 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-03-14 01:00
Hi,
I have replaced tenon corks a few times on my clarinets and always had one end "shaved" to allow the other end to be glued to the top of the shaved one.
I need to replace the tenon cork on the lower joint of my A clarinet (Buffet RC). The cork looks just fine but the bell is very lose.
It looks like the original cork was glued end to end, with the ends cut at 90 degrees and connected together.
Is one method better than another?
I have 1/16 and 3/32 corks. Should I use the 1/16 and shave it down?
The A clarinet most of the time stays in a Buffet double case, with the bell attached. I try to remember to move my Bb to a single case and remove the bell from the A clarinet but I don't do it always.
The cork was not too tight to begin with, now the bell is almost falling down when I put instrument together.
Thanks a lot for your help.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2019-03-14 01:25
Before you replace it have you tried steaming the cork? If it is in good condition but is just compressed this can get you some more life out of the cork.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2019-03-14 01:57
I bevel one end of the strip, put glue on the bevel as well as the back and tenon groove and overlap when I put it on. Then I trim the tail. Others do a but joint. I have some scraps of cork I use to test what thickness to use. If I'm in doubt I go thicker and sand it down.
Steve Ocone
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-03-14 02:18
jdbassplayer wrote:
"Before you replace it have you tried steaming the cork? If it is in good condition but is just compressed this can get you some more life out of the cork."
No I have not.
I believe that even if steaming the cork will expand it, it will not stay in that shape long before collapsing again.
I may be wrong.
I think that you are absolutely correct. I should try steaming before replacing it.
Thanks
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-03-14 02:29
Steven Ocone wrote:
"I bevel one end of the strip, put glue on the bevel as well as the back and tenon groove and overlap when I put it on. Then I trim the tail. Others do a but joint. I have some scraps of cork I use to test what thickness to use. If I'm in doubt I go thicker and sand it down."
Hi Steven,
What is the angle / bevel level you use?
Do you do something like 45 degree clean cut or bevel it for 4-6 mm?
Thanks a lot
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2019-03-14 03:39
It is generally possible to put the A clarinet back in a Buffet case with the bell partially withdrawn on the tenon. Since for some unfathomable reason Buffet make their sockets slightly cone shaped then this does slightly reduce the degree of cork compression when in the case.
A simple 45 degree bevel is all you need for the tenon cork.
The optimum cork thickness depends in part on the depth of the cork recess and also on the resilience of the cork. Usually for a bell then 1/16 th is fine but a pro repairer always expects to adjust the thickness by sanding for an ideal fit.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-03-14 06:28
https://bretpimentel.com/do-it-yourself-replace-a-tenon-cork/
There are other YouTube videos you can watch.
Use a sharp razor blade for best results. If the Contact Cement is too thick it's probably old. Spend $5 or less and get a new jar.
I also like to use a thick rubber band and wrap it around the cork for maybe 5 hours. Yes the Contact Cement is dry this just assures that the cork and the glue is completely dry as no air can often take longer for the glue to dry.
Lastly - use rubber gloves. The Contact Cement has some nasty chemicals on/in it and it is a pain to get it off of your fingers.
If the cork is old and brittle just wet it for a minute or 2 and let it dry for a few hours. Then cut it and glue it. It shouldn't crack once water hits the cork.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2019-03-14 07:14
>> Is one method better than another? <<
Yes, an overlap joint is better. A butt joint can be ok but is weaker, there can be a slighty "sharp" edge that can more easily peel and there's a chance that it will leak.
There is no reason to do a butt joint other than to save time.
>> Do you do something like 45 degree clean cut or bevel it for 4-6 mm? <<
It's not very important. I use a little less than 45 degrees usually (or more, depending on how you look at it). Probably ending with about a +/-3.5mm overlap (from memory... just guesstimating... didn't even look at one to check).
>> I have 1/16 and 3/32 corks. Should I use the 1/16 and shave it down? <<
What do you mean? If you use 3/32" you'd need to save/sand even more.
Measure the old cork for a rough estimate of the feel of that thickness (considering it's compressed).
What I usually do is measure the socket and the tenon, subtract the tenon from the former, then divide by 2. This gives you the gap between the socket diameter and tenon diameter. Then I know what thickness cork to use based on that (just experience). This can also depend on the type of tenon (flat, thin grooves, thick grooves, waves).
The most common thicknesses are 1.2mm (3/64") and 1.6mm (1/16"). It's about half and half, so gambling and just choosing the 1.2mm might end up too thin. Using 1.6mm might mean a lot of unnecessary sanding you could have saved by using 1.2mm, but at least you won't need to redo it. Very occasionally corks need to be thinner or thicker than those.
The bell tenon specifically more often needs 1.2mm. It is longer and doesn't need the stability of the other tenons.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2019-03-14 16:21
A 45 degree angle would be fine. I use a fresh razor blade to make the cut. I guess it could also be sanded.
Steve Ocone
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-03-14 17:55
Hi clarnibass,
In my previous post I wrote " I have 1/16 and 3/32 corks. Should I use the 1/16 and shave it down?"
clarnibass wrote:
"What do you mean? If you use 3/32" you'd need to save/sand even more."
I meant to say 3/64, not 3/32.
Do I need a special cork cement or can I use something from Lowes or HD?
To attach key corks I have been using glue that is used to attach gaskets inside clothes dryer. It is heat resistant but rather strong,
It may be difficult to remove it from wood so I want to use something that can be removed from the tenon (if needed) in the future, without scraping the wood too much
Again, thanks a lot.
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2019-03-14 18:27
Attachment: IMG_1196.jpg (74k)
Steaming in my experience is useful only as a temporary remedy. Generally the effect won't last long. I begin wiith degrasing the old tenon cork with acetone, then watering, then I use a little gas torch.
For bevelling the tenon corks I use a belt sander (see foto). The bevel is flatter than 45 degrees, about 8 to 10 mm long. The contact glue I'm using (Pattex) is to dry for about 15 minutes before pressing the parts together for seconds only, but as hard as possible (I tap the joint with a small hammer).
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2019-03-14 22:01
I sand my bevel with an emery board (the type for nails with a coarse side and a fine side). I square it to the edge of my cutting board and sand a shallow bevel...about 25-30 degrees, finishing with the fine grit. This takes 30-60 seconds, so I don't really see the need (or finger risk) for a power tool. With practice you can get nearly a knife edge that provides a non-abrupt transition when you wrap over it. I have never known one to fail at the joint. After gluing, I 'roll' the tenon over the the same cutting pad to seat the glue. I use thinned Weldwood contact cement.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-03-15 06:46
shmuelyosef wrote:
> I sand my bevel with an emery board (the type for nails with a
> coarse side and a fine side). I square it to the edge of my
> cutting board and sand a shallow bevel...about 25-30 degrees,
> finishing with the fine grit. This takes 30-60 seconds, so I
> don't really see the need (or finger risk) for a power tool.
> With practice you can get nearly a knife edge that provides a
> non-abrupt transition when you wrap over it. I have never known
> one to fail at the joint. After gluing, I 'roll' the tenon over
> the the same cutting pad to seat the glue. I use thinned
> Weldwood contact cement.
Thanks to everyone who replied to my post.
I am going to try steaming the cork first.
In case it does not help much, I just bought a small bottle of Weldwood cement at Lowes and will replace it.
I would not even think twice about replacing this tenon cork if it did not look so nice...but it does not hold the bell.
Thanks again to everyone.
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