 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DTD
Date: 2016-04-28 02:23
Attachment: image.jpeg (761k)
Attachment: image.jpeg (1735k)
I seek advice on help with my concert instrument, a 1969 Noblet Model 27. It has a small crack on the upper joint, right in the middle by the pivot rods for the rings around the tone holes. I am inclined to believe that it is not a serious crack since the instrument makes no buzzing noise (like wood vibrating together) when played, however I want to know if there is a chance of it breaking through into the bore. I apologize for the low quality of the image—I took it with my iPhone in poor lighting conditions (i.e. my house)—but the crack is visible just to the left of the post holding the rod (I had to take off three trill keys to get a good look at the crack). The second image gives a better overview of the entire upper joint, as well as way to gauge where the crack is.
As a side note, I see the round hole drilled partway into the body of the instrument. When I took the keys off, nothing was in that particular hole. As such, I want to know: what on earth was the hole used for? It looks like it's about the diameter of a standard pen spring, but if I remember right, the 27 didn't use a coil spring, especially not under trill keys.
When giving advice on the crack, please take note that I live in north Louisiana. That is to say, I don't walk out my door and swim to the surface, but it's pretty close.
*EDIT* The crack also appears to be on top of a previous repair. It has formed through what looks like a plug covering one end of a pin. I found the other end on the other side of the trill keys. Could that have contributed?
From somewhere in nowhere, Louisiana, DTD
Proud participant in the 2016 Percy Grainger Wind Band Festival in Chicago with the MHS Fighting Tiger Band of Louisiana.
Post Edited (2016-04-28 02:29)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-04-28 02:41
Pilot holes for posts go almost all the way through to the bore. A crack through a post location creates a serious danger of penetrating into the bore and should be pinned.
The round hole and groove are there to accommodate the screw head and flat spring for the second trill key. They're supposed to be there.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-04-28 02:54
Pillar holes are usually drilled to around 5-6mm deep into the joints and the wall thickness of clarinets is on average 8mm thick, so they're still a fair way from the bore.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-04-28 04:11
As it is, not a serious crack. Any crack can get worse without limit, but it's possible to minimise the possibility. You might try oiling the bore until no more oil is absorbed. I've found that this will often (not always) cause a small checker or crack to close up. Only oil the bore, not the outside. The small holes are to accommodate the spring posts or the heads of the screws that secure the springs so that they don't bind against the body.
Tony F.
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Author: DTD
Date: 2016-04-28 04:52
Thanks for all the responses. Now, mostly because I'm curious, how would the crack be pinned shut, since it is right on top of a plug for a previous repair and it doesn't extend far enough to either side to pin it shut effectively without interfering with the prior repair?
Proud participant in the 2016 Percy Grainger Wind Band Festival in Chicago with the MHS Fighting Tiger Band of Louisiana.
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2016-04-28 08:32
Not really sure if that is a crack or grain. The difference is that a crack will always be completely straight lined and a grain will not.
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2016-04-28 09:25
It's hard to tell for sure, but that looks like grain to me, not a crack.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2016-04-28 11:14
Hard to say much since the first photo is out of focus and in the second the crack area is very dark. Drilling a hole (and possibly filling it) at the end of a crack is sometimes a good repair method for metal, but not good for wood and usually doesn't help at all. It looks like this was done in this case, though I guess it could be a pin hole for another crack (as a pin hole wouldn't be on the crack itself).
You wouldn't hear the wood buzzing or rattling because of a crack.
You might want to consider having it repaired by any one of several possible methods. I generally go with the least "intrusive" method which is just to keep watching it and then go from there, doing any one of the possible repairs if it seems necessary (gluing, pinning, banding).
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-04-28 15:15
"The difference is that a crack will always be completely straight lined and a grain will not."
Not true - cracks will follow the line of the grain and not go against it, so they'll follow the same path of the grain pattern whether the grain pattern is straight or wavy.
A completely straight line is more likely to be a scratch.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: DTD
Date: 2016-04-29 03:05
Attachment: image.jpeg (1494k)
I ran this image through a filter (I am rather irritated with myself that I didn't do this initially). The crack is very clearly visible, as are both ends of the pin from the prior repair. Zoom in on the top plug of the old pin, else the crack does just look like the grain of the wood.
Proud participant in the 2016 Percy Grainger Wind Band Festival in Chicago with the MHS Fighting Tiger Band of Louisiana.
Post Edited (2016-04-29 03:08)
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