 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Noverbuf
Date: 2008-11-22 23:11
Could you please describe your procedure for rehydrating an old clarinet that was sitting in the case for, say 50 years? Assume you need to clean it as well.
I just don't understand what should be done first and the order of steps is also not clear.
If it's dirty, can it be wiped with a damp cloth right out of the case? Or should it be first fed with some moisture like placing a 'damp-it' for couple of weeks in the case? I read somewhere (perhaps Leblanc forum) that it's recommended to fill the 'damp-it' with a 1% solution of vinegar to re-introduce acidity to the wood.
I'll try to invent some procedure off-hand that sounds reasonable to me to comment on. Could you please make corrections per your own procedure?
- Place a 'damp-it' in the case for couple of weeks before anything else is done
- After two weeks take the clarinet out of the case, strip it down, lightly wipe it with a damp cloth
- Put it back into the case; continue rehydration for another week
- Clean the clarinet body more thoroughly; let it dry for a day
- Oil the body
- Proceed with the overhaul as needed
I think if the clarinet hasn't been played for a long time it needs some rehydration 'breaking-in' period and I don't mean here the playing breaking-in period which comes after full restoration.
Am I too cautious?
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-11-23 02:48
That amount of re-hydration seems a little over-the-top, but if it gives you peace of mind and you are in no hurry I don't see a problem with it. I think you could treat it like a brand new clarinet and play it a little each day, gradually increasing playing time and thus increasing the moisture level in the wood, but who knows i could be wrong. Do you live somewhere very cold or with extreme temperature changes?
____________________
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: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2008-11-23 02:56
I've been renovating old clarinets for many years, and quite a few of these instruments have been 50 or more years old. Just a light oiling of the bore should be all that's needed. Generally, if an old clarinet hasn't cracked already, it probably won't when getting played again.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2008-11-23 15:19
None needed. Normal care for any wooden clarinet will do.
richard smith
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Author: modernicus
Date: 2008-11-23 17:48
Well, are the rings and posts loose? I have a clarinet with this condition, definitely the wood has shrunken considerably. Oiling and indirect hydration have helped some, but if anybody would care to weigh in?
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-11-24 13:52
If the wood has shrunk so much that all the metal has loosened, it may mean the factory that made the clarinet used wood that wasn't aged enough to begin with. If it aged significantly after the clarinet was made, then maybe the best you can do now (after normal rehydration) is to have the rings and posts tightened. However, if the wood was so green (or so abused) that it really has changed shape, it might not be worthwhile to pay for work on an instrument that may never play in tune again.
But, I've hedged with words such as "might" and "may" so much because it's also possible that leaving a Dampit in the case for a couple of weeks, then oiling the clarinet and playing it (breaking it in a little bit at a time, as if it were new) will take care of any minor shrinkage that's only due to the clarinet sitting around unplayed for decades in a dry environment. If the clarinet needs cleaning, then I'd wash out the case, too. No use putting a clean clarinet back in a dirty, smelly case.
You're so right to proceed gently. I've bought clarinets that former owners tried to hydrate all at once, with lavish oiling before the sale. What a greasy mess! Slopping lots of oil on there all at once won't make the wood absorb any more oil in the long run. After the wood absorbs whatever it's able to absorb, the rest of the oil sits on the surface.
I think some owners who decide to store a clarinet without playing it may think that a slathering of surface oil will protect the wood in storage. Nope. The excess oil does nothing but ruin the case lining and leave grease stains all over anything the clarinet touches. Over time (months or years), if that excess surface oil isn't wiped off, its volatile fractions evaporate, until it turns into a gummy sludge. That residue is difficult to clean up, especially after it attracts and holds dust and other dirt, while the excess moisture contributes to growth of mold and mildew. Most of the clarinets I've seen for sale that looked too damaged to be worth restoring were the ones that showed evidence of damp storage, including marination in excessive oil.
I don't think letting a stored clarinet dry out to petrified wood is a good idea, either, but when I buy one that's already dried out, instead of trying to re-hydrate it all at once, I think it's best to begin by oiling normally (lightly). Then just wait a week or two and let the wood completely absorb the oil. Then see if the wood still seems dried out, and only then resort to another light oiling. Repeat until the wood seems normally hydrated.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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