 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MRidgeP
Date: 1999-01-20 23:54
This winter I have found very frustrating differences to my reeds and horn due to the extereme dryness of the air. All of my reeds from the past 2 or 3 weeks have died. My horn doesn't have too much of a problem but I"m wondering whether I should oil it. I have heard different opinions from very every level and they all seem to conflict. Does anyone know under what conditions the horn should be oiled, if at all.
Note: I have my case humidified and climate controlled and this seems to work well. Should I still use oil?
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Author: Susan
Date: 1999-01-21 04:59
Whether or not to use bore oil depends on the brand of clarinet you have. Some makes do not require oiling. You should check with the company if in doubt. I own a Selmer Signet Special, vintage 1960s. I have oiled it twice a year every year. It is in perfect condition with no cracks. I even played this clarinet in marching band in cold Chicagoland winters.
Susan
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 1999-01-21 11:02
MRidgeP wrote:
-------------------------------
This winter I have found very frustrating differences to my reeds and horn due to the extereme dryness of the air. All of my reeds from the past 2 or 3 weeks have died.
M-
Another thing to consider is how you store your reeds. After wiping away any surface moisture, it is best to put them away on a flat surface, like a piece of glass. I use a Vandoren reed holder. There are others that may work better in your part of the country.
Fred
<a href=http://www.dreamnetstudios.com/music/mmb/index.htm>MMB</a>
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Author: Lelia
Date: 1999-01-21 19:35
I've got a 1958 wooden Conn that I began oiling the year it was new in a dry area of California, and have kept oiled ever since, on the Fourth of July and New Year's schedule my grade school band director recommended. When I quit playing for a number of years, I put the clarinet away oiled. The wood has stayed in perfect condition.
I also oil a 1937 Buffet that I acquired recently, because, despite the Buffet company's advice today that Buffets don't *need* oiling, this one is very old. It looked and felt terribly dry when I bought it and sucked up so much oil without a trace that I'm convinced it did need it. I've never seen any convincing evidence that oiling can do any harm, as long as you're careful to keep oil off the pads, so I figure it's an ounce of prevention and worth the small amount of trouble. To protect the pads, I put plastic wrap around each key before I oil. (It's not as time-consuming or as much of a hassle as it might seem.) After I'm done oiling inside the bore (I use an alto recorder swab on a stick for that), I take a cotton rag with a tiny amount of oil and rub down the outside of the clarinet, just enough to make the wood glossy. Before I remove the plastic wrap from the keys, I hold each key open while wiping off the top of the tone hole with a piece of paper towel, just to make sure no oil leaked up there, then remove the plastic before I let the key down (because, in case oil got onto the plastic, I don't want to transfer it to the tone hole).
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Author: Tim Tinnirello
Date: 1999-01-25 17:39
Because I do woodworking, besides playing the clarinet, and in the winter it is dry. I recommend that you oil any clarinet at least once a month. In the winter months I can literally watch as the oil is drawn in to the fibers of the wood.
Any wood(more like anything) will develop low moisture content in a extreme low humidity atmosphere. By oiling regularly you are assured of keeping the wood fibers filled, and plyable, instead of not oiling and getting a more brittle wood condition(due to shrinking of the fibers).
Doesn't need to be a lot of oil. just a rag that puts a light coat on the barrel.
Read up on wood bending to understand wood fiber flexibility.
Tim T
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