 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark Fleming
Date: 2006-11-06 22:13
In tuning up my new paperclip, I've found a couple of screws that need to be replaced. Both of the "cages" that protect the lowest pads were bent and both had popped the head off of a screw. I was able to extract the rest of the screw. I assume that the screws are metric and probably nickel-plated brass. They are not something that I could find at my local Tacoma Screw Products (their actual name). Any idea where I would look for these tiny parts? I just thought that there might be some giant online musical instrument parts warehouse. Or, do I need to contact LeBlanc?
Mark Fleming
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-11-07 14:52
Leblanc has been notoriously slow about providing even pads for their metal contras, let alone parts that don't usually need replacing.
Repair technician training always includes learning how to make rods and screws (and even entire keys). Any good shop will have drawers full of screws, and the expertise to make odd sizes by copying another screw from the same instrument.
Pads last forever on contras. If the cages are buzzing, it wouldn't be difficult to fix them in place with soft solder. I'm not sure what would work on the nickel plating, though.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-11-07 14:52
Leblanc has been notoriously slow about providing even pads for their metal contras, let alone parts that don't usually need replacing.
Repair technician training always includes learning how to make rods and screws (and even entire keys). Any good shop will have drawers full of screws, and the expertise to make odd sizes by copying another screw from the same instrument.
Pads last forever on contras. If the cages are buzzing, it wouldn't be difficult to fix them in place with soft solder. I'm not sure what would work on the nickel plating, though.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2006-11-11 02:14
Ken is correct. It took a half year to get in a key for a LeBlanc paperclip a few years ago.
jbutler
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Author: Mark Fleming
Date: 2006-11-13 05:42
Strange turn of events. I had a clarinet tuned by Grandlund in Seattle a few years ago. I emailed him and he said he thought that he might have a couple of the screws in stock, sort of. He had just done a tune-up on a paperclip a few months ago. It was missing the same screws as mine. He had started to mill some blank screw stock to the the goofy thread pitch when he noticed that the missing screws were actually down in the padding of the old case. So he reinstalled the old screws and had two new screws in inventory. I went in and, 20 minutes and $20 later, I had new screws holding the cage. Oh, I also spent $1 for the parking meter. Not bad. I asked him how much he charged for the prior paperclip tune-up. He said it needed a couple of pads and lots of mechanical adjustment and it came to about $250. Again, not bad. I'm having so much fun screwing around with this clarinet that I'd hate to see it gone for a couple weeks, but I'm really tempted.
Mark
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Author: Mark Fleming
Date: 2006-11-13 14:48
I checked my new/old case pretty good, and then I vacuumed it out. So, I know there's nothing there now. Does remind me of an old clarinet I bought a few years ago and decided to try to fix up the case. As I removed parts and stuffing, I found Bull Durham cigarette papers and a little cloth bag of stuff. The stuff was not Bull Durham. Cigarette papers were commonly placed under the pads to help dry them out. I believe that the stuff in the baggie was to prevent you from overthinking complex fingerings.
Mark
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-11-13 14:57
Don't put cigarette papers under pads to keep them dry in the case. Spring-loaded pads conform to the rims when they're down. Putting anything under them changes the shape. I did it on a bass clarinet and got all the pads out of adjustment.
Use cigarette papers only for absorbing moisture to stop gurgles.
Ken Shaw
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