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Re: Need professional advice re: key cork

Author: m1964
Date: 2018-11-04 03:32

Caroline Smale wrote:

> For the best possible response in the LH F/C action the
> actuating arm should be as nearly parallel as possible to the
> rear surface of the F/C key, and the gap between them as small
> as possible.
> To achieve this it is sometimes necessary to add a very hard
> material to the mechanism, I often soldered a very thin brass
> shim to either the upper or lower surface and then filled the
> remaining very small gap with thin Teflon (0.005 or 0.010") or
> even leather (from an old sax pad for instance).
> This results in a really firm and snappy response to the LH F/C
> operation.
>
> Many brand new professional clarinets I have had in my workshop
> have needed this treatment.
>

Steven and Caroline,

Thanks a lot for replying to me -the surfaces are parallel and the gap between is about 1-1.5 mm.
I like the idea of using leather instead of cork.

Many yesrs ago, I had to do the shim repair on my old French stencil clarinet because the activating arm was rounded. I had to solder a piece of metal to make it straight, otherwise it would just jam. Plus reinforcing multiple lose posts.

Remembering those things makes me appreciate even more when I play the R13 which I could not afford back then.

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