 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-02-06 02:46
I have a Selmer model 55 that is a wonderful player with a great, sweet tone. It has clearly been given lots of tender loving care. It has also seen a lot of use. The problem is that the keys are solid sterling and the ring keys are heavily worn and thinned. My original intent was to find a manufacturing jeweler to rebuild the rings. In fact, I have found a jeweler who is willing to give it a try. However, he knows nothing about clarinets and is not sure he can do it correctly. He would be much more comfortable if I also took in some unworn keys for him to use as a "pattern". He has asked that I take him the loose keys ready to work on. This jeweler does very good work, but for him to be comfortable, I would need to take him keys from two different instruments and have two down while he is doing his work. Does anyone know of a good technician who does this sort of work who already understands clarinets?
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2014-02-06 02:59
It would help to know where you're from to guide you to a person who is "local".
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-02-06 03:26
Would he be able to work from photos and measurements? I realise it's best to have actual keys there for him to copy the profiles from, but failing that, see if he can work from detailed photos backed up with critical measurements.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-02-06 01:11
I'm in the mountains to the east of Stockton in Central California. If I have it done locally, I'll take the extra keys with it. Since the jeweler has never done this before, I want to give him every advantage. I'm just wondering if there is a tech around who has done this sort of thing and has some experience. I have no problem shipping it if necessary. I have faith in the jeweler, but his personal standards are very high and he has never tried it.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2014-02-06 11:13
Restoring the rings would not be easy because the restored rings could be too high to play comfortably or too low for the wood recesses. One could hard solder thin strips of sheet silver around the rings, but the restored rings would have to fit in the recesses in the wood.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-02-06 13:50
If they're only adding height to the rings on the top sides (which is where wear takes place), then there shouldn't be any problem with them fitting the chimneys, but they will have to get the heights right.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2014-02-06 08:59
Assuming the underside of the rings is not worn, all the friendly silversmith needs to know is their original thickness, and maybe a photo of their shape.
I would assume that also the "wall thickness" of the rings can be deducted, as they are usually pretty unworn near the arm.
--
Ben
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-02-07 03:42
These rings seem to be worn only on the top. That makes sense since that is the only surface that should actually come into contact with something. If I take example keys to the jeweler, he should have no problem with the height.
As might be expected, the rings show more wear on the edge away from the arm. However, my other Selmers have a ridge across the top of the arm that continues the circular shape of the ring. These rings have that ridge worn smooth. The inner edge of the thumb tube is rounded toward the bore, but the outer edge is fine and should present no problem.
Does anyone have any ideas why they would have made an instrument with solid sterling keys? My understanding is that only about 2,000 Model 55s were made and every other one I have seen or heard of has had either nickel or silver plated keys.
It's sounding like my best bet is going to be to take the keys to my local jeweler. He is very good and I can be easily available to answer any questions he might come up with. I want to redo this one as a show piece. The wood is in perfect condition, the logos are still sharp enough to be easily re-gilded, and the rings are the only sign of wear. Whoever used it took very good care of it. It needs no swedging, has nothing binding, and is just waiting to be made like new.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2014-02-07 05:52
Perhaps some 1/16 inch wide half round silver wire could be made into circles and these soldered on to the existing rings.
I recently repaired a badly damaged chimney on a Series 9 Selmer Eb clarinet with some JB Weld kwikWood epoxy putty with great results, by the way. After it was dry, it was dyed black.
Good luck!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-02-07 14:28
The easiest way to add height to the worn rings is to file them down enough to level them, then hard solder a piece of 1mm thick silver sheet to the ring. Then open up the middle, file the outer and inner sides to the correct diameter and profile the top edge to gently radius it.
Half round wire bent into circles will leave a line of solder where the join is and this could become a sharp edge when the silver wears down, so it's best to use something seamless.
The thumb tube can be removed, then the worn end levelled and a piece of silver rod hard soldered to it. Then mount it in a lathe and drill out the end to the correct diameter of the tube and turn it down to the correct height. Then round off the very edges (inside and out) off the end of the tube.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-02-07 23:18
Chris: Thanks for the suggestions. Those seem like a logical and doable approach. I will take your suggestions and some ring keys to use as patterns to the jeweler and see just what we can accomplish. Because of the soft keys, this instrument would not be for regular use. But, it has the potential to be a thing of beauty with a spectacular sweet tone.
The serial number of this instrument indicates that it was most likely made in the first quarter of 1945. Selmer Paris seems to have made very few instruments during German occupation. However, given that Paris was liberated in August of 1944, I wonder if silver might have been more easily available than nickel or some other appropriate, harder metal when this instrument was made.
What continues to blow my mind is that I got this instrument from the auction site in a double case with a Selmer stenciled (a Buescher True-Tone without the snap in pads) alto sax for just over $300.
Thanks everyone for your input. Given what I expect the cost of the silver work might be, I suspect this could be a long term project (for a retired high school teacher). I'll post a photo when it's finished.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-02-07 23:55
From what I understand, the earliest Howarth oboes from 1948 had solid silver keys as Sterling silver (92.5% silver) was easier to get hold of than nickel silver at the time (I assume nickel silver was used for munitions so was in short supply or was hard to come by due to factories and suppliers sustaining bomb damage), hence the 'S' prefix on Howarth oboe models (S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 - the S stands for silver). But when they started clarinet production a bit later they were using nickel silver, so their early clarinets were named the NS1.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-02-08 01:21
Maybe a useful anecdote :
About a decade ago I sought a repair tech who could only overhaul a clarinet AND relacquer it's keys. My locale repair guy would have had to "turf out" the lacquer job as EPA regulations made running his own machinery to do this prohibitively expensive.
On the advice of a friend, I sought out former Selmer techs in the Elkhart, Indiana (US) area who were no longer working for them and who could do the work. I lucked out with someone that did great work .
Now I realize you needs key rebuilt-but it sounds like the aforementioned place may be where to find techs with such proficencies . I find my guy via the internet (normally not the way to do this).
Contact me privately by email if you care to have me try to locate the guy for you. If he doesn't do the work he probably knows someone in his area that does.
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