 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarigirl
Date: 2003-11-23 03:04
I've had my clarinet now for two and a half year, and I haven't oiled my keys yet. Is it time to do so around now? How do you know when? When I push down the keys for low E/ B, I get a "clappy" sound that reminds me of a saxophone putting down their keys. Any ideas?
-NS
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Author: Dee
Date: 2003-11-23 03:17
Sounds like the key may have lost a cork or the little "silencer" where the key rod goes into the post. Take it to a repair tech and they can fix it quickly and cheaply.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-23 08:33
It could be:
- Missing silencing material
- Compressed or otherwise hardened silencing material.-
- The felt in pads has become compressed and hardened.
- Loose pivot point screws.
- Other play in pivots.
- Lack of lubrication. 2 years is a long time.
- Inappropriate viscosity of lubricant used.
- Damaged or missing 'silencer skins' between the low levers and their respective keys.
- Slightly bent metal parts hitting each other.
- Generally poor adjustment.
Or most likely, a combination of the above. Good technicians deal with all of these during routine servicing.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-11-23 08:49
It is a good idea to get your instrument serviced yearly. In between they keywork should be oiled, carefully, regularly. 2 1/2 years is too long between routine oiling. All of what Gordon says is correct, the bridge and crows foot corks probably need to be looked at also.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-11-23 15:59
When ever I go to my repair tech complaining of "noisy keys", one of the things she always does is oil the keys. It's suprising to me how quickly this is accomplished. And it usually helps, I think, by the lubircant providing more "padding" at all of the metal-on-metal points that may become--without oil-- a bit loose and "klunky". I notice that Gordon also mentioned this, and I am simply adding my support to the importance of frequent lubrication. But also remember, quality over quantity. If you are a doityourselfer, use only a "pin drop" of lubicant--if even that much--at each key "joint". Too much oil will just run and make everything messy. That is why, being a klutz, I rely on my repair tech for oilings instead of perhaps causing the oil cartel's price per barrel to rise.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-23 19:48
Oiling can take 1 minute, or many times longer for a thorough job.
Beyond the tip of any pivot point screw is a hole drilled in the end of the key rod. When a key is taken off the instrument, this entire hole can be filled with oil, using a hypodermic syringe or similar. It becomes an oil reservoir for that particular pivot.
After assembly, this oil cannot escape past the pivot screw, because of capillary action issues at the region where the screw meets the metal of the drilling in the end of the key rod.
When an instrument is lubricated in this fashion, with a very-slow-to-evaporate synthetic lubricant, the lubricant lasts a long time. I have seen no evidence that any manufacturer uses this system.
On the other hand, if a tiny drop of oil is added while the keys are still mounted, this oil is immediately effective, but it cannot get past that area area of capillary action mentioned above, so it cannot refill the reservoir.
Most of the time I lubricate routinely with a top-up, but during an overhaul, or for a customer who finds it very difficult to part with his instrument for servicing more often than every few years, I do the thorough job, taking keys off and replenishing the reservoirs.
For the keys with pivot tubes and long rods, lubricant stays in these for far longer than for the point screws, depending on the length of the pivot, especially when slow-evaporation lubricant is used.
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2003-11-24 18:12
Yes, definitely it is time to oil. Take your time...15 minutes or so for those of us that don't do it that often.
My instructor said my 6-month old R-13 sounded like a "percussion section" around the bottom keys. I did a light oiling, and there was a noticible quieting of the keys. If you don't want to go the hypodermic needle route, Yamaha sells a good quality oil in a tiny bottle with a long skinny spout, great for the three or four tight spots we need to get to.
Then if there is still too much clunk after that, spend the money on a good look by a good tech.
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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