 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-03-12 03:48
Well the question on the top explains it. In stained grenadilla wood, how can you tell crack from wood grain? I've never seen a crack before so I don't know what they look like.
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-03-12 04:20
Generally cracks are straight lines (or close to it). Wood grains are shallow and tend to curve with the wood a bit more.
Find you nearest paranoid oboeist for more details...
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-03-12 12:07
Adding to NBeaty's good advice: The first thing I do is put a leak-light in the bore. If I can see that light through the place I suspect is a crack, then there's no doubt about it. It's an open (more serious) crack.
If there's no leak light available, or if what might be a crack is very tight (closed), then looking at the outside of the clarinet with a strong incandescent light, under a magnifying glass, will usually show what's a crack and what's not. I've replaced most of the lightbulbs in my house with energy-saving fluorescents, but I use an incandescent flashlight if I suspect a crack, because for some reason an incandescent light reflects off the edge of a sharp surface better than a fluorescent. Shine the light at an angle across (instead of down onto) the suspected crack.
Sometimes a very light finger-stroke across the suspected crack will tell what's a crack and what's not, too. Usually a grain feels as smooth as the rest of the wood, and the look of the grain will be duplicated elsewhere, but you can feel the edge of a crack and it does look different, usually straight, as NBeaty says. Some locations are particularly suspect, too: lengthwise straight down the barrel is the place I've most often seen cracks. From the tenon straight to the nearest tone hole is the next most common trouble spot.
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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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-03-12 12:08
Good question. I still remember my first. Grain has a shallow bottom, so you'll see that lower surface. A crack will be much deeper so the "line," "gap," whatever, will be pitch black (an abyss).
There are two kinds of "cracks." One, somewhat harmless one is known as a "surface check." I've seen this as more common on Selmers for some strange reason. These look like the above description but they are short and do NOT go through to the inside of the bore. A common point might be extending from the top post of the lower joint to the metal ring. If you don't see it at the end of the tenon and it is short like that, it's probably just a surface check.
A real crack is usually a few inches long, say, running from the tone hole of the second highest trill key to the top, where you can actually see the crack extending clearly into the tenon as well as the bore (directly opposite what you see on the outside). These can be "pinned" by a reputable repair person no worse for the wear.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: BobD
Date: 2010-03-13 14:46
Me too.....all the cracks I've seen have been in the barrel or top section to top trill key or register key. This would seem to support the conjecture (theory?fact?) that cracks are associated with moisture and/or temperature change which, if true, should give some guidance on breaking-in and caring for wood clarinets.
Bob Draznik
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Author: jparrette
Date: 2010-03-14 21:22
Sometimes a crack can be nearly invisible. Get a seal over it with your mouth. If you can suck any air through it, it's a crack. You'll know.
John Parrette
CLARION MUSICAL SERVICES
john@clarionmusical.com
914-805-3388
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2010-03-14 21:25
Gawd ... I've been reading the news too much ... I thought this was a newsletter from the local police for a moment ...
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2010-03-14 22:13
Well, Mark, I think that kind of crack would only appear on this board if it happens to be a good filler for the other kind.
I would point out, though, that telling crack from grain in the other sense is probably easy if you make bread and cakes in your kitchen. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif) It's much less messy anyway.
From clarinetwife, who has pizza dough rising in her kitchen right now to make pizzas for dinner
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Author: xarkon
Date: 2010-03-15 15:02
See attached photos. Both of these are cracks, emanating from tone holes. One is between the post for throat A and the hole for throat G#. The other is off the post for the thumb hole.
EDIT...well, sorry, I attached these...and they did not post for some reason....size was under 400k for each image....Mark, let me know...
Dave
Post Edited (2010-03-15 15:31)
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