 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: amys
Date: 2006-02-12 00:18
I just got a new clarinet a few weeks ago. I have to use cork grease every time I assemble it or even just remove the barrel and mouthpiece to swab it out during practice. Is there something i get use on the cork so that it will retain moisture better? Is some brand of cork grease better than others?
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Author: seafaris
Date: 2006-02-12 00:33
The doctors products are great, and I like the Vandoren grease. After I bought a new horn I had to grease the corks very lightly every time I played. It all depends on how snugly the corks fit.
....Jim
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Author: Nathan
Date: 2006-02-12 01:02
I must second GBK's recommendation of the Doctor's "Dr. Slick" cork grease, this stuff is by no means hype. I acquired a bass clarinet and the cork on the bottom tenon, where the bell attaches, was way too thick and it was always a struggle to get the bell on (even after my tech sanded it down a little). Then I ordered some Dr. Slick, wow, the bell goes on effortlessly. When I was initially applying it to my soprano clarinet with my finger I didn't think I was getting any on the cork, it felt so light, yet my clarinets have never assembled so effortlessly. I know the doctor receives much praise for a variety of his products and service, but I haven't seen his cork grease singled out recently, and I just had to share my enthusiasm.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-02-12 03:02
(Disclaimer - I make Doctor Slick and plant derived bore oil)
Cork is wood too. I get loads of Forte' clarinets from the factory and the corks are sometimes exceptionally dry. I will first put about a drop of plant derived bore oil on the cork to get oil and some moisture back into the cork before applying Doctor Slick which contains the same oils as my bore oil. Cork needs moisture and oil IMO to remain supple and compressable - in addition to the lubrication agent to make assembly and disassembly easier. A lesson is learned from wine corks that become brittle and loose supple nature if the bottle is stored upright and the cork gets too dryed out.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: amys
Date: 2006-02-12 15:38
Is it too late to put the oil on now that I've been applying cork grease for weeks?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-02-12 15:55
I've used a lot of different cork greases (I have a lot and since I usually forget mine I borrow from others a lot) and by far the best is the one I received with my clarinet. It says Eaton on the cork grease but it is made by the Doctor and is exactly the same as Doctor Slick.
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Author: Burt
Date: 2006-02-12 17:24
You may have to sand the cork LIGHTLY if it's too large.
I, too, like the Dr.'s cork grease. To get off the old cork grease, I used rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip, let it dry overnight.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-02-12 17:41
(Disclaimer - I make Doctor Slick and a plant derived bore oil)
The oils in Doctor Slick are similar to those in the plant derived bore oil and will gradually infuse the cork with sufficient oil so that you do not need to remove the Doctor Slick already there. Plant derived oils are unique in nature in that they maintain a layer of water on their surface - this is how Nature designed the oils to interact in the aqueous environment of the plant tissue - and IMO aid in buffering and maintaining a water balance in wood and cork. I merely try to jump start rehydrating and adding oil to really dry cork by initially putting a drop of the bore oil on new cork followed by the Doctor Slick.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2006-02-12 23:48
Here's a 'third' for Doc's cork grease. I bought a small tube of the stuff at the Symposium this past summer and I still have plenty and my horn still goes together like butter.
-Tyler
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Author: pewd
Date: 2006-02-13 00:03
>You may have to sand the cork LIGHTLY if it's too large.
or the wood inside the tenon socket. all too common a problem with new horns lately. you might have a tech look at it. lots of new instruments lately have tenons out of round, too tight, etc.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2006-02-13 08:40
I find new corks need greasing every time. After a while they settle down. (I use the Buffet grease cos I like the smell :-D) The tiniest amount of grease each time should do the job.
I wouldn't touch the timber unless the wooden surfaces are really binding tight against each other ('tight' = need to wrap the instrument in a towel to grip it for disassembly). And even then it's likely to be a precision adjustment, not to be undertaken lightly!
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2006-02-13 23:10
I will give two thumbs up for the Doctor's product's too but I like the Doctor Syntek for really tight corks. I use the Doctor Slick most of the time but the Syntek is even slicker and is wonderful to make corks move nicely. I buy the big container of it and a little bit goes a long way!
Rebecca
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