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 Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: Greg_Greece 
Date:   2018-03-24 03:30

Hello everybody,

i have started for a while trying to restore old clarinets, especially albert system cause these we are using here in Greece for our traditional music! I have read too many things on different forums and pages on the internet and i have many questions that need answer to help me improve myself.

1). How can we remove scratches from the body? Can we use sandpaper?

2). Instead of oiling the clarinet can we also use wax to achieve better polishing?

3). Polishing sprays for various wooden instruments can also be aplied on a clarinet body?

That's for now..Looking forward to your replies!!!

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: jbutler 2017
Date:   2018-03-24 03:45

1. Use a cyanoacrylate (super glue) to fill and 0000 steel wool followed by micro mesh polish cloths to blend. I start with 3200 and finish with 12000 micro mesh.
2. Oil, let dry, then wax. I use Renaissance Wax or bee's wax depending on the condition of the wood.
3. I've used Preservation Polish from StewMac (guitar polish) with good results.

jbutler

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: Greg_Greece 
Date:   2018-03-24 19:22

jbutler thanks a lot for your reply,

with the micro mesh polish cloths can we also do the whole clarinet? Is that necessary or only if it has visible scratches on it?

Can you give me navigation how to aply the wax on the body?

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: jbutler 2017
Date:   2018-03-25 03:43

You could use the micro mesh on the entire body to polish if you want. It would be better if you removed the posts so that the area around the posts look uniform. I apply Renaissance wax with my finger, let dry, and then buff with a flannel strip. I apply bee's wax with a flat white cotton shoe string. I rub the shoe string on the bar of bee's wax until it is coated and then strap the body. I use a flannel strip to buff just like the Renaissance wax.
jbutler

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: Greg_Greece 
Date:   2018-03-25 16:20

Thanks again!

I have found also all the products concerning my first question (the glue, the steel wool and the micro mesh polish cloths).
Can you also give me instructions about this procedure? Also we do that before oiling and waxing?

Greg



Post Edited (2018-03-25 16:21)

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: Greg_Greece 
Date:   2018-04-17 13:54

Hello everyone,

i am trying to repad an old french albert system horn and i notice some leaks especially when i am playing A-Bb (low register) and E-F (high register). Which pads should cause such a leak?

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: jdbassplayer 
Date:   2018-04-17 18:51

Greg_Greece wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> i am trying to repad an old french albert system horn and i
> notice some leaks especially when i am playing A-Bb (low
> register) and E-F (high register). Which pads should cause such
> a leak?

It could be any number of pads. You need to learn to use a feeler gauge. Cut some thin strips of thin plastic (shopping bags work well) and use them to find pads that aren't seating correctly. You do this by inserting the feeler gauge between the pad and the tonehole and pulling on it. You should feel some resistance. Do this around the edge of the entire pad. If you feel more resistance in some spots than others the pad is not level. You should also make sure the toneholes are perfectly flat and free from chips.

For scratches, I use a 1"x3" sanding block with sandpaper ranging from 600 to 5000 grit, although I don't usually go below 1500 unless it is a really bad scratch. The idea is to remove the material sorrounding the scratch without leaving an obvious low spot. When sanding it is important to match the curve of the body otherwise the repair will be visible. If the scratch is very deep it must be filled with superglue before sanding. When the scratch is removed the area can be finished with 5000 grit sandpaper until it has a smooth "glass like" finish. The wood can then be oiled to remove any excess wood powder. Finally the wood should be buffed with a polishing wheel with rouge polish. If you do it right the repair will be completely unnoticeable. I should warn that this is a very difficult process and if you don't know what you're doing it can be easy to mess up. Practice on a junk instrument before you do this process on a good clarinet.

-Jdbassplayer

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 Re: Guide to overhaul a clarinet
Author: Greg_Greece 
Date:   2018-04-18 13:54

Thanks a lot for the reply!

Considering the scratches, the old horn i am trying to overhaul had to deep scratces one on the upper and one to the lower part. I filled them with super glue, let it dry, and then buffed gently with steel wool and then with sandpaper from 1600 to 2500 grit. I am satisfied with the outcome but it could be even better..
I will keep practising!

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