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Re: glue for cork

Author: Chris P
Date: 2019-11-10 12:44

Q. "I'm not sure what you mean by "linkages" - which places are they? Do you mean between the top LH (F#) ring and the thumb ring and the lever by which the LH F/C moves the RH key?"

A. Linkages and especially overlevers are where I use rubco (tech cork) as well as coating it with graphite to make it slippery - the LH1 ring key and RH F/C key overlevers and the linkage arms on clarinets where the LH levers aren't pinned benefit from rubco instead of natural cork due to its durability.

Q. "By "key feet" do you mean the "crow's foot" that links RH F/C to RH E/B and F#/C#? Do you have others in mind?"

A. The key feet in question are on the thumb ring (underlever), the RH ring key linkage, the LH F/C key foot, the RH E/B key linkage arm (or underside of the LH E/B lever on clarinets without pinned LH levers) are where I prefer a softer material like felt or ultrasuede to significantly reduce key noise compared to using cork when they return and also on the crows foot itself.

Q. "What is your opinion of leather on key feet? Do you find that felt tends to compress and need readjustment to keep everything closing properly?"

A. I won't use leather at all on keywork. Rubco is much better as leather tends to perish over time and that can make things noisy. The only places I tend to use felt or ultrasuede between two interlinked keys are the crows foot and sometimes on the LH2 ring key linkage to keep mechanical noise down and while they do compress, you have to work with that in mind and things will settle down and stay in regulation. Also take into account such things as slop in the keywork, sponginess of the pads and also torsion in the metal when regulating clarinets as you can't be too textbook about things - work with the properties of the materials instead of against them.

Leather also creates friction and the last thing you want on any linkages is friction. Another thing that can happen with leather is the chemicals used to tan it can react with the copper content of brass, nickel silver and silver alloys and leave a dark green greasy residue.

Q. "I have no experience installing synthetic pads. Is there a reason why hot glue is better than shellac for them?"

A. Synthetic pads are usually made from high density foam of some kind or other, so they're easily damaged, distorted or melted by high temperatures. Using a much lower temperature melting/sticking point adhesive such as hot glue is better for them compared to shellac as that needs a relatively high temperature to melt it and make it stick. That's not a problem on cork, leather or skin pads, but synthetic pads just won't tolerate those kind of temperatures.

Q. "Is PTFE tape the same as Teflon tape?"

A. PTFE tape, teflon tape and plumbers' tape are all the one and same thing - PTFE is short for Polytetrafluoroethylene and the trade name/brand name for that being Teflon.

Q. What kind of thread is actually best suited to this? I've seen bassoons and even a few recorders with tenons done permanently with thread, and I've wondered if there was a best thickness or material the thread should be."

A. For emergencies, any kind of thread you can lay your hands on is fine for tying on loose tenon corks with - if someone has an emergency sewing kit or even tearing a thread from your sock will do in an emergency as that will be enough get you through a concert provided all the bits of tenon cork are held together and there aren't any gaps or missing bits of cork that can cause a leak.

For threading tenons on recorders or bassoons instead of using cork, waxed cotton or hemp thread is good for that. You want a fairly thick thread for threading tenons. You can buy waxed hemp thread from bagpipe suppliers in either yellow or black, but the black waxed thread will mark things whereas the yellow waxed thread is usually waxed with beeswax. If waxing your own unwaxed thread, beeswax is ideal.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2019-11-10 16:00)

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glue for cork new

Roxann

2019-11-07 02:37