 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-03-20 22:26
My husband has been playing a Woodwind Bb bass clarinet, supplied to him by our community band. [see post below for correction == it's not the bass]
The thumb rest on this instrument attaches by a tiny little screw to a chevron-shaped plate. The plate is attached to the back of the instrument by two small screws.
The tiny screw which holds the thumbrest to the plate has just sheared off at the head, leaving the shank of the screw tightly embedded inside the plate.
We can't figure out how to get the shank of the screw out of the hole. It is flush with the plate on both sides.
Unless we can get this thing out, we will have to get a new thumbrest.
Any ideas about how to do this?
As an alternative, where might we go (online) to purchase a new thumbrest? I've done a search of this board and Google, and haven't come up with anything.
Thanks for any and all suggestions!
Susan
Post Edited (2005-03-21 01:23)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-03-20 22:47
first thing i'd try is calling up woodwind & brasswind, see if they'll sell you a part.
Also, Feree's tools should have thumbrests. They do for soprano clarinets anyway. You have to call, they're not set up for online ordering. And shipping is a tad slow, 2-3 weeks.
http://www.ferreestools.com/
You might have to drill out the broken screw with a carbide or diamond tipped drill bit - is it still attached to the horn? can you post a picture?
this sounds like a job for a repair shop more than a diy problem
-paul
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Shorthand
Date: 2005-03-20 23:48
Is there not a repair shop in your area? This is not a tricky repair and the worst case is that they put a different brand of thumbrest on the horn.
If there is any of the screw sticking out from the plate, you might be able to back it out with pliers (though I doubt it).
Definitely detach the thumbrest plate from the horn to work on it.
The good news is that if you have a peg, you should be able to live w/o a thumbrest for a while.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-03-21 01:20
First of all, he did call WW&BW about it, and they couldn't help.
Yes, we do have a local tech -- well, relatively local. We live in the super-boonies, and the nearest tech is 45 miles away. But he's good.
And I made a boo-boo in my original post. It's not his bass that is broken; it's his Yamaha 6XX.
(In self-defense, I am pie-eyed tired this evening. I concluded a three-week orchestra run with a local production of a Broadway musical last night, went to the cast party, and then had to be at church at 8:30 a.m. for two services. AND when I got home from the cast party, discovered that hubby had let the dog out at midnight and she had run off. So at 1:00 a.m., I was driving around the neighborhood looking for a big black dog in the dark.)
I knew he was having some issues with the bass thumbrest, so when he brought this thing to me this afternoon, I just presumed it was from the bass. Found out at dinner tonight, as I was trying to keep my face from falling into the mashed potatoes, that it was the Yamaha that was the issue.
Thanks for the suggestion about drilling it out. Maybe our local jeweler can help!
(And yes, the dog did come home.)
Susan
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-03-21 10:00
Remover the plate
Drill a tiny hole through the centre of the screw, preferably from the underside. The force and heat of this process may well remove it. Then jam a tiny (pentagonal cross-section)reamer (broach) into this hole, and turn it to remove the screw. Thread and tap to fit a larger, stronger screw!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-03-21 13:16
Excellent, machinist's, advice, as usual from G, NZ. Dont try anything with the plate etc attached to the cl, its just too easy to drill thru to the bore. I'd take the opportunity to invest in a high quality adjustable T R for playing comfort, as discussed in other threads and in our archives. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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