Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-08-17 16:52
Buffet and Selmer seem to be using hot glue for sticking pads in with.
On the plus side, it is sticky at a much lower temperature than shellac and relatively easy to use.
On the negative side it does go stringy, not as easy to clean out of pad cups and if it gets on your skin it will stick and burn (and take your skin off with it) - shellac will to, but it doesn't stick to skin in the same way, and can be removed easier if it does. It also remains pliable so pads can move about a bit in hot weather, though they won't fall out due to the stickiness of the hot glue - though I have seen Buffet clarinets where the glue hasn't adhered too well or lost it's adhesion to the inside of the pad cups - maybe due to water getting in the pad cups.
But I do use hot glue with synthetic pads due to it's low melting (and low temperature stickiness) point, as shellac doesn't stick too well to synthetic pads and also the higher temperature needed to get shellac to stick ends up distorting or even melting synthetic pads.
But I'm not saying don't use hot glue at all, but in time when you gain more experience try using stick shellac as well.
Chris.
|
|