 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: esther
Date: 2006-03-24 16:13
I am returning to clarinet after 20+ years, and need some help. After kicking myself for foolishly pawning my rich sounding (but cracked) Signet Selmer years ago, I bought a Rene Dumont Bb, for very little money. It has a very dark wood with reddish undertones, and cheaply plated keys- serial B 18XX. The case, made of wood covered with canvas in an olive-colored background and a darker, fine hatch-mark pattern, has a red velvet interior. It has a brass (?) plate that reads "Rene Dumont Quality Woodwinds" in an art deco style type, and matches the metal locks and hinges. I searched for info about this brand, but came up with very little. Anything anyone can add about the brand and/or age of the clarinet would be helpful.
Now, about the care--- The clarinet has been stored for at least 15 years, without any care at all. It seems to be in good condition, no cracks, but the metal rings on the barrel and bell are very loose, presumably because the wood has dried and contracted. I don't wish to spend a lot of money to restore it, other than recorking the tenons (astonishingly, it seems to have pads in good condition, no leaks). What can I do to bring the life back to it? What kind of care should be given to the wood after so many years of neglect? I am reluctant to do anything with it until I know more about it. Please help!!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-03-25 00:01
You are now varying the instruments' environment: humidity, condensation (salvia), warmer in the bore than on the outside.
Don't play the horn while its cold to the touch. (We warm our keyed joints in our armpits when the instrument is cold --after I cracked a 44-year old Buffet by taking it from the car to a lesson and not warming the instrument up gently.)
Put a humidifier in the case, maybe orange peels, if not a commercial or home-made device.
Ease the humidity up 'til th erings tighten on their own.
Good luck, and welcome back
Bob Phillips
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Author: esther
Date: 2006-03-25 13:38
Thanks, worked like a charm, overnight. Rings are no longer loose and everything has a light scent, no more musty case smell, either. Appreciate the help!!! --E
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-25 16:38
You got some good advice esther but don't think that the wood has equalized just yet and don't start playing it for lengthy sessions. If it were my horn I'd take it out of its old case, put the sections in a sealable plastic "shoebox size box" or ziploc bag without any padding, put the humidifier inside and close it up. Old cases will absorb a lot of moisture that you intend for the horn and also are prone to mold problems. Take the horn sections out periodically for inspection and return storage.
Bob Draznik
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Author: esther
Date: 2006-03-25 21:41
Excellent. Thanks so much for the advice. Discarded the old case, not worth it's smell... kept the clarinet and plan to get a new(er?) case for it this wknd. Tried to re-felt (velvet) the inside of the case because of the corrosion that was evident from the keys, and plus... years of someone else's spit, eeeew, but it wasn't worth the effort. If the horn was a more collectible one, would have kept the case-- but let's face it, looks like the contrary. I did take the brass plate off the case, just for keeps, it's pretty--(girl grin)! You all are wonderful. I had forgotten what it was like to "talk" to our kind. Love perusing the BBoard, so much to learn, to amuse, to remember.... Aren't we a special bunch??!!
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Author: ghuba
Date: 2006-03-26 00:48
Bob, some experiments I ran a few months ago that were posted to this BB indicated that if you took a humistat humidifying device and put it in a large ziplock bag -- with a clarinet barrel -- within a few hours the relativel humidity would be 70%. This is a pretty drastic rehumidification of an instrument that has not been played for a while. Yes you can tighten up the rings quickly this way, but it is drastic and probably a more gradual and gentle approach is called for. George
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-26 14:32
zdravi George....Well, one must use a small water supply, I guess.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2006-03-26 15:33
Once it's rehumidified, you will want to oil the wood with almond oil, or something similar. This will stablize all your work, reduce the chance of cracking and make your instrument smell a lot better. It will also improve intonation A Lot!. Most wood clarinets that have gone unplayed for years are wildly out of tune due to wood shrinkage. Oil the bore and outside. The best way is to remove all the keys, but you can get 99% of the horn by working around the keys with Q-Tips. It will take several sessions. Some folks use the same baggy technique as you used with humidifying.
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Author: corks&pads
Date: 2006-03-27 13:42
Just a followup comment to these postings...
Before putting your instrument into a more humid environment to tighten up a loose ring, turn the ring around to see if it appears to be tighter, or more loose, at some point. Then set it at the position where it's as loose as it can get, rather than where it's the most tight.
It's tempting to start out from a point where it's already a little tight, but as the wood expands, that's probably going to put more the pressure on that one point (two points, actually) of the wood. The objective is for the wood to expand into the ring evenly.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-03-27 14:55
Many good points on care of wood cls made above. One V G "restoration" treatment is of course the somewhat-lengthy hot oil bath immersion, for which at least several of our good restorers have facilities. For a 1920-30's 19/7 Wood Pruefer John Butler did fine work for me. TKS, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: esther
Date: 2006-03-27 18:31
Re:
<Before putting your instrument into a more humid environment to tighten up a loose ring, turn the ring around to see if it appears to be tighter, or more loose, at some point. Then set it at the position where it's as loose as it can get, rather than where it's the most tight.>
Hmm. Good thinking. That's an interesting engineering point; I hadn't thought of it. The rings, however, were so loose they were falling off. I will keep that in mind for the future, though. Thank you
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Author: D
Date: 2006-03-31 17:26
Additionally, don't have anything done to the poor beastie in terms of adjustment of keys or screws or posts or sanding anything, until you have been playing it full out for a couple of months. Wood that dense can take a long time to respond, don't risk making an adjustment that later turns out to be in the wrong direction. Certainly wait until both you and your chops are back in playing shape! I work in the conservation/restoration business (not instruments though) and I have seen some truely nasty things happening to wood. Be patient with it, and sing to it a bit....oh no, that is tomatoes. Well, you get the idea. Have fun!
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