 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: KSCop
Date: 2017-01-13 09:12
So I was working on the re-pad of my B&H Edgware, Circa 1952. The Ab/Eb key wasn't seating as well as I liked and seemed to be bent a bit. So I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to tweak it a little.
Pop! The key snapped in half! It has the Mazak keys.. so no soldering it back together. Wish I would have recalled that possibility..
I did manage to find a replacement key and it's on the way. I may have to fit it a bit but it will hopefully salvage this overhaul. It's coming from the UK and cost me 20 GBP including shipping but if it takes care of the issue, it may be worth it.
I know the horn isn't worth much but it arrived in such sad sad shape that I just had to bring it back to life..
Lesson to be learned here I suppose. If I wasn't such a perfectionist and trying to hit that magic 0 on the magnehelic, I might have accepted the key as it was.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-13 14:41
The famous booby-trap B&H clarinets!
There is such thing as Technoweld which says it can be used to repair broken aluminium, pewter, zinc and Mazak items, so see if that's available to you should you want to try it out on the already broken key. If it's successful, then that's potentially a major problem solved.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-01-13 17:52
I bought some stick solder at an engineering exhibition several years ago. The demonstrator was soldering aluminium, stainless steel and a cast car door handle that looks very like Mazak. I haven't tried it on Mazak keys, mainly because I'd forgotten all about it. I'll see if I can find it and see what happens. The process just uses a propane torch.
Tony F.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-01-13 18:19
I'm with you, I like to hit zero! Some repairmen settle for just under 2. Why? It leaks! Some settle for 1. Again It's still not right! Zero is correct! Do it the right way!
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-01-15 07:27
So, what is Mazak? Is it used for keys on any other clarinets?
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-15 12:03
It's the same zinc based alloy used for a lot of die cast items and components due to the fine detail it gives, such as model cars.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: KSCop
Date: 2017-01-15 12:26
Mazak is sort of like pewter. Bottom line; you can't solder it (or at least I can't) without it melting. Also can't bend it very well apparently..
Not all B&H horns used that type of key, but my circa 1952 Edgware sure did..
On a good note, I finished the rebuild sans that broken key. I plugged that hole so I could test the clarinet; it sounds really nice.
Once I get the replacement key from the UK, this horn might be a keeper.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2017-01-15 12:34
It's more or less the same as Zamak in the USA (short for zinc, aluminium, magnesium and copper (kupfer in German). Another reason for using it is that in many cases it is cheaper than the alternatives. Mazak is the UK version.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-01-15 16:02
During WW2 suitable metals for keywork were almost unobtainable in the UK, with any suitable metals being diverted to war production. Boosey and Hawkes, at that time the largest instrument manufacturer in Britain, needed an available alternative until a supply of suitable metals became available.
Mazak was an alloy already used for the precision molding of small components in industry, and B & H used it to make keywork. When more suitable metals became available after about 1947 they reverted to conventional keywork, however they had a sizable stock of Mazak keywork in inventory, so this was used on their base models until exhausted.
It can be found on their Regent and Edgware models up until around 1952-3. I have a 1953 Edgware that has it. It was also used on the lower orders of their export models until the early 50's.
Tony F.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-01-15 18:14
I always heard as a young teacher and player that cast keys of any sort were likely to snap off if you tried to bend them. I always thought (heard? assumed?) that it was because cast metal is more brittle owing to the small air pockets that form within the metal as it is poured and cooled. As a teacher, I got out of the habit of ever trying to bend keys on student instruments unless I knew for sure the keys were forged.
Would it matter what metal was used in a cast key?
Karl
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-01-15 19:23
The brittleness of Mazak is a function of the alloy rather than a function of the casting process. Keywork cast in bronze, brass or nickel-silver would possess some degree of malleability.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-15 19:33
Most keywork on clarinets uses cast pieces in either bronze or nickel silver. Some clarinets have nearly all their keys cast as single pieces which require finishing, fitting and plating instead of having all the various individual parts hard soldered together - this is fairly common on German and Italian instruments and Buffet and others also use numerous cast pieces on their instruments.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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