 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: stebinus
Date: 2008-11-10 14:10
When I close the bottom E key, the pad on the F does not seat quite tight (using a feeler gauge). The book says put a slick under the E pad and bend the E spatula down. It just needs to go a very little ways but not being sure of the metal involved I'm concerned about breaking. Would this be OK to do or should I just put some more glue in the F cup? This is a 1970 18S.
Post Edited (2008-11-10 14:15)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-11-10 16:16
That depends. Usually the bird's foot is bent and that is wher eyou will bend to fix it, sometimes including bending other places too. Is there any gap between the E/B touch-piece and the bird's foot? If not, and you bend the E/B touch-piece, then you will have a gap between the F#/C# touch-piece and bird's foot. Some models are not build very good and the keys don't bend easiest where they should for adjustment. Best would be to analyze the situation and realize what exactly you need to bend and where. Remember that if you just bend to where it's correct then it will usually go out of adjustment very fast. You need to bend it more and then bend back (could vary from barely pushing it the other way to bending it back with more force) to a condition that it is stable and will keep the adjustment.
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Author: stebinus
Date: 2008-11-10 17:06
The bird's foot is OK. If the E spatula were bent down it would actually close a gap between it and the bird's foot there so that's no problem. The main thing I'm worried about is that metal breaking instead of bending.
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-11-10 17:43
If I understand your problem correctly, I have a much simpler solution. I don't know if you would want to do this as it is temporary, but you don't have to worry about breaking anything.
1)On a piece of glass, layer scotch tape until it is about the thickness of the gap between the E key and crows foot when nothing is pressed.
2)With a razor, cut the tape to the edge shape of the key and just big enough to make full contact with the crow's foot.
3)Place the tape under the key and press into place.
4)Remove and try again to get the correct thickness if needed.
I do this to my clarinets and those of collegues.
____________________
Ryder Naymik
San Antonio, Texas
"We pracice the way we want to perform, that way when we perform it's just like we practiced"
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Author: stebinus
Date: 2008-11-10 18:36
Thanks for your suggestion but the main problem is the F pad not seating. I can get the crows foot to level with cork on the l.h. levers but I'm torn between bending the E cup/spatula or just adding glue under the F pad to get it to seat. I tried the tape idea and it does improve the seal of the F pad but it also weakens the seal of the E pad.
Post Edited (2008-11-10 22:12)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2008-11-11 04:35
i bend keys all the time ; would it really matter on an artley if you broke it?...
usually its bette to replace the pad and increase the glue thickness so it seats properly. depends. if the key has been obviously bent up , then bend it back slightly.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-11-11 04:47
Breaking is unlikely but hard to say unless you know what you're doing. Someone with experience can "feel the metal" but everyone started somewhere.
You say there is also a gap between the bird's foot (I call it bird's foot and not crow's foot for some reason...) and I understand that one layer of tape was too thick. In that case you can also try gluing something much thinner, let's say paper, and use contact glue. If you try this, only put a very thin layer of contact glue. First try putting a piece of paper between the E/B touch-piece and the bird's foot and see if that is enough. If you happen to have a piece of cork around, you can glue more cork instead of paper and then sand it to be correct.
The problem with bending the way you described is that you might accidently bend the E/B key cup arm and not the touch-piece, and then you might be able to get them both to close but you will still have the gap betwee the bird's foot and E/B touch-piece.
You say the bird's foot is ok but it sounds like it is likely that it's not. Maybe it's just the bird's foot that is bent by the way, slightly leaning to the F#/C# touch-piece side. Bending only that might fix both problems.
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Author: stebinus
Date: 2008-11-11 08:06
You're right. On closer inspection the birds foot is a little off. However I don't see how bending it is going to make the E and F pads seat together. Like I say I tried putting tape under the E spatula. As soon as I'd get enough tape to seal the F pad, then the E pad started losing seal. It seems like bending the foot is going to have the same effect, right? As for bending in general I'm just scared to bend anything on a student instrument (=questionable metal) because breaking a key means I have to find another one which for me is no small feat and I don't want to put more money than I have to into this horn. Unless someone can assuage my fears I guess I'm going to put more glue under the F pad and regulate the crow foot with a piece of cork on the left hand E lever.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-11-11 09:55
I sent you an email about adjustment.
BTW are you aware that when these keys are out of adjustment, almost always one or both of the pads are closing at the back before they close at at the front. When the finger pressure is shared evenly between two pads rather htan one, this issue shows up more. This needs to be attended to before any linkage issues are loooked at.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-11-11 10:34
Maybe everything will be clearer from Gordon's email.
>> You're right. On closer inspection the birds foot is a little off. However
>> I don't see how bending it is going to make the E and F pads seat together.
It's possible that the bird's foot bent more to the side of the F#/C# touch-piece and needs to be bent back more to the right and change the angle, like "swinging" it to the right. That would make it slightly closer to the E/B touch-piece as a bit further from the F#/C# touch-piece (which is ok). Good chance you can bend the bird's foot with your fingers.
Trying to make the F/C key lower by adding glue can be useless since how do you know you will get the exact amount? You can also mess up the seal of the F/C pad itself as I mentioned before this is important so it's easier to get both pads to seal together.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-11-12 11:14
Hold the F/C pad closed and then gently bend the F/C touch upwards and check the closure of both pads. The E/B pad should be slightly lighter than the F/C pad when tested with a feeler gauge.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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