 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Rissa
Date: 2001-02-12 20:51
Hi guys! I have a Buffet E-13, and this summer while at a camp (Gov. School), I was playing REALLY sharp in the upper register, so I tried everything, loosened up, lowered my tongue, and got it into control for the most part. I tried my friend's R-13 stock barrel, or at least tried to anyway, but it wouldn't fit! I want to order a Chadash barrel because I'm slowly upgrading (until more funds come my way.) But I'm afraid it won't fit on my top joint! Why do you think the stock barrel wouldn't fit, and what should I do?
Rissa
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2001-02-12 21:29
Something is out of whack, either the tendon cork is too thick or the wooden part of the tendon has swollen. Don't worry, a instrument repairperson can easily correct the problem so that all of your barrels will fit. I recently had to have a Chadash barrel adjusted to fit my Concerto A and it only took about ten minutes. I am presuming, of course, that you tried cork grease. Good clarineting!!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Al
Date: 2001-02-12 23:26
Whatever you do, NEVER take any wood off the tenon.
A slight reaming of the barrel will solve the problem. Tenons tend to swell in humid weather. One can always ream a bit of the barrel or bell if necessary. Don't try this yourself.
Don't worry!
Al
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-02-13 00:14
Al,
There has been as much debate as to shave the tenon shoulder or to remove from the inside of the barrel. (Almost as much as whether to oil the bore or not!) The Buffet folks take off from the tenon.....and even have a special "tool" that they offer to repair techs for same. I personally agree with you, but I think we are, perhaps, in the minority.
Later,
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Al
Date: 2001-02-13 00:20
John,
I've done it many times from the barrel. I'm not a tech and I don't have special Buffet tools.
When you go for the tenon, you've got a cork problem too....and I agree with you too.
Al
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rissa
Date: 2001-02-13 01:05
I think that the wood was perhaps swollen, and still is! I had it overhauled in December, and the darn barrel still wont fit! Do you think maybe its the fact that it's because its a R-13 barrel? Arrrrg
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-02-13 10:56
It is not every repair tech who has equipment for enlarging a tenon socket in a controlled manner. It is a difficult object to hold perfectly centrally in a lathe (I made my own special mandrel/collet tool), and not that many repairers have a (metal) lathe. Other methods are likely to be rather inacurate.
I usually attack tight tenons with a (dentist type) micromotor and a large cylindrical burr. It is easy to detect the 'high' spots because they go shiny after a forced joint assembly. This method is probably cylindrically accurate to about 0.01 mm, even though it is done by hand.
If one barrel fitted and the other did not I would adjust the tight barrel.
With modern new instrumets it is VERY common for the tenons to swell and need to be adjusted 2 or 3 times. This is probably because of the use of a lesser grade of timber than what was historically used.
It is also common for the socket reinforcement rings to be put on too tight, resulting in the socket diameter being smaller at the open end than it is further down the socket. A suitable scraper, or a sand paper method, very carefully used, could solve this. Ideally the socket diameter and cylindricality should be checked first with engineers internal measuring tools so that the problem is correctly identified.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Anji
Date: 2001-02-13 12:12
Apologies to JB and other qualified techs;
How risky would it be to employ some 320 or 600 grit garnet sandpaper on a piece of dowel rod (just smaller than the barrel socket) for fit?
If you have a decent pair of calipers, to measure both inside and outside diameters, you should (theoretically) be able to adjust the barrel inside of an hour.
I would NEVER adjust the tenon on the horn, that section is thin and expensive to repair. Barrels, by definition, are interchangeable.
My main beef over repairs is the down time.
The techs with available bench time (locally, anyway) aren't very busy because of their skills and final product.
The really good shop takes two-five weeks! (They're in constant demand. Forget about appointments after the school band season starts.)
There's a natural hesitation to work on something so finely balanced as a good horn, but come on, a barrel is a piece of wood with a hole down the middle.
The shoulder joint to be adjusted isn't even in the airway.
anji
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Al
Date: 2001-02-13 16:43
Rissa,
This is a simple procedure. No one should keep the instrument for more then a day. (It takes about 15 min. at most.)
Don't let anyone fool with the tenon. In case of grave error (unlikely), which would you rather replace, the barrel or the upper joint of your clarinet?
Unless you live in a very remote area, I'm sure there's a competent tech who could handle this.
Don't worry. Really!
Al
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
