 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2005-12-08 21:08
Attachment: PUFoamPad.jpg (36k)
certainly not.
Yesterday I replaced two pads on my "test" overhaul clarinet with something I found in my kids' tinker box - it's PU foam or "sponge rubber" or "cellular rubber" (whatever the trade names).
It's easy to cut, can be (within reason) sanded and seals extremely well when properly adjusted. I'd guess it's a bit more forgiving re repairer's inaccuracy than cork.
It has about the same touch&feel as a normal pad (the tone hole leaves a faint ring), closes absolutely silently (no popping sound or so), is waterproof and comes in a plethora of screaming colours. (I was tempted to use poison green but I didn't want to create an Indian Horn clone)
Play tests were very satisfactory. I don't know zip about its long-term stability, I'll see. The picture is a bit treacherous, in reality it feels less plastic-icky than it looks - more like chamois leather or Alcantara.
I browsed the forum archives, and here and there some "new material" thread pops up, so maybe this is of interest.
--
Ben
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-12-08 21:34
The irregular surface suggests that it will not make a seal until significant added pressure is exerted - sufficient to squash all the bumps.
An irregularity of even 0.01 mm is sufficient with a standard pad, to irritate a player who has perceptive 'touch', especially with G/C & E/B, or a flute player. A wonderful quality of wool felt is that it can adapt to irregularities, and RETAIN that adaption, very precisely - within limits of course. The down-side of wool felt is that it is porous, hence the membrane covering.
I don't think this PU foam would ever permanently adapt such that those irregularities were levelled out.
OK for gorilla-grip playing though. :-) They are quite possibly adequate for pads which are normally closed - their requirements are slightly different, hence the common use of cork for these and felt/bladder for others. :-)
Eventually a synthetic will completely replace natural-material pads, but those natural materials have some properties which take a lot of beating. Kraus's recent offering is probably one of the best yet.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-12-10 18:30
Very interesting and innovative, Ben. I admire your resourcefulness. How did you glue it into the cup?
(Do I hear a faint whirr of creative, idea-copying wheels spinning?)
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
Post Edited (2005-12-10 18:31)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2005-12-10 19:26
Ron,
First I glued two pads together, because one would've been too thin. Then I sanded the future glueing side (the empty key cup already being in place) so that it would close perfectly, without having to press (sorry, no Gorilla grip, Gordon). The result was a slight wedge form. Then I applied a tiny amount of PVA glue near the circumference of the pad, laid it into the cup, closed the key gently once for proper seat and let it dry. PVA dries slowly, so you have plenty of time for final adjustments.
Next time I'd adopt Dan's idea of the cardboard (see http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=201769&t=201769) or cork backs (I am saving every bottle cork for such experiments). And the material definitely is EVA foam.
--
Ben
Post Edited (2005-12-10 19:30)
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