 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-12 15:20
What do you use to Humidify your Clarinet? Getting to the time to be starting soon doing it.
I use the Humisdat which lasts up to a week.
http://www.humistat.com
 fill with water and the amount of moisture can be adjusted for drier climates, etc.
I've tried orange peels once after not liking the Dampit, but they made the bell ring turn black.
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-10-12 15:23
I use orange peels. Never had the discoloration problem. Also makes for good conversation.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-10-12 15:39
I avoid the problem entirely by playing mostly hard-rubber clarinets (or metal ones), and metal saxophones and flutes. Wood is a pain to maintain.
Submitted only partially in jest.......... ![[yeah]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley17.gif)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-12 15:47
David B, I also have a couple of them and a copy of the patent ! , will find and post the #. Our home has an ante-room adjoining our "big" bathroom [with shower], so I got a "wall-mounted" weather center, and observe humidity levels often, never below 40%, maybe above 55 on rainy days, so thats where I store my good woods. Other rooms are always lower, down to 20% in dry winters. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: William
Date: 2004-10-12 15:48
Over the past 45 yrs of clarinetting, I have never worried about humidification of any of my instruments (currently, about 16 wood clars). That is not to say that some of them may need it--I have just never noticed any problems with the clarinets that I regularily play, nor the older ones I occassionally bring out for nostalgia.
BTW, perhaps for all of us "out here", someone (DB?) could describe some of the specific warning signs of clarinet dehydration and its effect on performance. And I do not mean the old joke that a properly hydrated clarinet burns more slowly in your fireplace. Really, how does one tell without sophisticated measuring instruments at hand or/and what playing characteristics (or changes thereof) may suggest its time to humidify?
(DB--thanks for the pic)
Hmmm......I just checked the website and noticed that one of its porported advantages is that it slows the aging process. At 64, I wonder if..............(oh well). In any case, I have seldom experianced any of the other problems listed--shrinkage (never), sticky pads, cracking (never), etc. Still, anything else to watch out for?? (seriously, all kidding aside)
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2004-10-12 16:31
An old prescrition bottle, with holes drilled in it and a saturated sponge inside. It has worked for 40 years.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-12 17:49
Signs of a too dry Clarinet are that the rings for the barrel and (sometimes) Bell get loose.
I used to use a pillbox and sponge too - but the humistat lasts around a week without having to fill it. The sponge dried out fairly quickly (but not as quick as the dampits which I didn't like at all).
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-10-12 18:15
I also use a homemade pill bottle with a few holes drilled in the cap. If you get one just the right size it will fit nicely where your mouthpiece was. How long it lasts depends on a lot of things including how many holes you drill in the cap. Don't drill the bottom of the bottle cause then it won't hold water from the tap until you stick the sponge in. I'm sure the pictured one works just as well.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Dori
Date: 2004-10-12 19:12
I recently realized my humidifer is actually the chamois swab. The swab has never gotten moldy or smelly, nor has there been any cracks or loose rings in the 34 years I have had this instument. After swabbing the clarinet, I LOOSELY bunch up the swap and wrap the cord around it & stick it back in the case (mine has a place for it right in the center). This might not work for everyone, but so far it does the trick for me.
Also, I make sure to never store the case against an outside wall or near a heating vent, and NEVER leave it in the car. My clarinet has come into work with me and been in restaurants (It is always well-behaved and never asks for soda or dessert.).
Dori
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2004-10-12 19:25
If I pratise enough, there is enough moisture going through my intrument. No need for anything else. If the beel ring is loose, guess what it means...
-S
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: VermontJM
Date: 2004-10-12 19:31
I let my eefer into the bathroom while taking a shower for a couple of weeks when the rings were falling off the barrel. I was also keeping a film canister with holes in the top and some wet cotton in it in the case. This helped the moisture issue.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-10-12 20:23
Humidity is a concern for clarinets in both wet and dry environments. The ideas for humidification are all good but I take the extra step of "knowing" what the Relative Humidity is within my case by having a hygrometer - otherwise you are guessing!! A good RH range is between 45% and 65%. From online stores you can buy an inexpensive analog small hygrometer that they put in cigar humidors for $5-$7.00 US. These may not be calibrated but with such a wide range a 10% error is not going to hurt anything. If your are AR like me there are calibration procedures to get them within 1-2% error or you can spring for a small digital hygrometer. Along with humitity problems there is also heat a cold to be concerned with during the Winter months - these should be addressed too and just treat your clarinet as you would an infant and protect it from temperature extremes.
The Doctor
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-10-12 20:41
Aha....so that's why my horn burps occasionally...
Bob Draznik
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Author: Henry
Date: 2004-10-12 21:02
If, as the Doctor says, the "ideal" RH in a clarinet case is between 45 and 65%, then relying on pure water as the humidifier is the wrong way to go. In a tightly closed case, pure water will produce 100% RH. Much too wet! In that sense, orange peels might be preferable, or, better still, some appropriate aqueous solution of, say, sugar.
Henry
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-12 21:38
That's why the humistat has control vents - you can release only a small amt of vapor or more if needed.
Not too much moisture at all.
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Author: DTH
Date: 2004-10-12 21:40
Why don't all of you vacation in beauiful balmy Hawaii for the winter season! (Don't forget to bring your clarinets with you!)
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Author: Henry
Date: 2004-10-12 21:47
David:
Partly closing the vents has NO effect on the equilibrium RH, if the case is well sealed. It will still build up to 100%, although at a somewhat slower rate. Where are you, Doc?
Henry
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2004-10-12 21:57
Henry wrote:
> David:
>
> Partly closing the vents has NO effect on the equilibrium RH,
> if the case is well sealed. It will still build up to 100%,
> although at a somewhat slower rate. Where are you, Doc?
If the vents are partly closed, would not the RH inside the vial be higher than that inside the case, unless the case is quite sealed and is not opened during the time it would take the RH to equalize? I really don't know how long that would take, though.
Post Edited (2004-10-12 21:59)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-12 22:03
Henry - no, the clarinet case is not "sealed"
lots of moisture can escape it. The thing works really well. You can get one of those Dr. gauges (humistat sells em too) to measure just how well it's working in the case.
No myths here
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-10-12 22:05
Henry is of course right - and wrong. The case material and the clarinet itself are buffering agents and most cases are not airtight. Theoretically speaking the RH in a sealed chamber with a bowl of water will reach an equilibrium based on the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure - that is why it is called Relative Humidity. Practically speaking, with opening and closing the case, case air leakage, etc. in a dry environment, the air space and articles in the case will never reach equilibrium with the small amount of water in the tube. If you left the case closed for a prolonged period of time the RH would probably max-out at 80-90% RH if the room was at 20 degrees C - 50% RH. My own observations indicate that a water source of 20 mL in a case (at 0-1500 ft elevation) in rooms from 5-20 degrees C, with the case opened 1-2 times daily will result in a mean RH of about 60% (with a room RH of 30-40%) - this is not a faultless experiment however.
The Doctor
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2004-10-12 22:07
By the way Doctor, your earlier post on this thread suggested a lovely way to use one's receiving blankets once the babies are bigger--use them to swaddle your clarinets when it gets a bit drafty! ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Post Edited (2004-10-12 22:10)
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Author: Todd W.
Date: 2004-10-12 22:10
VermontJM -- You must have been very dirty; that was a looong shower.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-10-12 23:04
As an aside, but somewhat relevent to the tread is the suggestion to use saturated chemical solutions to more finely control RH within a space. Museums have varying needs for RH to protect and preserve artifacts so there is a branch of science which has determined the use and effectiveness of various saturated chemical solutions to give needed RH within a closed space. These same principals are being used by a large reed company in a product to control the RH of reeds. I use a saturated salt solution (not NaCl) to control the RH in my humidor where I store bulk reeds. Some examples of these saturated salt solutions and their RH factors are: Magnesium chloride - 33%, Potassium carbonate - 43%, Sodium Bromide - 63%, Sodium chloride 76% (a saturated solution can be used to calibrate your hygrometer), Potassium Chloride 86%, etc. Making these saturated solutions is not for the novice, some are hazardous, and the need for air scrubbers may also be necessary. Mixed salts saturated solutions behave differently than the sum of the components but there are tables for those too. Better humidity through chemistry!
The Doctor
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-11-01 18:44
I wouldn't want chemicals around my reeds and clarinet. I use 2 of them - 1 next to each Clarinet's upper joint.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-11-29 19:49
Well described, Dr. Omar re: humidification by chem salt solutions, was going to quibble a bit re "RH", % of saturated water content of air at the "system's" [ambient] temp. [a big function of it !!], now have, haven't I ? All aside, M Berliner's "Humidifier Device" patent is #3,431,038, 1969, with his explanation of the P-Chem involved. Great subject !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Gardini
Date: 2004-11-29 21:47
We could use a few more clarinet players here in beautiful,wet and cold Juneau.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-11-30 02:03
David - We have chemicals around us all the time and in the right container - - - the famous reed manufacturer uses them in their new reed bag - - they are harmless. Most of those that I mention in my previous posting are relatively non toxic but you could kill yourself by ingesting large quantities of table salt. They chose some of the less toxic salts to contrive their "ideal" humidity levels which IMHO do not fit with real life situations. This view of "real life" of course is only in my neck of the woods here in Geogia. Friends in New Mexico can not tolerate our normal humidity levels and vice versa.
The Doctor
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Author: Elizabeth
Date: 2004-11-30 02:28
Make my own. A film container with some holes and a wet sponge works beautifully.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2004-12-01 03:49
One minor point: loose barrel and bell rings are not, as claimed elsewhere in this post, signs of a "dry clarinet." Loose barrel and bell rings are signs that the rings need to be TIGHTENED.
In a recent post on the subject of bass clarinets cracking, I wrote that my bass cracked NOT because of dryness per se, but because the wood shrank, allowing the ring on the lower joint to become loose, leading to the tenon splitting when the upper joint was pushed into it.
That's why I claim (and it's just my opinion) that one's primary job when the rings get loose is not to humidify the clarinet, but rather TIGHTEN THE RINGS!
For a few years now I've been using a small household sponge dampened and put in a perforated baggie & stuck in the case, which seems to work well, although that humidistat thingy mentioned elsewhere in the thread looks like a better bet. The problem with sponges (and Dampits) is when they dry out, they REALLY dry out, and when they're replaced with freshly humidified sponges (or dampits), the increase in humidity is sudden, and ENORMOUS. And it is (according to my local guitar shop, where they REALLY know tone wood) those drastic extremes that lead to cracks, rather than dryness as such.
Frankly, I'm moving toward the keep-'em-oiled-and-forget-about-humidity camp.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2004-12-01 13:49
If the humidity helps preserve one from aging, why do all the older people want to go to Arizona? I guess I'm following William's line of thought.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-12-09 16:04
I did make a search, trying to select the best earlier thread, re: a winter seasion's critical problem with wooden instruments, to remind us to take care of them. With our present cold weather, below zero this AM, rite hear in River City, Okla, my hygrometers show indoor Relative Humidities between 20-25 %. Rapid drying takes place, try getting out of shower WET [quick dry !!], also static electric shocks are common. BE SURE to humidify your wood insts. !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-12-09 18:00
I'm an orange-peel user. (Not a replacement for bore oil, though).
-Tyler
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-12-09 19:38
Amazing how old subjects never die. I use homemade ones made from pill bottles and 35mm canisters with sponge inside. I do think that keeping the sections in ziplock bags along with the humidifier will help.
Bob Draznik
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-12-09 19:42
forgot: I sometimes put layers of plastic film in the case both under and over the sections with the humistat between them. The pink stuff is expecially hot.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-12-09 19:47
What about keeping the damp pullthrough in the case? That's all I do, after playing and drying the bore I roll it up and leave it in the spare mouthpiece slot in the closed case, and there's probably enough moisture on there to keep things in the case humid.
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Author: nickma
Date: 2005-12-09 20:36
Is this a US problem where temperatures are extreme?
In the UK, I don't know anyone who bothers.
Nick
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Author: ken
Date: 2005-12-09 21:14
4 or 5 thinly torn strips of a wash cloth rinsed/wringed out once a week, stored in a zip lock sandwich bag manually poked with multiple needle holes --- small budget operation here. v/r Ken
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2005-12-09 21:26
Nick,
I don't remember the UK to be an extremely dry country.
--
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-12-09 22:19
In the UK it's central heating that doesn't do any good, I just noticed one of the barrel rings on my Eb is a bit loose.
The weather here is good for wooden instruments, especially on the South coast - though I still object to playing a wooden clarinet outside, or in Southcoast World.
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