The Clarinet BBoard

Re: Glue for cork

Author: ron b  Date:   2004-04-28 17:54 Hi, Britbrit I'd like to hear more about your instrument since a lot of us are interested in the 'historical' ones. Why it appealed to you in the first place. Why you decided to fix it. Things like that. Cork glue. What did you use to install the pads? Chances are good that the same stuff will serve for adhering the tenon and key cork as well. However... Historically... up until the '50s and 60's, in my experience, shellac (stick) was commonly used to adhere cork to just about everything. The cork is first cut to a proper width and a little longer than the circumference. One end of the cork is then beveled, about 45 degrees or so. A small spatula, sorta like a little butter knife, was heated over an alcohol lamp flame and used to heat and smear the shellac onto the tenon surfaces. Then the shellac was heated, a small section at a time, while the cork was pressed into place, going 'round the tenon and ending with the beveled end overlapped a bit. The seam end was then sanded to make the cork's circumference even all around the tenon - then reduced if necessary to make a snug fit into the socket. Apply your favorite cork grease in the usual manner. All in all, a rather messy and time consuming process. Nowadays... nearly all repairers use contact cement; the kind you find in hardware stores and home improvement centers does a good job. Thin when necessary, to a not too thin but runny consistency, with M.E.K. (methyl ethyl keytones). Caution: it's highly flammable. Another caution: DO NOT use "contact cement thinner" sold by hardware stores - it's a Remover, not a thinner. Use it only as an after-use Cleaner. If you add it to contact cement it'll ruin it's adhesive properties. Use M.E.K. for thinning -- which you'll find at the same store where you purchase contact cement. Cut your cork in the usual manner. Thinly coat both the tenon area to be corked and the cork surface, one side only, including the beveled end surface, that's to be stuck to it. Allow ten minutes for both coated surfaces to dry. Beginning with the beveled end, begin wrapping the cork around the tenon and finally ending with the end overlapping and sticking to the bevel. Trim off the end and sand evenly all 'round to a snug fit. Apply your favorite cork lubricant. Now you can clean up any contact cement with a thinner-moistened cloth or just rub it off with your fingers. Much less time involved, easier cleanup and the cork should be free of any bumps you often get with the shellac method. Contact cement is also used for corking keys in the same manner. Coat both surfaces, apply when dry (test with a fingerNAIL, not your [oily] skin) then trim with a sharp blade. - rn b -

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Re: Glue for cork

Author: ron b  Date:   2004-04-29 05:47 I find the same thing, Jim. Rubber (paper) cement will not withstand as much stress as contact cement to begin with and any grease or oil will spoil its bonding qualities. It'll shorten the lifetime of contact cement as well. Cheer up, though; there's a way to slow, although maybe not completely arrest, the action. Working plenty of paraffin wax into fresh cork will delay the penetration of grease through the cork to the cement. You apply the wax after you have a good snug fit but before applying any grease. Do all your sanding/fitting before waxing. It's kinda tricky getting the paraffin into the cork though, so you might want to take it to an experienced corker the first time and ask if you can observe. Your local tech may or may not know about this technique so you may have to ask around 'til you find one who does. Short explanation: the waxing is done by rubbing the cork liberally (moderately aggressive) with paraffin, then heat over an open flame - allow to cool. Repeat the process until the cork is thoroughly waxed. All the pores should be filled in with wax. Then use a small amount of cork grease. A dab of Dr. Slick 'should' last at least a century* Caution: the danger is that you might burn the cork if your reflexes aren't quick. You need to heat just enough to melt the wax but not burn the cork. Do it incrementally, with a slight twisting motion, one-quarter to maybe one-third turn at a time. [ I just had a thought. Maybe a (hair) blow dryer would do as well. I haven't tried this, but it might work. ] Anyway, waxed cork will outlast unwaxed cork by a very long time - guaranteed _____________________________ * well... maybe a little less :\ rb Post Edited (2004-04-29 05:51)

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Re: Glue for cork

Author: mw  Date:   2004-05-01 18:21 Agree, Gordon it's a very tactile & "sticky" subject! [sorry couldn't resist!] Permatex is recommended by more than a few repair people - it's use has been echoed on the Napbirt thread - notably by Steve Goodson (SaxGourmet) & other Napbirt guru's. It is available @ Autozone, etc. Certainly, one would try to avoid a situation where a *different* glue/adhesive/contact cement is used for each (type) instrument; rather most techs try & utilize 1 brand of adhesive that will suit a variety of (installation) purposes. Many use Contact Cement for Clarinet, Oboe, etc. but use Shellac for Sax pads, etc. ************************** We've mentioned Ferree's, Ed Myer's, Votaw, etc. My point in mentioning these suppliers has been 2-fold (or more). 1. These are vendorss where you can buy excellent quality Contact Cements (equal to the quality that most techs use - not to say that you can't buy adhesives locally- but I am picky and have been happier with purchases from these suppliers). (free) Catalogues are available. Novices can learn simply by reading the Catalogues, to be sure. [ certain suppliers like Allied, Kraus, the Manufacture, etc. will ONLY sell to the Trade - definitions & requirements vary as to what constitutes "trade" ] 2. Besides offering Adhesive, they Vendors (all) sell excellent quality Pads & Cork (& specialty tools & other supplies like hycotek-style cork, felt, fishskin, feeler gauges, etc.). The Pads (& other supplies) you can get are superior and vary in quality & style (thick, thin, plush, hard, leather, fishskin, cork, valentino style, etc.). This is very important if you are trying to MAINTAIN quality, etc. If you have been using inferior Pads - an entire new world is available to you. [be advised that these same vendors also sell some crap too - like anything else caveat emptor - ask questions - vendors like Votaw are happy to answer questions] Very few people will be successful doing their own repair work without a Mentor or Course Study or hands-on assistance - very few, yet there are some who will be succeed. Those that succeed have an aptitude, strong engineerring or repair background, were born to it, etc. Most who dabble will find that they end up wasting their money & that they do more "damage or messing up" by attempting instrument repair & maintenance. None of the foregoing is meant to discourage, rather it's simply to relay the odds for success. Post Edited (2004-05-02 02:13)

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