 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GBK
Date: 2011-02-08 20:44
Attachment: blackwood with a hole.jpg (135k)
Allan Segal is in the process of making me a few barrels and recently sent me this photo of a piece of mpingo African Blackwood with a hole in the center (worm hole?)
Just to show that not all billets are perfect - There is often a lot of waste.
BTW - One of my barrels will be the one on the left in the photo (Rosewood)
...GBK
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-02-08 21:38
Now we know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert (clarinet).....
Old Beatles joke, for geezers like me only.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2011-02-08 23:37
The billets where there is an immediately obvious flaw are not so much of a problem.
It's when one has expended a significant amount of time e.g. turning a bell which has to be done in many stages spaced over many months and then on virtually the final cut find a flaw such as a hole, resin pocket etc suddenly emerges from under the surface of the wood.
The loss in terms of man hours wasted is vastly more than the value of the billet.
Been there more times than I can remember.
Flaws (hidden) in African blackwood are a real fact of life for the maker.
I used some scrapped bells as tool holders, at least my small swiss files, hinge tube shorteners and misc other small items are now held in shapely bases!!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-08 23:48
Some worm holes or small defects can be filled or have a tonehole cut through them if they're in a good enough place, but things like decay or major defects that render part of a billet defective can't be salvaged - but they can still be turned into filler. The remaining, defect-free section can be cut down for use as barrels, grease pots or tenon covers.
Consider the length of a lower joint on a basset clarinet (Leblanc basset clarinets have a single piece body), basset horn or low C bass clarinet - more often than not there will be defects in them that will be filled in if they aren't too numerous or serious instead of scrapping the whole joint.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2011-02-09 14:31
Here is a bubble in the middle of the tree. Like a gunshot wound with no entry and no exit......where is Mon. Periot, or Dr Mallard from NCIS, when you need him?
That is why I sent the picture to GBK. It is one big " huh?"
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2011-02-09 14:31)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-09 15:05
It's a scar or patch of decay in the timber, but always a pain when they're revealed.
As for worm holes, what kind of insect larvae has the strength and sharpness of teeth to make light work of cutting through blackwood? Can they be conditioned to only cut holes in certain areas as that will save a lot on buying and regrinding cutting tools!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-02-09 15:07)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2011-02-09 15:29
Poirot would sit down somewhere to “use the little grey cells.” But this sounds more in Abby’s line than the good doctor’s.
Karl
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2011-02-09 22:08
or Hodgins from BONES or the whole CSI group.
One thing we can thank OJ for......a plethora of crime lab procedural shows.
FWIW....I cut beyond that point and things looked ok, but later when turning the outside, I found numerous pits and checks......so the entire billet is worthless. I will use some strips for other purposes, but not for barrels.
I let wood age here, but I did keep record of the source.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2011-02-10 13:21)
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