 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2005-05-03 06:49
Hello, I would like some clarification from the Leblanc paperclip contra owners out there.
Regarding the several long metal levers that connect between the two long longitudinal tubes (with the see-saw actions), are there supposed to be corks there where the metal ends meet?
Mine doesn't have any, and it's making lots of clunking noises when I play. I looked closely at them and don't see any traces of corks neither. So I am wondering if there should or shouldn't be corks there to minimize the noise. Maybe there were some but fell off?...
Would appreciate any help from you...
Willy
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-05-03 14:32
Willy -
The key levers that go across should have as little play as possible. Unfortunately, they almost always develop large gaps over the years. Practically all paperclip contras come from schools, where they have been thrown around and mistreated over the years. The mechanism is a lot more delicate than it looks.
If the levers are obviously bent, they can be straightened out. However, it's easy to break them, and I'd leave the work to a repair shop. Saxophones have the same sort of mechanism, so a sax shop is the place to go.
You can also add cork, but the gaps are often wide enough (and the gluing areas narrow enough) to make this unstable. I'd recommend silicone tubing instead. You can get this in a surgical supply store.
Ken Shaw
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2005-05-03 15:11
Hi Ken, so I take it that corks weren’t there in the first place. Hmm…
Visually, the levers don’t look bent, but a tech checkup would determine for sure.
I will try the silicone tubing idea.
Thanks!
Willy
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Author: jim S.
Date: 2005-05-03 15:16
Mine has what seems to be factory-installed very thin corks on those arms.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-05-03 18:21
Willy -
The corks were there, I think. It's just that the gaps open up very wide and have only a small space to glue a piece of cork. Any cork that small will pop off or break quickly.
Ken Shaw
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