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Re: E flat / A flat left pinky key retrofit

Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-06-08 19:15

You will have to make them from scratch as there's nothing as far as I'm aware available to buy as a finished product, but you should be able to either buy or salvage/scavenge the parts to make it with.

The first thing to do is get a piece of 2.4mm or 2.5mm steel to make the shaft from. This is drilled and countersunk at both ends and mounted between the existing point screws as the original LH F/C lever was.

You then need tubing - either brass or nickel silver tubing with the same internal diameter as the steel and an outer diameter of around 3.6mm. This is to make the three sections of key barrel from.

You also need a piece of 2.5mm thick nickel silver sheet to make the linkages from - the F/C linkage can be copied from the existing one and the new one to lift the Ab/Eb key will have to be made so it fits and makes contact with the underside of the Ab/Eb cup arm (which you'll stick a piece of silencing material to later on). You don't need a spring for the LH Ab/Eb lever, but you will have to make and hard solder a spring cradle on the LH F/C linkage which will be in the same distance from the end as the original key.

The touchpieces can either be bought new from the maker (if they will supply them) or salvaged from scrapped clarinet keys which will need some modification so they don't make contact with each other along the sides when in use.

Check the fit of each piece but leave the key barrels slightly long as they can be fotted once all the touchpieces and linkages have been soldered on.

Hard solder the touchpieces and linkages to the key barrels and fraise the ends down so all the key barrels fit on the steel when it's between the pillars. You can check how much you need to shorten the LH F/C lever key barrel so the touchpiece is in the correct position so it's neither too near the C#/G# key or too low so the LH F#/C# touchpiece tip collides with it and fraise back the lower end of the key barrel so the new LH Ab/Eb touchpiece isn't too close or too far.

Once the LH F/C touchpiece is fitting right, you have to then pin it to the steel so it's fixed solidly as it has to actuate the linkage at the lower end (which is also pinned to the steel). Drill a 1.1mm hole perpendicular to and all the way through the key barrel and steel, countersink the top side of the hole and tap it out with a 12BA tap, then screw it together with a 12BA screw (or similar size tap and screw - but no more than 1.2mm in diameter or the imperial equivalent).

Then do the same with the F/C linkage piece once it's in the correct position and use two pinning screws on this for security. To be sure neither the F/C touchpiece and linkage piece barrels move during fitting and drilling, squeeze them slightly with pliers so they grip the steel firmly and won't move unless you have to move them.

Once it's all done, you'll have to paper it up, polish it and then have it plated to match the rest of the keywork, then you'll need to refit the parts again once plated due to the thickness of the plate, so ream the insides of the barrels out so the LH Ab/Eb key spins freely on the steel but making the F/C touchpiece and linkage piece barrels a nice tight fit on the ends of the steel.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2011-06-08 19:41)

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