 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Windy Dreamer
Date: 2018-12-18 06:00
On Thursday I purchased an as is 1955 Edgware clarinet for $40.00. It came with a new mouthpiece I hoped would work with my Symphony 1010. Unfortunately the new Rico Royal B5 mouthpiece does not work with either clarinet.
As is was an understatement. All pads are shot, all sets screws are mangled and most cork work is disintegrated. Despite the above problems and more I have decided to restore it.
There are two problems I need help with . The first is that someone carved 6 V shaped notches in the center bore at the top of the left hand section. They are about 1/4 inch long and over 1/8 inch deep. What would be the best glue to fill them with ? Several keys seem to be corroded inside. I worked the shafts with penetrating oil through them but had no luck in doslodging corrosion or grit. Should I drill them or is there a better way to clear them of binding grit ? Thanks for any suggestions.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-12-18 08:37
The mouthpiece you got with the Edgware will not work on the 1010. The Edgware uses a French-style conical-bore mouthpiece whereas the 1010 requires a cylindrical-bore mouthpiece. Conical-bore mouthpieces won't tune accurately on a 1010. Boosey and Hawkes made mouthpieces specifically for the 1010 and Symphony labelled 1010 and available in 3 lays. The number 2 lay is the most commonly seen as it was the mouthpiece normally supplied with the instrument.
1010 style mouthpieces are also made by Peter Eaton and by Ed Pillinger. I have a B&H 1010 no. 3 lay and a Selmer mouthpiece refaced and rebored for the 1010 by Ed Pillinger. The Pillinger mouthpiece play and tunes best for me.
I always found the Rico B5 to be best used as a doorstop. As a mouthpiece its worthless.
Can you post photos of the notches? I've cleared corroded hinge tubes by spinning a short length of piano wire smaller than the tube into the tube with a drill on low speed.
Tony F.
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2018-12-18 08:47
On Ebonite and ABS I fill holes, chips, etc with a slow set epoxy loaded with carbon black...I use the Jacquard JAC-JPX1640
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AP6OHI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
but any carbon black will work.
I mix the epoxy first and then add the carbon black until it gets just a touch pasty.
I use 60 minute set stuff, and at 65-70F you can slice this mixture with a razor or exacto to trim it very close to shape...I sometimes use carving tools. Then I let it set overnight and sand with very fine paper carefully...finishing emery boards from the pharmacy are good for this.
I have never had good results from drilling. 99% of the time patience, penetrating oil and heat work wonders. If you have a pad cup heater, you can use that to minimize the chance of damaging the ebonite.
You could make a lamp out of it and save the parts for the next one you buy. Does it have the good keywork? If it's badly corroded it is likely that you have the Mazak keys...are there numbers stamped on the underside? Does it have the extended tang on the Bb side/trill RH key?
I may have misunderstood as well...are the posts frozen in the pillars or did you get them out and just looking to clean up the insides?
Post Edited (2018-12-18 08:49)
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Author: Windy Dreamer
Date: 2018-12-18 18:14
Thanks Tony and Shmuelyosef
After 4 hours of cleaning and reassembly the clarinet is playable at low volumes. The bottom joint pads all leak at full volume. Oversize spring wires that are widely set overcome stiff screw rods . The notches carved into the upper joint center bore give the clarinet a dark base character that cannot be altered for warmth or brightness. Placing a small piece of pvc tape over the notches allows the edgware to respond as it should. The keys are not Mazik. They are bright shiny and tarnish free while the posts are well worn and yellowed.
I assume guitar string would work as well as piano wire as a mild abrasive to remove grit in key rod channels.I will look into the glue and carbon black today.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-12-18 18:22
Guitar string would be too thin. You need something that is stiff and less than the diameter of the hinge tube. Piano wire (music wire) would be my choice. Get it in 1 yard lengths in hobby shops.
Tony F.
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Author: clarimad
Date: 2018-12-19 02:28
Tony,
Good to read you are enjoying using the Pillinger rebore you purchased from me in the UK.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-12-19 06:45
Hi Dave,
Yes, its still going strong. It transformed my 1010 from a resistant instrument that wasn't much fun to play into a wonderfully responsive one that will do anything I ask. (Well, almost anything). Thanks again.
Tony F.
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Author: Windy Dreamer
Date: 2018-12-19 08:16
For quite some time I have wanted to try making clarinet pads out of tooling leather. I believed that the firmness of it would be more resonant than standard pads that muffle tones. The Edgware was missing its lowest pad. The homemade leather pad I installed there turned out excellently. It readily conformed to the contours of the tone hole, sealed well and sounds awesome. During the next few daysI plan to install similar pads throughout the bottom section. Hopefully they will turn out as excellently as the first one.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-12-19 12:37
I've mentioned on here before the account related by a friend about when he was a prisoner of war in Germany during WW2. They were given a load of scrap instruments to set up a camp orchestra. He repadded a clarinet with pads cut from a belt and made reeds from cane from an old chair. When I knew him many years ago he still had the clarinet, a no-name Oehler. He's long gone now and I have no idea what became of it. I also know an old Dutch farmer here in Australia who plays an old Oehler that he repads with pads cut from a piece of home-tanned deerskin.
Tony F.
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Author: Windy Dreamer
Date: 2018-12-19 18:08
Tooling leather or vegetable tanned leather is what better belts, saddles and holsters are made of. A $3.00 bag of scrap could make at least 10 sets of pads. A small piece crazy glued to the end of a dremel bit can be ground to size against sandpaper in a few seconds.
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Author: clarimad
Date: 2018-12-19 18:21
Windy,
I was curious about your suggestion of home-made pads and am interested in the idea.
Your last sentence of your previous post "A small piece of crazy....." confused me - what exactly do you mean?
Andy
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Author: Windy Dreamer
Date: 2018-12-19 18:56
A small piece of leather or cork super glued to the end of a cylindrical dremel grinding stone will turn nicely. When the shaping is done they break off the grinding stone easily. The trace amount of glue on the leather or cork can be scraped off or ignored if it does not interfere with seating. I have also been watching for balsam wood to try out as a pad.
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