The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Drake
Date: 2009-10-16 04:30
Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep a wooden clarinet looking sharp? Nothing I do seems to work for very long. I can't keep the finish from dulling (that's not to say that the finish is wearing off, because it's not) and looking pretty disreputable. Can anyone give me any suggestions for keeping it clean? Anything would be greatly appreciated.
- Drake
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-16 09:53
Wipe it all down and buff the wood with a dry duster after playing and don't use anything damp as that will dull the finish quicker. The finish will dull where you're in contact with it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-10-16 12:03
Hey Chris,
I have been getting the impression that the "finish" is in large part do to the presence of oils in the wood. Is there any truth in my belief that a "deep oil treatment" would make an old clarinet body look brand new?
..............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-16 21:30
Not really sure - if it's really soaked, the oil could still leech out onto the surface of the timber when it's warm, but that's only speculation.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Drake
Date: 2009-10-17 04:15
Thanks to those who responded. It's definitely helpful.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2009-10-17 15:42
(Disclaimer - I sell a wood cleaner and wax)
Many clarinets without a varnish or shellac finish become dull when dust and pollution from the air combines with the oil in the wood. This gunk also clogs the pores of the wood where transpiration (water leaving and entering the wood) takes place. A clean wood surface will also show the depth of grain and beauty of the wood. A wood cleaner designed for oily woods is best because it does not leach out excessive quantities of oil from the wood.
Many will reoil the wood after cleaning, let it dry and then apply a wax. We have had wax threads in the past so those would be helpful to search too.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
|