimping on the ageing of the timber, and perhaps because of a shortage of top quality timber.
The technician will remove sufficient of the swollen timber to stop the jamming.
Different technicians will use different methods.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2003-10-20 01:52
I've found that joints sometimes stick together if cork is OVERgreased, as well as undergreased.
My recommendation...
When greasing cork, don't chapstick a whole blob onto it. Instead, rub your finger onto the source of the cork grease slightly, only enough so that your finger is greasy, not so that you can actually see the grease on your finger (you might see a slight reflection, but nothing more). Then rub this grease onto the cork. Repeat if necessary, but only until the cork feels slick. Then put your clarinet together. If cork grease oozes out between the joints, you've applied WAY too much grease. A new cork may need to be greased more frequently, but not with more grease.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-10-20 02:58
Removing these stuck joints definitely requires a knack. Get removed and freed up by somebody that knows what they are doing. The bell tenons can be a problem in humid weather so they need to be eased by somebody with experience and can be done by different methods as Gordon says. If it is still under warrantly then get it done by the dealer it is their responsibility and you may void the warranty by taking it elsewhere.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-10-20 12:28
I've never had a joint stick because of too much grease but agree that one should use the minimum necessary to facilitate joining.....and also agree with the finger method. Doc's does work best....in my opinion.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-10-20 14:26
I emphasise that the problem of a jammed tenon joint on a regularly used clarinet is nothing to do with the grease, nor the cork. It is to do with swollen timber. Actually parting them to attend to the problem is not difficult for somebody experienced in doing so.
However, most greases on the market do dry out to a sticky residue which actually makes a joint more difficult to assemble, while at the same time 'claiming space' hence over-compressing the cork, while at the same time destroying the resilience of the cork.
I recommend either of the Doctor's products, or Alisyn cork grease. These products are not readily available elsewhere because the ingredients are many times more expensive than those in the generally marketed products, leaving no room for gross profits built into the marketing.
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