 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dana
Date: 2004-05-08 23:39
Author: Dana (---.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com)
Date: 2004-05-08 23:35
Hello everyone, I've been getting A LOT of water in my C#/Ab and Eb/Bb keys and I came across "Water in keys" discussion from few years back.
I found Jonathan Farquhar's technique interesting.
He wrote:
"Take all the keys off the upper joint, grind a candle up, dip a cotton wool bud in the shaved wax and twist it around the inside of the tone holes. This should prevent water from getting in them."
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I was wondering if anyone has tried this method. I am concerned that the wax from the candle may be damaging to the pads if it builds up inside of the tone holes... OR to us, as we may inhale some of the wax...
***Also, does anyone think how one blows into the clarinet may attribute to water in keys? (ie, improper breathing?)
Thank you for your help.
Dana
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Author: hans
Date: 2004-05-09 00:18
Dana,
According to The Petroleum Handbook, candles are usually made from paraffin wax, which is commonly used for food wrappers (e.g., waxed paper) so that there is unlikely to be any hazard from eating it inadvertently. Candle wax is not volatile so that inhaling it is not a problem either.
Build up of wax, or anything else, in tone holes might cause a tuning problem.
Wax interferes with growth of moulds and bacteria, which could be a good thing (maybe I'll try waxing my reeds).
If you feel that you are blowing excessive amounts of water into your clarinet, you could try swallowing more frequently. Others may have more useful suggestions.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: Dana
Date: 2004-05-09 02:04
Thanks Hans, I never thought of swallowing more often. I'll try that.
Dana
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Author: ron b
Date: 2004-05-09 03:34
Hans' suggestion should solve the problem.
But, if you decide to use wax please use it sparingly. Paraffin wax will not harm pads. It's the dirt (abrasive) that gets on the wax that got on your pads that will do them in. If you use wax in the bore, or work some into the tone holes, try not to let it get out of bounds. A little goes a long way.
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-05-09 14:52
I suppose "cotton buds" are Qtips. If...I say IF....you are going to pursue such a treatment why not just rub a birthday cake candle on the hole wall?
Not further comment as I haven't tried it and don't intend to.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-05-09 16:19
One advantage in waxing your clarinet might be that if your stand light went out in the middle of the second act, you could always light the paraffin wax in your least used tone hole for light........LOL.......(OK, I'll get over it)
But seriously, if moisture is a big problem, perhaps, in addition to the "swallowing technique", you could use your silk swab more often. I usually get moisture in my side Eb/Bb key and for that, blowing it out or using cigarette paper usually solves any short term problem. But during the first intermission, I always make certain that I swab a couple of times.
(and you saxophonists should not pack your instrument without first swabbing the neck and the body to prevent "horn halitosis")
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-05-09 19:06
Doctor Omar Henderson, who pays me not one red cent to say all these nice things about his stuff, offers a wax intended for use on woodwind instruments.
Yes, most candles are made nowadays of paraffin wax. It is a long-chain hydrocarbon which is not toxic to humans, but I don't know what it might do to wood. Neither do many other people, probably. But The Doctor knows.
Aside from that, some candles (hand-made, mostly) are made of tallow, an animal product which I suspect is really not too great for use on wood. Bur I'm not sure.
I would much prefer to spend a few bux and get the real stuff from The Doctor's Products.
Regards,
John
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-05-09 21:18
Swallwing more often seems at first glance to be the best advice...
However, do you really think all of what gets in your tone holes is saliva? Most of what you swab out from your clarinet is condensation from your breath, like what you get when you breathe on a window.
I have the same trouble, but I wouldn't recommend the wax method, the idea of putting anything foreign in something as sensitive as a clarinet makes me shudder.
Some people (I've never investigated it...I just swab out lots, and carry plenty of cigarette papers!) say that ensuring the bore of your clarinet is as smooth as possible will let the water escape more easily. So, oiling the bore may help.
Another way...buy a Rossi or Howarth clarinet, they supposedly have angles tone holes to stop it happening!
Danny.
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Author: jmsa
Date: 2004-05-10 15:28
Somewhere in a past post I saw where master repair technician, Mark Jacobi painted almond oil on the bore side of the toneholes, which completely deterred moisture of all types. however you may need two applications. Quite ingenius.
jmsa
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