 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-02-04 07:18
Attachment: Pochette 1.jpg (1233k)
Attachment: Pochette 2.jpg (1218k)
Attachment: Pochette 3.jpg (1107k)
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a 70's Buffet pochette from Ebay. It needed quite a bit of work, however the exterior condition was almost perfect. It needed new handles, and a whole new lining.
I purchased a pocketbook with the correct diameter handles from a local thrift store for $6.00. I was able to locate what seemed to be the original color cotton velvet/velour fabric at an upholstery supply house. I stripped the interior down to the basic structure, but I noticed that in order to fully protect the sections of the horn, I would have to rework the wooden dividers so that everything would lie straight and secure. This involved carving down some of the dividers and re-thinking the bits of cardboard and padding so that it could be optimized without putting pressure on the keys or allowing slop during transit. What usually results in a one hour job turned into a four hour job, as it required a great deal of trial and error and continuous re-fitting. For this job, I used rubber cement for the largest sections of fabric with strong hot glue at the edges to make sure there would be no shifting. Ailienes Sticky glue can leave the cotton velvet hard in areas where the glue soaks through the cotton, so I opted against using it. The ribbon which says Buffet the sweetest etc .... had to be sponge cleaned and sealed at the edges with a hot knife to prevent unraveling. These older Buffet pochettes had springs to hold the cover open and fabric bands to keep the cover from opening too far. The fabric bands had to be redone.
The overall look is nearly factory fresh and the fit and instrument protection factor has been far improved over the original.
Check out the final result in the three photos attached. Four hours plus seems a little excessive for the labor involved, but even using the best fabrics and having to source the handles from a pocket book left my cost of restoration to $17 plus the cost of obtaining the pochette from Ebay. Not a bad result, I think....
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-02-04 07:29
By the way this is not my Buffet, but a less valuable Malerne that I now use just for testing the fit of cases that I rebuild. A certain amount of stretch to the fabric and compaction to the batting is necessary before a case is best for a valued instrument.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-02-04 07:31
The case looks great! I too bought the same case from the same place a few years ago. Any "before" pictures?
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-02-04 02:38
I foolishly believed that the original Ebay photos contained images of the interior, but I just checked and it didn't. I saved a piece of the original worn out fabric and it is what you would expect from a 40 year old velvet. It was dirty, ragged and worn through in spots. It's a testament to the previous owner that the exterior seemed unchanged except for the lack of any handles.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-02-04 02:48
A very good job. Did you cover the outside of the case, or is that the original covering?
Tony F.
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-02-04 07:52
Unbelievably, that is the original covering. In my case restoration, the condition of the exterior is usually the limiting factor. I have not yet learned to re-do that part of a case.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-02-04 09:40
I have the same trouble. I've done some outsides and as long as the case is a fairly regular shape it comes out OK, but the irregularly shaped cases haven't come out so well. I found that cutting paper shapes to get the fit right helped. I've tried a number of adhesives and the one that worked best was a spray adhesive from an art store. I use thin dishwashing sponges as a substitute for the sometimes odiferous padding in old cases. Under the fabric they give just the right amount of grip.
Tony F.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-02-04 17:48
Absolutely beautiful, Garth, congratulations.........
Bob Draznik
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