 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: choey
Date: 2005-01-11 21:28
i got fobes' debut mouthpiece yesterday in mail, and the cork was too thick to fit my barrel. i bought the mouthpiece for Bb clarinet, which mine is, but at first it didn't go in.
i used cork grease and some force to squeeze it in and took it out and the cork was flattened a quite a bit. i'm hoping it'll be flattened more as i keep assembling/disassembling it, but i don't think this is the normal case when you buy a new mp.
is there a way i could flatten the cork more? or maybe carve the excess off or something? i doubt sanding it will work. it sounds great and all, but it just takes some force to assemble/disassemble.
please advise!
thanks.
Post Edited (2005-01-11 23:12)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-01-11 22:57
I tried to post here, while playing WQXR [N Y Times] classical, not sure what happened, but am back. Wipe off the excess cork grease, try "sanding down" [with fairly coarse sand paper] the cork to a tight-fit level, use cork grease, then re-assemble joints barrel/bell overnite, to make the "new " cork shrink to a good fit.. Not difficult, Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: choey
Date: 2005-01-11 23:13
thanks for the advice.
i did some search more after i posted and found a thread about the similar problem, and the replier recommanded that questioner use a extra-fine sand paper to sand it off.
which should i use for sanding the cork?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-01-11 23:56
As in other things, It Depends, here, upon how much cork you have to remove, it certainly is a good idea to at least finish with fine sandpaper. Use your judgement and skills. I sand off a bit then try and repeat. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: pzaur
Date: 2005-01-12 00:02
Be sure to sand evenly all the way around the cork. One part of the cork shouldn't stick out further than another part. This could probably cause some sort of turbulence problems, I'm guessing.
-pat
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Author: susieray
Date: 2005-01-12 00:45
You can use an emery board, I find that is about the correct width and is easy to use. You can use the finer side and just take off a little at a time that way. Make sure you do sand evenly all around and don't take too much off at once.
Sue
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Author: k_squared
Date: 2005-01-12 04:02
I had the same problem with the one I purchased, but it eventually got easier the more it was used and greased and it flattened out a little as well. The one I got had synthetic cork (which started to fall off within a couple of months and had to be reglued) and I didn't think that sanding it would work. Does your's have real cork?
k2
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-01-12 04:46
The Fobes Debut mouthpiece uses synthetic cork ...GBK
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-01-12 05:22
Thinning a cork with sandpaper is quite a tricky operation, especially if the cork already has grease on it and resist being sanded. You must ensure that the sandpaper NEVER touches the timber.
To reduce the risk of removing timber, I use a thin, 8" file, on which I have ground off all the teeth and attached 150 grit sandpaper. With a handle on the file, it is far easier to keep the file square to the cork surface so it does not contact the timber.
Most mouthpiece manufacturers unfortunately do not chamfer the edge of the cork on both sides near the timber. This is ideally done before the cork is glued into the groove, while the cork is still flat.
You may shrink the cork successfully by leaving the mouthpiece/barrel assembled for a few days. Then separate and regrease. Use a superior grease such as those from the below link, or Alisyn.
http://www.doctorsprod.com/DrsProduct.html
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-01-12 13:11
TKS, GBK and Gordon, it didn't occur to me that it might be syn cork, I'm sure it makes a diff, ?impossible??. I'd think the best solution would be to have a tech replace it with cork, ?? Your cautions are well put, G, some of my fav pros rotate the piece, using a strip of sand-cloth to shape the cork without wood damage. More technique ?, mine is elementary. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-01-12 16:00
Is it possible that the adhesive being used with synthetic cork results in a thicker layer of adhesive....leading to a tighter fit? Sounds familiar for some reason.
Bob Draznik
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-01-12 16:15
For what it's worth, my local repair shop put a new cork on a mouthpiece of mine (that it had fallen completely off) for somewhere from 5 to 10 dollars. So don't be upset if you overgrind or grind unevenly. Quite cheap and easy to fix.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2005-01-12 19:28
I suspect this may not be an uncommon problem. I have found slight differences in mouthpiece socket sizes among some different brands. I imagine the mp manufacture makes it small enough to fit most sockets with enough cork to take up the slack on larger ones. It's a lot easier to adjust the cork than it is to turn out a socket (as I had to do with one of my antiques to fit modern mouthpieces).
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-01-12 21:16
<<Is it possible that the adhesive being used with synthetic cork results in a thicker layer of adhesive....leading to a tighter fit?>>
I don't know about that, but the Debut I had (with synthetic cork) fit all of my (Buffet and LeBlanc) instruments well, but it did not fit in the old Martin Freres that my husband was using as a starter horn -- the barrel on the Martin was smaller.
I don't remember what instrument "choey" ws playing -- wasn't it an off-brand of some sort? Maybe his barrel is small, too?
Susan
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-01-13 01:40
Grassi had a significantly larger diameter socket for the mouthpiece. I have to keep a mouthpiece with a larger cork, especially for testing Grassi clarinets.
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Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2005-01-13 16:29
To fit a Pyne mouthpiece to my 1920s Kohlert, the adjustment I had to make to the barrel was something a bit less than one millimeter increase in the diameter of the socket. However, it made the difference between binding on the timber and a perfect fit. The differences can be very small, but they can make a BIG difference.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-01-14 16:26
In my 3rd [!!] post here, I tried to ask the question if synthetic cork could be sanded down like real cork. Comments? , its not of much concern, but just knowing might save some of us from wasting time, and just replace it. TKS, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-01-14 21:05
There are many types of synthetic cork being used.
I have yet to meet one that sands as easily as natural cork. Most are considerably more difficult, and some are near impossible using conventional sandpaper.
I find that high-speed diamond 'wheels' usually succeed but clog easily if cork grease is present.
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Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2005-01-14 21:31
Gordon:
It was less that a millimeter total. As I recall, it thinned the wall by about a third of a millimeter or a bit less. On the other hand, since that is the only time I have had to do something of the sort, my view of what is large and what is small has no basis for comparison.
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Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2005-01-16 03:33
The number I seem to be recalling is somewhere around 0.27 to 0.30 mm. I guess I was fortunate to have lots of wood to start with. Thanks for giving me another perspective. It's amazing the precision needed in making something out of wood when it has such an ability to change its dimensions.
In any event, I can now use a new mouthpiece on my old Kohlert and am still in love with it..
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