 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bigno16
Date: 2004-11-09 10:44
I have a damp-it case humidifier but have several questions I never had answered. If any of these could be answered, even if not all, I would be thankful.
1) When (what temperatures) should you use damp-it? And when should you not?
2) Are those temperatures, say the outside temperature or the temperature inside your house (i.e. heat on inside)? Does this make a difference?
3) Should the damp-it be completely saturated and placed in the case or should excess water be squeezed out? Or both at different temperatures?
4) Should the damp-it be left in the case all day and all night?
5) While the damp-it is in place, should I keep my reeds (which are in a Vandoren reed case) inside a plastic bag or should I just leave them in the case? What about without the damp-it?
Thanks!
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-11-09 13:22
To use the Dampit you should wet it completely and then lightly ring it out and dry the outside completely.
What I don't like about Dampits is that they give off way too much moisture early on and then dry out. It's a daily chore too.
Use it when the heat in the house goes on. Of course it depends on where you live asto the humidity level too. Keep the reeds in your plastic bag in the humidified case. I use my humistat when it hits 40 at night. I don't use it when the daily temp is above 50. Also I have a humidity gauge in my case to make sure that the levels are good. Too much moisture is bad too!
Here's a thread on humidifying for this season
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=159542&t=159542
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Author: jmsa
Date: 2004-11-10 19:04
I have a R13 produced in 1998 and store it in its original case. I am using a humistat. If the case is tight and the parts of the instrument fit tightly against the top when the case is closed how does the moisture spread to the entire instrument evenly?
jmsa
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-11-10 21:12
You can guess all you want but the only way to know what the relative humidity is within the case is to have a measurement device - i.e. hygrometer. You can buy a fairly accurate small analog hygrometer like the ones used in cigar humidors for US $7-$9. These typically are accurate within about 5% but there are calibration techniques to get them closer if you really want to do that. Too much moisture is as bad a too little moisture for your horn and it is best to keep a "happy medium" all the time.
To answer the question posed - if there is an air space surrounding the humidity source it will equilibrate where ever the air can reach over time. A good equilibration time is usually on the order of 4 hours.
The Doctor
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-11-10 23:09
I put mine right next to the point of the clarinet which will most likely crack - the upper joint near the alt Bb sidekey.
So that would get the most moisture first. I use 2 of them for my double case. Benefit is that you don't have to fill it but about once a week.
My studio is currently at 40% humidity - I'll have to up that a bit with the house humidifier.
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2004-11-11 06:46
My clarinets are about 30 years old and I oil them about once a year. I've never used any sort of humidity supply for my instruments in the case. We have a humidifier on the furnace and it keeps us comfortable but I'm wondering if I've just been lucky all these years with no cracking issues and should just leave well enough alone or if this is a ticking time bomb for a crack to occur. Any suggestions??
I keep them in a double case and I don't think it's insulated very well as my horns are cold many times when I take them out. Uncomfortably cold. We keep our house temp at around 68 and I think I need an insulating cover but all the ones I've seen are too small for this case. I'm not sure what kind it is but it looks exactly like a Buffet single case I saw only bigger for the double horns. Where can I go to see some custom made case covers or one that would just fit this case outright? Perhaps I just need a new case too. One that's already insulated..Opinions???
Thanks, Rebecca
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-11-11 14:54
(Disclaimer - I have no commercial relationship with Altieri)
Altieri makes nice style case covers and carry bags that are well insulated and they also make a full clarinet cover that is insulated that I use to cover my A clarinet in cold environments when playing both the Bb and A.
The Doctor
Post Edited (2004-11-11 14:56)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-11-11 15:35
I just bought a "Holmes" brand humidity gauge (very small) for my case at Walmart for only $3. Was next to the humidifiers/heaters there.
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