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Socket ring bottom has water/leak

Author: chihuo
Date: 2013-08-30 22:24

Hi,

Need your advise/help.

I recently found out after warm up, the bottom of the LJ socket ring is wet. I did see some hairline cracks in the socket, so I figured the water must be leaked from inside. The suck test failed.

Is there an easy way to pull the ring out ? Heat it? It is pretty firm, and I am wondering if I pull it too hard, the socket might get worse.

Thanks in advance.

Chihuo

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Re: Socket ring bottom has water/leak

Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-08-30 22:44

Socket rings are pressure fitted and will loosen when the wood dries out and this will cause cracks if the joints are assembled while the socket rings are loose. They can be tightened by removing the ring, then fitting a paper or cloth shim to the end of the socket and refitting the ring so everything's held tight.

It's normal for water to collect in the sockets while playing, but for it to leak out from the socket while assembled is unusual and there must be something wrong there.

Most socket rings can be removed by holding a piece of hard wood tight up against them (to prevent marking the metal) and tapping them off with a mallet. Make sure when you refit them you put them on the right way round - there's usually a bevelled edge around the inside edge that goes onto the socket first and the open end is parallel with no bevel so there's no gap between the wood at the end of the socket and the socket ring. If they are a tight fit, then heating them up will usually free them, but I won't advise you to do this if you've never done this sort of thing before as you could do more harm than good - leave it to your tech to sort out.

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

Post Edited (2013-08-31 12:14)

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Re: Socket ring bottom has water/leak

Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-08-30 22:51

Any water from the bore shouldn't be able to get pasted the tenon cork if the wood is solid. Suction tests aren't always accurate.

Steve Ocone

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Re: Socket ring bottom has water/leak

Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-08-31 11:53

And the failed suction test could be from something quite unrelated.

BTW are you sure that moisture is not leaking out the tone hole under the C#/G# key's pad.

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