The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: StevenWayne
Date: 2017-03-30 17:25
Thanks in advance. I'm working on an old Rene Dumont French clarinet (not the same one I won on eBay). Thankfully, I was finally able to get the last two pivot screws backed out after using a dab of penetrating oil and letting it work, but I don't want to put screws with knackered or messed up screwdriver slots back into the clarinet.
The type that have the conical point is what I'm looking for.
Would most old Paris clarinets use the same as another brand Paris clarinet? That way, I might be able to find a broken nearly worthless parts donor, but I would buy new screws also if I could find the right ones. I see an eBay seller has some but he wants $17 or so for four screws. Worth it I guess if you really need them.
Post Edited (2017-03-30 17:27)
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-03-30 18:25
Not likely, most pivot screws are different from each company. Suggestion - Have a machinist make one. Or buy the same horn of ebay who is selling the horn for parts. You may be able to get the same horn for parts for about $25.
Try heat to remove screws. Torch type of heat with oil. They usually pop off a lot easier. Good luck.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-03-30 20:48
I agree with Bob, most earlier European clarinets had point screws which were unique to that maker, and sometimes even to each model.
Apart from the UK makers these screws would be some form of metric thread but rarely/never match with the threads defined by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) which was only established anyway in 1947.
One of the USA Woodwind Repair manuals (Ron Saska from memory) has quite an extensive list of the dimension of many instrument screws to facilitate making new ones.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2017-03-31 00:02
The slots on screw heads can sometimes be improved by use of a jewelers saw. Some of the USA woodwind supply firms used to carry some woodwind screws.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-04-02 06:58
If the point screws are of small overall diameter you might try drilling out the posts and re-tapping to a size that will fit a slightly larger and more easily obtainable point screw from another instrument. I did this on a A. Robert clarinet which had very small screws with a thread size not from the known universe. From memory I think I used B & H screws as replacements for no better reason than that I had the tap and some spare screws to hand.
Tony F.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2017-04-02 08:14
If improving the slot will not dig too deep into the screw (weakening the slot "walls"), then you can just do that and reuse them (if they are fine otherwise).
Although the chance that that another model has the exact same screw is low, it's often likely that some model has pretty similar screw, enough that it's much easier to modify one than to make a new one. Unless someone happens to know, or you can take enough measurements to be able to check, it's usually a matter of trying different ones until one works for this.
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