 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: RJShaw0
Date: 2011-05-08 05:51
So there I am, playing through the Brahms for fun, and after a few bars rest I put my clarinet to my mouth, probably overly energetically, and it hits my teeth.
The tip chips. <insert augmented fourth here>
It chipped on the inside of the tip just off center, and it's about 2mm x 2mm. I didn't chip off a chunk of the tip, but more or less a piece between the reed and the tip.
Has anyone any idea how to fix a chip like this without destroying the sound quality completely? It still plays, but it sounds airy now.
I read somewhere that you can fix the outside but nothing on the inside, and that was all about plastic mouthpieces, whereas mine's crystal.
Cheers in advance,
RJS
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tony F
Date: 2011-05-08 09:52
I've not tried it myself, but I've seen a crystal Leblanc m/p with just such a chip which had been repaired with Araldite. It has to be the real thing, not the 5 minute variety. If you were to first clean the m'p with alcohol and then make a plasticene structure to act as a dam or mold this should be easy enough. Probably best done with the Araldite fairly cold, to thicken it up a bit.
Tony F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: skygardener
Date: 2011-05-08 11:32
I could never imagine that one could cause that much chipping from their mouth. You should be happy that you still have your teeth!
On the repair side, from a mouthpiece maker's perspective, I would just trow it out. A scratch can be taken care of, but glass (especially that much) is very difficult- more trouble than it's worth really.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Vytas
Date: 2011-05-08 14:34
skygardener wrote:
>>"On the repair side, from a mouthpiece maker's perspective, I would just trow it out. A scratch can be taken care of, but glass (especially that much) is very difficult- more trouble than it's worth really".<<
Speak for yourself. Other makers might have very different perspective. This type of repair is neither easy nor difficult. The player should decide if it's worth repairing.
Vytas Krass
Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker
Professional clarinet technician
Former professional clarinet player
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Red Chair
Date: 2011-05-08 20:23
Nice to see you back around Vytas, any chance you could reply to the thread where you mentioned your love of everything American? I and many others are eager for your reply! You just seemed to disappear after your posting there. No doubt you were travelling the world hearing playing not as good as in the USA and seeing and trying craftsmens products not as good as made in the USA.
I do hope to see a reply soon!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: RJShaw0
Date: 2011-05-10 07:38
Excellent work hijacking my post guys, real mature....
I've decided to give repairing the mouthpiece a go, but if it goes bad I'm just going to buy a new one.
RJS
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Red Chair
Date: 2011-05-10 07:57
Vytas, nice to see you have time to edit your immature one liners but no time to answer the more serious questions regarding your xenophobic attitude in previous posts.
I'm still waiting for a reply.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tony F
Date: 2011-05-11 06:53
Ken,
The m/p I saw that had been repaired with Araldite was done some time ago, when the range of Araldite products was somewhat smaller than it is now, but if I were to try the job myself now I'd try either Super Strength or Quickset. I'd mix a bead of each and see what they were like to work and make my choice based on that. 'Buster" suggests using 2-part epoxy putty, and this might be a more practical proposition. I can't comment on the toxicity of Araldite products, but it might be worth investigating the epoxy putties used in the dental and medical fields. They would probably be non-toxic. Both my titanium knees are glued together with great gobs of the stuff and I'm still alive. Possibly someone with experience in this area could comment.
Tony F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: RJShaw0
Date: 2011-05-11 09:54
Buster - Thanks for the reply! I think my repair won't be as extensive as the one you described, but that helps a hea, and I'll use it as a guide. My chip is more or less a sliver that I managed to chip off, and didn't hurt at all actually... quite odd. I must have hit it at the correct angle.
I'll certainly look into JB-Weld/those dental putties that Tony mentioned, I obviously don't want to be putting anything poisonous into my mouth. I did email Pomarico and they advise to buy a new mouthpiece incase you get poisoned etcetera...
Because the chip is quite small as well, I think I might be able to get away without a complete reface, if I work precisely.
I've only had the mouthpiece about 3 months,(my old one became a crystal constelation on the orchestra hall floor - not my fault I might add) so it's sentimental value is low, but it would be annoying to have go through choosing a new one/paying for it again, and I only really just got used to the thing!
Playing it chipped though is quite odd, I've noticed it can play the high register incredibly easily. It also has some kind of warm up period. The first 10 mins sound trash and after that it just sounds 'airy-er' than normal. I think some of the tuning might be shot though.
Well, wish me luck. I'll give it a go, but I'm not holding out any great hope.
Cheers,
RJS
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bassie
Date: 2011-05-11 10:47
As I understand it, fully cured epoxies are very low toxicity (to the extent that I believe some nations license them for internal medical use, like sticking in hip implants).
In this vein (no pun intended) there's an epoxy putty called Milliput about which I've heard great things... search this board.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Vytas
Date: 2011-05-11 15:17
There is a reason why I suggested crystal powder as filler. The repair will become a part of a complex resonant mechanism. The density and hardness of a material effect the way it reflects sound. There is going to be some interaction between the repair material and the body to which it's glued, no matter how minute. For grenadilla repair I use grenadilla powder. I use powdered hard-rubber to repair hard rubber mouthpieces and so on...
Vytas Krass
Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker
Professional clarinet technician
Former professional clarinet player
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-05-12 01:01
What Vytas has said (in another way) is that it is best to match the mechanical impedance of the filler material to that of the rest of the mouthpiece --- by using as close to the same material as possible. This jives with electrical and acoustic theory in the sense that maximum energy can be transferred across a physical boundary between two materials by minimizing the impedance mismatch between them.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
