 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jnguyen
Date: 2015-12-21 07:46
I wanted to see the difference from using a plastic barrel instead of a wooden one and played my clarinet for a few minutes. Now the plastic barrel won't even budge! What should I do?
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2015-12-21 08:02
First of all relax, this is a common problem with a fairly straightforward solution. The wood has simply swelled causing the barrel to become frozen to the upper joint. The solution is simply to wait for the wood to return to its original dimensions which should happen if you let it sit for a few hours. Never try to remove the barrel with excess force. If after a day the barrel does not loosen take the instrument to a repair tech.
Hope this helps!
-Jdwoodwinds
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-12-21 11:32
Swab the clarinet dry, then leave it for 24 hours. By then the barrel may have loosened enough to just pull it off, but if not try rocking the barrel from side to side on the clarinet. You'll (hopefully) find that you can open a slight gap on one side of the barrel. Put a slip of something like stiff card in the gap and gently rock the other way. A larger gap will open on the other side. Repeat as above until the barrel is loose enough to remove. Were you using cork grease? If not then you should be.
Tony F.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2015-12-21 16:40
Rocking it back and forth as you pull instead of twisting can sometimes get it loose.
Steve Ocone
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2015-12-21 17:12
Twist it and grip (avoiding keys) while wearing rubber gloves. This have never failed me.
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: SteveP
Date: 2015-12-21 19:19
The rocking technique is very effective when other ways fail. I posted earlier this year on using an inexpensive set of flat blade automotive feeler gauges to remove a firmly stuck barrel without damage. Search this forum and you will find some good discussions on the topic.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-12-22 09:16
Excess force is not good... but a lot of force can be fine. How much force to use is something that is hard to explain and pretty much a matter of feel that you gain from experience and sense.
Statistically...
Waiting is good and then the barrel can sometimes be removed with only a little force.
More force works a lot of the time, but it's not that rare that it doesn't. It's entirely possible to do this without damaging anything else if you know how to do it.
Rocking the barrel can help often and also completely safe if you know how to do it, but much more risky than using twisting force.
Using a more grippy material can help a lot. I use a silicone sheet. This works maybe half the times where not using it doesn't.
Sometimes none of this works and you need to use some of the other methods mentioned like inserting something thin and gradually tap, etc.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-12-22 22:33
(Said with utter and quintessential sarcasm for comedic and satirical effect...don't do this--follow the advice above. Nothing disparaging about Buffet is intended.)
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Normally, I'd respect other poster's opinions even if I don't agree with them, but occasionally, I am forced to the conclusion that they are so wrong, their advice so bad, and my suggestions so utterly correct that it is necessary to chime in.
Side with none of these chalatan posters above!
Done correctly, this repair requires merely two tools (well really 3); and I guarantee you it will work:
a large and heavy sledge hammer and epoxy.
First, place the clarinet on the ground under your weaker arm's side foot. Apply lots of pressure with said foot, bending the keys out of shape and bringing the instrument into a state of disrepair--just in case step two isn't effective--which would be the first time this has ever been the case.
..and as far as step two is concerned, with all your might, aim the hammer at the midpoint where the upper joint and the barrel meet. Turn the top of the clarinet's upper joint and barrel into a zillion pieces....sometimes a visual is helpful.
You know that stuff at the bottom of the potato chip bag? No! Not that consistency! Those chunks are far too large!!! Even more granular.
Can the mess you've made pass through a coffee filter? No? Keep on pounding away!
Okay. Clearly, at this point you've separated the two clarinet sections. In fact, you can't even tell the two apart if you've done it right. Why, you practically have nothing but wood shavings.
Congratulations! In step 3 we make what I like to call a "Buffet Greenline clarinet repair."
With the mixture of shavings add epoxy. And not any old epoxy mind you. Take a trip to your local home goods box store and buy an epoxy that, somewhere in its product description, the word "special" appears. Gosh darnit, we're going to do this repair right. If Buffet uses a "special" epoxy for its Greenline, then WE'RE going to use one too!
Now the easy part: Shape the wood shaving's/epoxy mixture and perfectly form it, by hand (no less), into the necessary shapes to recreate portions of the upper joint and barrel.
Don't forget to use a #2 Morse Taper https://youtu.be/T2m8NVdxNo0?t=5m51s on the inside of your barrel before the epoxy dries!
Sell the clarinet at twice the price, marketing it as the latest in technology, a combined epoxy/wood shavings, African blackwood hybrid. A "Greenline light" (trademark.....NOT) if you will.
You need not thank me poster. It's just "what I do." ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
===
Happy Holidays everyone!
Post Edited (2015-12-22 22:34)
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2015-12-24 04:40
If you don't drink coffee, will Whatman #2 filter paper substitute?
Post Edited (2015-12-26 20:06)
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