 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-29 23:13
Attachment: IMG_1270.jpg (271k)
Attachment: IMG_1271.jpg (245k)
Attachment: IMG_1272.jpg (270k)
Hi,
Some of you may have seen my topic about an old Albert system clarinet I purchased the other day. It's working quite well, and I plan on getting it worked on soon. However, the wooden mouthpiece that came with it has been stuck on the barrel ever since I bought the clarinet, and no amount of twisting or rocking has been able to free it. Is there any way to get the mouthpiece off without breaking it?
Also: Is there any way to clean a wooden mouthpiece without damaging the wood? If I can clean the mouthpiece, I could live with leaving it attached to the barrel.
Pictures of the mouthpiece attached.
Thanks,
Max
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-30 02:08
Nevermind! I've finally gotten it unstuck. I am still wondering, though, if anyone knows how to sanitize a wooden mouthpiece.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-07-30 03:17
Sanitization is probably not necessary but I would soak it in olive oil until it has an even black color, otherwise you run the risk of it cracking.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-30 04:23
Could I get it oiled with the bore oil they use for the clarinet body? I'm getting the whole instrument oiled soon.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-07-30 04:53
Don't let them use bore oil! Olive oil or almond oil is more chemically similar to natural blackwood oil. Bore oil is petroleum based. That's the equivalent of putting diesel fuel on your instrument! Save yourself some money and oil the instrument yourself.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-30 09:57
Thanks for the info! I'll talk to the repair tech I go to about possibly doing the oiling for me, or at least guiding me through the process in person - he's done it on another old instrument of mine (not nearly as old - 1945 or so), and he has plenty of other old instruments around his shop, so I know he has experience doing this. I feel like I could mess it up, haha.
By the way, you asked about the string: I got 1st chair in the audition. There happened to be a little bit of string left over after making the Bb ligature, so I just stuck it in my case. About 2 days into the camp they asked me to play Eb clarinet out of the blue (I'd never played it before), and they didn't have Eb reeds, so I had to cut down a Bb reed. The ligature that came with the Eb clarinet didn't fit over the thicker Bb reed, so the extra string came in handy as an Eb ligature.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-07-30 14:10
Wow, "Silversorcerer," thanks for the great time-lapse photos!
............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-07-30 17:54
maxopf wrote:
> Could I get it oiled with the bore oil they use for the clarinet body? I'm
> getting the whole instrument oiled soon.
if you don't mind putting bore oil in your mouth. IMHO wouldn't use any non-food grade oils. Besides olive you can use almond, walnut, sunflower..
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2014-07-30 20:00
There are bore oils and there are bore oils and not all of them are petroleum based. Personally I'd opt for the oiive oil soak treatment. Whatever you do don't damage the mp since as someone said it'f probably worth more than the horn. One thing for sure I've learned is that there is value in negative information if you recognize it as such.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-30 20:48
I think I'll start with the mouthpiece today since I have some olive oil lying around. I don't have any other types of oil, so I'll hold off on the clarinet body.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-07-30 21:47
The controversy over what kind of oil to use, and where, and how often, and what phase of the moon- on wooden clarinets- is another vote for the innate superiority of hard rubber. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-07-30 21:54
maxopf wrote:
> I think I'll start with the mouthpiece today since I have some
> olive oil lying around. I don't have any other types of oil,
> so I'll hold off on the clarinet body.
Olive oil would work on clarinet too (it may eventually go rancid tho). Another good one to use is Bore Doctor.
Either way prior to oiling make sure there are no cracks. You won't be able to glue it after oil soaks in.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-30 22:07
Good thing you mentioned that, cyclopathic - it does have a small crack in the lower joint. I'll hold off on oiling until that's fixed. The instrument itself, that is - I'm already oiling the mouthpiece.
Post Edited (2014-07-30 23:40)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-07-30 22:50
Actually olive oil is one of the most stable natural oils in existence. Also I believe that once it is absorbed into the wood the antibiotic enzymes that were originally in the wood are re-activated which stops the oil from going rancid.
Good luck oiling your mouthpiece!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-31 00:53
A couple more questions - If the oil goes rancid after a while, what should I do?
Also, should I wait a while after the oil has been applied and soaked through, or can it be played more or less right away?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-07-31 01:48
The oil won't go rancid. I have a clarinet that I oiled five years ago with olive oil and so far nothing bad has happened. The oil will likely dry out long before it goes rancid, and even then you're talking about several years down the road. Just oil the mouthpiece every six months and you'll be fine.
I would:
1. apply oil generously with a small paint brush or cotton swab, apply more as needed (you can never apply to much oil)
2. Wait 30 minutes
3. Wipe off excess oil
4. Wait 1 hour
5. Make some music!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-31 05:29
Ok, thanks. It's darkened considerably, but not soaked through 100%.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Wes
Date: 2014-07-31 11:30
On two new wooden clarinets I've gotten from Buffet, they recommended in writing to not oil the wood of the clarinet.
When I've overhauled my clarinets or oboes, after removing the keys, I oil them inside and outside with almond oil with no cracking or any other problem. It seems to be a good idea if the wood is really dried up. I let them soak in oil for a couple of days. The excess oil should be removed before reassembly in order to not affect the pads. I also do this when restoring a very old wood clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-07-31 15:35
@max
if it hasn't been oiled long time, you might need to let it soak overnight (and in many cases 2-3 days). What I usually do is:
- apply layer of oil
- let is soak in overnight
- rub it over in the morning (there will be some oil with dry patches)
- let it dry
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-31 20:11
I applied about 3 coats yesterday, starting in the morning and ending in the evening, but I didn't see your comment about soaking overnight until this morning. Perhaps I'll put on more today, but it already looks pretty soaked through - pictures attached (picture 1 is from yesterday before oiling, picture 2 is from today after oiling.)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-07-31 20:12
(Double post - attachments failed. Will try again in another post.)
Post Edited (2014-07-31 20:19)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
