 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-26 19:19
I have always been good about oiling my keys regularly. Upon the advice from no less than Bill Brannen to do this once a month, I have done my best to be dutiful about this.
Within the last two years I have been lucky enough to do most of my playing on "loaner" horns. The best part is getting to try out more stuff, but I also am able to avoid wear and tear on my personal horn. In the last month I have gone back to my trusty personal horn after almost a full year hiatus. I figured I'd oil it AFTER I 'broke it back in.'
What I found today, was that many of the pivots were rather tough to back out (not "frozen" mind you, but I needed to exert some force to get them out). I also found that most of the oiled surfaces (pivots and rods) were covered in thicker, blacker oil (much thicker and blacker than I was comfortable seeing). This usually indicates the presents of worn metal shavings in the oil as well as dirt and just thickening with age.
So just leaving your clarinet sitting over time will require some maintenance every now and then if you want it to stay in top working order.
I know some of you are rather adamantly opposed to oiling keys as often as once a month (and I'm sure that is NOT out of laziness but rather the idea that it is unnecessary to be that frequent). Admittedly I often 'forget' to get around to it EVERY 30 days, but I do average once every two months when I am constantly on one horn.
The alternative to having a good coating of clean oil between your pivots (and rods) and your keys is metal on metal contact with the constant grinding away of fine bits of metal EVERY time you practice or perform.
Just a friendly reminder to be nice to your axe.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-05-26 20:11
When I remove a key to replace a pad or fix a cork, I use pipe a cleaner moistened with alcohol and clean the hing tubing and wipe the screw rod down. I'll use canned air to blow out the tubing (fuzz from the pipe cleaners), drip a drop of oil in and slide the rod back inside the key tubing (before reinstalling). I hold the rod at each end and give the key a spin, making sure it turns freely and quickly. I then install the key on the clarinet.
I use a special synthetic oil ... the brand escapes my feeble brain ... Some technicians used Clock Oil (from the jawbone of whales?). This oil will not get gummy.
Pivot screws get dropped in alcohol and the key tubing is cleaned with a really wet cotton swab and dried with canned air. Pivot screw dried as well. I then remount the key, leaving everything loose and apply a drop of oil, before tightening.
BE SURE TO IMMEDIATELY WIPE UP EXTRA OIL THAT MAY GET ON CLARINET WOOD OR HARD RUBBER. Some lubricants are not good for wood, rubber or plastic.
Tom Ridenour has a video on the use of teflon tape to replace lubricant and take up slack in the pivot screws.
My usual rambling three cents worth ...
Tom
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-26 20:35
THANKS !!!!!
All good advice and very detailed method.
Speaking of Tom Ridenour, I tried this "Super Slick" or some such synthetic stuff of his. He uses it very sparingly on all parts of the clarinet (even demonstrates on a sidekey rod). I would say this stuff is really REALLY thick. I used it on pivots with some success but I wouldn't ever use it on rods. It makes the mechanics of the key too logy.
Wow, whale oil !!!! I was just in Nantucket and apparently Nantucket was the original "BP." The incredible oil obtained from Sperm Whales is legendary in EVERY application you can imagine. Even if you could get your hands on an old supply though, I would have to discourage it. Some things are just not worth the cost (to the whales and environment in general that is).
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-05-26 20:44
I've been using sewing machine oil, seems to work pretty good. I apply it with the sharp end of a bamboo skewer. Just a tiny amount, guess about a 1/16" drop. Thought about synthetic trumpet valve oil but that's probably too thin.
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-27 07:43
When I bought my R13 from Bill Brannen in 1976 he gave me a bottle of oil with a long needle nose dropper to dispense it. I asked him what kind of oil it was and he said 30 weight. Same as 30 weight motor oil.
When I sent my Powell flute in for cleaning and adjustments I found out they use Mobil 1 synthetic. Same as I use in my corvette.
The oil I got from Bill Brannen is gone, but I got some medium weight oil from the Doctor that I use now. My old repairman who played clarinet used to use STP on my sax. Go figure. They all seem to work well. What I learned here is I need to oil my instruments more.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2015-05-27 07:55
Well, I used motor oil for years, but Curt from the Music Medic convinced me to try their synthetic oil for my flute. It seemed to respond faster so I tried it on some saxophones and they seemed to play faster. The instruments with long tubes and rods can benefit the most from the synthetics. The clarinet probably plays about the same regardless of the oil type because there are few long rods moving in oil.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-27 13:05
A BIG part of what made the overhauls done by Bill Brannen so special was how well he balanced the spring tensions with the overall feel of the key actions. The 30 weight machine oil was just thick enough to give the action some "body" without slowing it down too much. So Brannen was going for an overall result with the oil viscosity. He might not mind the synthetics as long as they have the same "feel."
And just to describe the philosophy: The rings can be very light spring tension (just slightly more than needed to make them spring back up - and this is where the 30 weight makes that feel more solid). The pads at the bottom that stay open are similarly adjusted with just a little more tension than is required to bring them back open. The rest only need have enough tension to hold them closed (which may be a lot less tension than many of you are used to). The only real tricky one to balance out is the RH pinky "Eb/Ab" key. This needs to have a bit more tension than you might like carrying through with this light adjustment philosophy. For some strange reason this particular key is easily 'blown open' under playing conditions (having its insidious effect on the 'sturdiness' of the sound of the entire lower part of the horn rather than changing one note). I've just never had the same problem with the "C#" cup.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-05-27 22:37
Sae 30 or similar is fine for point screws, even grease works here too.
However for pivot rods I think you need a lighter oil on clarinets and most definitely lighter on flutes.
I find the Doctor's Syntek works fine here.
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2015-05-27 22:53
(Disclaimer - I sell a NASA specified synthetic key oil in various standard and custom blended viscosities)
Good advice about cleaning rods, tubes, and articulating points. Yes, metal particles left in a sludge after oil evaporates is very abrasive. One problem with petroleum based oils and many synthetic oils is that they evaporate over time which concentrates the gunk left behind which becomes very abrasive. Most automotive oils, both petroleum and synthetic, have a viscosity range based on temperature - thinner at high temperatures and thicker at low.
As for clock oils. Today they are petroleum based. The old Nye clock oil was made from the oil in the sensory bulb in the head of sperm wales and had many of the qualities that we see in today's synthetic oils. Sperm whale oil however is no longer available so no more clock oil from them.
As for the perfect viscosity I would say that it depends on the wear already present on your instrument which is also affected by key binding and spring tension. The more wear, the more viscous the oil needed to maintain a film between metal parts. The lubricating properties of oils also depend on their shear properties and oils of the same viscosity may have different shear values. There is actually a very technical field of expertise for lubricating products called Tribology.
My choice for key oil, which I also have researched and sell, is a synthetic oil made for the NASA space program that does not evaporate (a necessity for the vacuum of space), has better shear and lubrication properties because it forms a molecular bond with metal and has antirust and anticorrosion additives which mineral oil sewing machine oil and most motor oils do not have. It also does not change viscosity or have a viscosity range between -140 and 300 degrees Celsius. It is expensive.
Not saying that the other suggestions in motor oils, but not clear mineral oil, are not adequate - as always - whatever works for you.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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