 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SteveP
Date: 2015-03-14 01:43
A couple of days ago, I was trying mouthpieces with various barrels on my C Clarinet. One of the barrels was always a bit on the snug side, but I buttered up the tenons really well and everything slide together smoothly - except one mouthpiece was frozen tight to the barrel when I tried to remove it. No amount of twisting, gripping, heating, cooling or anything could make it move in the slightest.
A search of this board turned up a discussion of using a razor blade to create an insert that could be "rocked" back and forth against. Mine wouldn't "rock" but a blade could get into the joint.
Razor blades seemed risky, but it occurred to me that automotive ignition feeler gauges were in the same range of thickness. Blade feeler gauges were used in the "old" days (mostly last century) when cars had mechanical ignition points and condensers, to set the gap between points contacts.
I haven't seen my old gauges in years so I bought a new set for $7 at PepBoys with 22 flat blades ranging from .004 to .025 inches. These have tips that are ground .002" thinner at the tips for about 3/4". The blades are about 4" long. By progressively inserting the tips and rolling the tenon joint up the blades, then moving to the next thicker blade, I was able to walk the mouthpiece out of the barrel without pulling, twisting, heating, cooling or banging.
When the gap got beyond my thickest blade, I just bundled a number of blades together to equal the size I needed. When I got the tenon apart about 1/2" I was able to just pull it apart.
No damage to either mouthpiece or an expensive custom barrel. Whew.
Post Edited (2015-03-14 01:44)
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2015-03-14 02:48
Thanks for the tip. I still have my gages and occasionally use them at my shop.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-03-14 16:14
I made up a tool to help in this situation. I brazed a half inch washer to the end of a length of quarter inch brass rod like a wheel on an axle. If the rod is inserted into the barrel and the washer is engaged in the gap between the mouthpiece and the bottom of the tenon the rod can be either pushed firmly or knocked with a mallet to push the mouthpiece off the barrel.
I've used it on many occasions and have never yet damaged barrel or mouthpiece. Of course, if there is no gap between the mouthpiece and barrel then one must be created. The above method would help here.
Tony F.
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2015-03-14 18:06
Thank you, Steve, good idea. I still have such a bundle of feeler gauges which I used for regulating valve clearance on my boat motor.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-12-11 22:58
My mpc froze to my barrel yesterday. I tried warming it to see if the wood would expand enough to loosen things up, to no avail. Then, I did a BBoards search and found this link from 1 1 /2 years ago. I started with the razor blade, tried the gauges mentioned above but they were too think, moved onto an exacto knife, and FINALLY go the mpc to move ever so slightly and the grip was released. WHEW!!! This works really well with zero damage to the barrel and an extremely tiny nick in the mpc. THANK GOODNESS FOR THIS POSTING! Lesson learned: cork grease the living daylights out of new mpc's.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2016-12-12 06:43
I think a bold designer (Brad Behn?) should integrate the barrel and MP. That is, all one chunk. Would be interesting ...
Tom
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Author: bassclarinet101 ★2017
Date: 2016-12-12 20:10
An integrated mouthpiece/barrel combination would be interesting, but I imagine it would have to be deliberately cut short and come with tuning rings to adapt to different ensembles.
-Daniel
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