 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: m1964
Date: 2020-03-17 07:36
Hi,
I have a wooden Evette that needs complete re-pad.
When I took it apart, I noted two small problems (so far…).
Problem #1.
Chipped throat G# tone hole.
The chip is on the "bed" of the tone hole, extending slightly into the inner rim.
It is about 2-3mm wide but not deep, irregular in shape.
Would applying superglue and polishing by hand be appropriate method of repair?
Is there any other way to achieve flat/even surface after repair by superglue?
I looked at the Ferree's tone hole cutters but I do not think it makes an economical sense to buy one since I only fix my own (or friends') instruments. It looks like I would have to buy the cutter and then the center piece/pilot that would be over $60.
I understand that I can try a greenback pad on that key but I would rather have it fixed "right", if possible.
Problem #2.
The post with the round spring, holding the throat G# key, is loose. I tried to bend the spring to make it stiffer, and the post turned counterclockwise.
I used to fix this problem by wrapping a thread over the part that goes into the wood and screwing it back- basically, making the shaft thicker. I also used epoxy glue that would make it impossible to remove the post again.
What is the "proper" method to fix this post?
Thanks a lot.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2020-03-17 13:12
>> What is the "proper" method to fix this post? <<
With epoxy. Though any method that works and is reliable is "proper".
>> I also used epoxy glue that would make it impossible to remove the post again. <<
Why would need to remove it? either way, it is removable. Epoxy "dies" at about 150C degrees, so you only need to heat the post to that temp. It is likely to lose its grip (enough to remove) even with less heat than that. You can use an electric induction heater to heat the post without heating the body too much.
If you want you can use a faster curing epoxy (e.g. 5-minute) which is more than strong enough to hold a post, but not as strong as very slow curing epoxy, so easier to remove in the first place. Keep in mind that even 5-minute epoxy actually takes an hour or two to fully dry (or more, depending on exact type), so don't put the spring back after 5 minutes...
>> Would applying superglue and polishing by hand be appropriate method of repair? <<
You could get reasonable results using nail files, (for the top/outside) and round files (for the inside), which might be "close enough". You might be able to find or have some kind of flat rod that you could glue sand paper to and flatten the top. If you do that make sure to not sand more than a tiny bit. You wouldn't want a large flat surface at the top.
You can pretty good results doing it by hand this way if you just do it very slowly with a lot of patience.
Better to have some way of checking it is reasonably flat too. It might look ok but could be wavy, etc.
>> Is there any other way to achieve flat/even surface after repair by superglue? <<
The "usual" method is to fill with glue only or glue with wood dust (for smaller and larger chips respectively), then re-cut it using various special cutters. A lot of people (including professionals) use rods with an angled face and glue sand paper on it. It's the simplest to make. It's fine, but I prefer actual cutters (I have some I bought but prefer to make them myself).
>> I looked at the Ferree's tone hole cutters <<
If I remember they are 2-flute cutters. Good for milling, but annoying to use by hand for this purpose, even with a pilot.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2020-03-19 17:45
Hi Clarnibass,
Thanks a lot for quick reply- I will give it a try with superglue +hand polish. The chip is shallow so I hope I can make it work.
Or, if the above does not work, I can take a pencil and use a drill bit to make its edge conical and glue sandpaper to it.
Thanks again,
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-03-20 10:47
I use superglue and grenadilla dust to repair tonehole imperfections which is much better than epoxy as it's instantly workable and a permanent fix. It's the best all purpose filler for grenadilla instruments.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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