 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-02-03 13:06
Does anyone know a technique to remove play between a rod screw and its pillar?
I have all the tools and am quite experienced at making the key's tubing smaller and longer, but on a few keys the screw hole has gotten slightly bigger and the screw itself wiggles in the hole.
How can one make the pillar hole smaller?
thanks
-S
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-03 13:29
There's several ways around it:
1. Replace the rod screws with slightly larger diameter ones which involves reaming the key barrels to the larger size, or...
2. Take the pillars out, drill the holes through the heads out larger and soft solder a piece of nickel silver or brass rod into the holes and drill them out to the same size as the screws, or...
3. Replace all the pillars that are worn out with new (undrilled) ones of the same type, use a drilling jig (which lines up the drill so it drills at the correct angle) and drill the heads out, then fraise back the inside so the key barrels will fit. Obviously not ideal unless you have all the equipment.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-02-03 15:06
Chris P wrote:
> <snip useful advice>
Please everyone notice that this is one of the very rare cases where superglue won't help. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
--
Ben
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2007-02-04 21:24
For a "cheap and dirty" fix, you might try putting a piece of nylon fishing line through the pillar and inserting the screw; then trim off both sides with a narrow razor blade. Easy enough to try, might do the trick for you.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-04 21:59
I'm still thinking of where superglue can come into this...
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-02-04 23:44
Ben-
I always use Loctite on the thread side but do you use it for the other side too?
-S
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-02-05 01:14
I'm still thinking of where superglue can come into this...
Tried it. the stuff fell off after playing for a couple of months. it worked kinda well. Wax is probably the safest and easiest solution
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-02-05 02:31
For a bit of "shimming" and pivot screw "tightening", I take a narrow strip of wax paper, fold it to the right thickness, pierce it with a pin or very small screwdriver, insert it between the rod end and the post and set in the screw. The wax paper, with perhaps a touch of oil, is a good lubricant and will last fairly long, keeping pads well oriented to the tone hole. Works, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-02-05 07:04
> I always use Loctite on the thread side but do you use it for the other side
> too?
Skygardener,
...you mean the pointy end of the screw? I was experimenting with P-Tex "Ski" candles; it doesn't really hold well to metal, at least of this tiny surface. Epoxy glue, hardened and sanded, worked better, the required layer is often too thin for a durable solution.
Short of build-up-soldering the rod end there's one quick solution besides Don's wax paper shim: A tiny chip of hot glue dropped into the rod blind hole, heated somewhat, then mount the key and keep opening/closing until it has cooled down without binding to the screw. Won't last forever, though.
--
Ben
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-02-05 13:18
use a small nylon washer and SUPERGLUE it in.
seriously ... one of the things i've found usefull is to solder in some high tin solder into the rods and ream it out to fit the pivot screw. It should make it much tighter and smooth.
This is not a permanent fix though .. only Superglue is a permanent fix
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2007-02-05 14:30
1. Likewise, I have occasionally filled the post with 95/5 (tin/silver) solder, and drilled and reamed it. I regard this a lot better than temporary.
2. Another option is to take the post out, fill it with silver solder, and re-drill and ream it.
3. Surprisingly, there is indeed a superglue option. When I first heard of it I did not believe it until I tried it where it was promoted, on sax stack keys posts....
Make sure the rod is really smooth, and VERY lightly smeared with grease where it will pass through the offending post. Clean the interior of the post well, with solvent.
Insert the rod, without the key, and screw it home a single turn. The slot should not enter the post! Now apply thin superglue to each side of the post, so that it can fill the offending gap by capillary action. When it is set, one hopes that it has not adhered to the rod.... gently screw the rod back and forth until it is free. extract the rod and trim off any excess superglue outside the post. Use a fine rat-tail file if you want to ease the fit from firm to free.
I have used this several times on saxes, with excellent results - a firm fit. So far there has not been a problem of the superglue sticking to the rod. If it did, it could be easily freed with gently heat.
There should never have been any wear inside a post if the rod was screwed tight. If there is wear, then this suggests that at some time, the key's barrel was once seized to the rod, and the whole thing was pivoting inside the post. To me, this is a potential cause of a failure in the superglue operation. If the rod inside the post is of a smaller diameter than the rest of the rod, then it will difficult to extract from the post after the superglue operation... heat to the rescue!.
Note that after this operation, care is probably needed during assembly, lest this post bush be pushed out of the post. This, to me, is the biggest downside of the operation... For the next servicing of the instrument, the technician may not be aware that care is needed.
Disclaimer: If you try this, you take the same risks as I did when I tried it. Good luck!
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-02-05 16:18
I was joking about the high tin solder not being a permanent fix with the superglue .. just didn't word it correctly. Thanks Gordon
BUT more importantly .... looks like we have our Superglue option !!
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Author: mk
Date: 2007-02-11 01:55
wait.....super glue the inside of the tubing, then lap it out......this could even replace electro plating as a possible solution!!!!! Viva la super glue!
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