 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Detru Cofidin
Date: 2006-11-18 02:32
I was wondering how much it would cost to get clarinet keys re-plated, minus the cost of pad and cork replacement (since I've successfully fully replaced those myself). Also, are there any preferences on whether it should be done in nickel or silver? From my experience, nickel seems to wear a lot more. Any help would be appreciated.
Nicholas Arend
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-18 06:51
Silver is best - but have a nickel flash (1-2 microns) and then 25 microns of silver plated over the nickel. This will look good, feel good under the fingers and last well.
In the UK that would be around the £70-80 mark just for the plating by a reputable company (for all metal parts - keys, pillars, rings and other fittings except the lower bell ring and tenon tip rings which can't be removed on most clarinets), and it's worth having it done well.
Even though you can repad and recork everything, have you refitted keys after they've been plated? You will have to ream out all the key barrels and pillars, countersink the ends of the longer key barrels for point screws, tap out all the various threads in the keys and pillars, broach out the needle spring holes in the pillars, refit the speaker and thumb bushes and possibly ream out the inside of these to the original size, fraise back the key barrels so they fit between the pillars, refit the socket rings so the sockets aren't tight at the top causing the tenons to bind, fitting the top joint trill keys so the lower trill isn't tight or wobbly on the upper trill barrel, widening spring slots...
What make and model of clarinet are you having replated?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-11-18 08:27
If you've already replaced pads and corks they'll have to come off to replate, unless I'm very much mistaken....hope you didn't spend a lot of time on it
-Randy
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2006-11-18 11:53
There are several issues that effect how long plating will last, such as how much your hands perspire when you play, how much finger pressure you use, how much you play, the quality of the original plating job, the metallurgy of the keys themselves, etc. I know people who go right through nickel-silver plating, and others with decades-old silver plated keys that are in excellent condition.
30 years ago, it wasn't that much more expensive than nickelsilver to have keys replated in silver or gold. Don't know how this has changed.
The biggest issue is that environmental regulations have made it difficult for small plating shops, and your keys will probably have to be farmed out. So you may have a problem finding someone who will take on so small a job. Talk to the better instrument techs in your area for leads.
In 1971, I took my Bb clarinet in for an overhaul and replate. This particular shop farmed out all of their plating work, so they sent the keys out , and the people they sent them to lost track of them. I borrowed an instrument for a while, but then had to give it back. With no other options, I learned to transpose the parts and played Band-o-Rama in Ann Arbor on my A clarinet. Part way through the summer, the keys reappeared, the overhaul was completed, and I got my instrument back.
If the keys need replating, what kind of condition is the rest of the instrument in?
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Author: Detru Cofidin
Date: 2006-11-18 15:19
Thanks guys, my clarinet is a Buffet R13 with nickel plating, and yes, some spots have worn through. I play for about 2 - 3 hours a day on average, and it's just been in the last couple months that I've noticed this problem. The clarinet, as far as the body itself goes, is in prime condition with barely any wear around the tone holes etc. Though I don't really mind the worn look and it hasn't affected my playing, I was just curious to see what it would take to get those puppies re-plated. Thanks for all the help!!
Nicholas Arend
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-11-18 15:52
Just today I was finishing off an old Bundy whose throat Ab key had the familiar "fly-by" marks - a grey stripe where the plating had come off. Given the worth of the clarinet I decided against other than cosmetic measures, got a four-way finger nail buffer (equivalents to ~800...~6400 grit) and went from 6400 downwards to 1600 where the grey stripe vanished, and upwards to 6400 again to polish it. Then one layer of clear ultra-hard nail varnish, and the piece looks like new (including the slight "grip" we know from silver).
I know it's not forever and one has to re-varnish the key from time to time but the result is worth this 2 minute treatment.
Next time I do this remind me to take "before" and "after" pics - I forget that every time.
--
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-18 19:13
Detru,
Do all the preparation on the keys yourself before having them replated - paper them all up smooth where there's pitting using several grades of emery paper (wet or dry - from 400 going up to 1200 to finish with) and then buff them all to a bright shine o a buffing machine using tripoli and finishing with jeweller's rouge with good quality buffing wheels (taking care not to let the buffing wheel catch the keys only to hurl them at the floor or wall!).
You can have silver plated over nickel (personally I'd have them all done in silver), and as nickel is very smooth it gives a good, flat surface for silver to go onto - but too much nickel under the silver can cause the plating to crack if the keys get bent, so go for a very thin nickel flash - or if you're having nickel only, go to 10 microns maximum - any more than this will cause trouble when refitting them as nickel being as hard as it is will blunt tools very quickly.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: William
Date: 2006-11-19 15:35
I had one of my R13's re-plated with gold and it not only looks like a million $$, but has not shown any wear going on 17 yrs. Cost was less than $200.00, but that was "back then". The rest of my clarinets are all done in silver and that has been durable as well. Both silver and gold can be polished to bring back the luster. When nickel wears, like lacquer on a trumpet, there is nothing you can do except having it re-done. Of the three finishes, for cost and durability, I would recommend silver.
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Author: Musinix
Date: 2006-11-21 04:26
I have a gold plated R-13 that was purchased new for me in 1969. It was my first horn, so I've held on to it since then. From what I recall, the plating started to pit and peel after about two years of very heavy usage. I stored the clarinet after my freshman year in high school after I purchased another R-13, which I then used through high school and college. It hasn't been played since about 1973. It is currently undergoing a restoration, complete with a complete strip and replate in gold by a well respected technician and mouthpiece craftsman. He is well known on this board. The plating is being done by Anderson plating, which from what I've been told, is one of the best in the industry. For the overhaul and replate, it's going to run about $1200. It's a little more than I expected, but since it was my first clarinet and it's sentimental value, I went ahead and went for it. If it plays as good as it used to, I figure I'll only use it for indoor gigs. I plan on using one of my other clarinets for regular practice so I can keep the finish looking like new.
Thomas Fiebig
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