 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-07-15 16:57
Hi all,
I’ve got this pre-R13 that needs new pads and spring adjustments/replacements. While I’m at it, I’ll polish the keys and want to silver plate them (potentially gold plating the posts — I quite like the rose gold look).
Question to those that had it done on their clarinets or have done it themselves… Is there anything specific I should watch out for, such as silver plating method, thickness etc?
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-07-15 22:08
While the thickness is an interesting point to consider (German manufacturers use much thicker plating on the whole than French, more on the order of 10microns and beyond), your keys are already made to their associated tolerances (space between the "future" gold posts for example). So once the plating is done comes the part were your tech must re-fit the parts into their spaces.
That is the first good reason to have a really good tech do the work. The plating itself will be done by Anderson plating no matter who your tech is (that is just about the only place doing plating in the States......if you're in the States).
The other good reason for finding a really good tech AND not doing this on the cheap is that the PREP WORK is more important than the plating itself. The keys may need to have the old plating removed. Then there is the wiring of the keys (putting them in the configuration for the silver bath) as well as making sure areas where the plating doesn't go are properly blocked off. Nothing we need to know but things that your tech needs to be rather good at doing.
..............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: spikey1973
Date: 2023-07-15 23:27
As a Goldsmith who has done many plating jobs over time and loves to take the term DIY to the extreme I can only say one thing..
Paul is absolutely right!
Plating is way more then just a shiny new 'paint' job, It is an intreguingly complex endavour and it should be done by someone familiar with plating musical instruments.. not just the plating as such.
but again.. still just MHO.
Matt
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-07-17 11:06
Attachment: IMG_4975.jpeg (423k)
You are both right. It is a project too ambitious for myself.
I’m not based in the US but luckily we have a few options around here in the Netherlands.
Ultimately, I want it to look a lot like the one in the picture.
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: spikey1973
Date: 2023-07-17 15:40
Hey Arthur,
As a dutchie myself.. and as said a goldsmith, I am familiar with the plating companies myself. Who are you thingking about? Bode (Bleiswijk) or van der Bergh (Schoonhoven)?
greats
Matthieu
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2023-07-17 18:57
Hi Arthur,
If you do manage to get it replated then DO show us some photos .It will look fantastic .
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-07-17 22:07
Hi Julian,
I’ll definitely do that. Looking forward to see “Old Man” (yeah, very original name) shine again.
--
Beste Matthieu,
That is great! I was actually thinking of Adams Music in Ittervoort, but apparently Haveman in Voorburg could also do it. It also crossed my mind to send it to Macedonia to have Clarus take care of that but might be too much of a hassle.
Have you ever done it yourself or with those two options you mentioned?
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: spikey1973
Date: 2023-07-17 22:31
@ Arthur.
No but I know at least from Bode that they do the actual plating process for music instruments.
Van den Berg did it too, but for them it's more like a "different" then usual job.. but this experience/knowledge is definetely a decade old, so not sure if it is still up to date.
I am going to do a plating job on a restauration item i am going to do, which I will do myself.. as that is the only reason i want to do it. the instrument isn't really worth it, so.. and I would definately ask Bode to do this job.
Additionally (but I made this point before in an other thread) for me it would be way more important to do multiple layers of plating with no abrasive tumbling in between rather then go for a "nice" thick layer, but I believe that if you ask a technicion that works on clarinets and which has the right channels at hand, that this is an "automatic" thing (for the silver plating)
but never a problem to ask anyways.
Matthieu
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-07-18 00:03
All fair points, Matthieu. I’ll reach out to Bode and my local tech, this week. Will update the thread when I know more details, possibilities and prices too.
Please let us know how it goes with your own plating, I’m very curious.
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-08-07 18:17
EDIT: Duplicated message
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
Post Edited (2023-08-07 18:53)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-08-07 18:27
EDIT: Duplicated message
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
Post Edited (2023-08-07 18:54)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: arthurpalves
Date: 2023-08-07 18:27
Attachment: IMG_5186.jpeg (298k)
Attachment: IMG_5188.jpeg (480k)
After checking all my options I’ve decided to send it to Clarus, in Macedonia, as I’m very confident in their work and it wouldn’t cost me an insane amount of money.
BUT, today I went to see my tech and I ended up trading it fot a recently overhauled and beautifully sounding S1. Thus ending my quest to silver plate anything 😅
--
I just try to play jazz with friends
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-08-08 23:56
Specify a MINIMUM of 25 microns of silver plate - you can specify more, provided you have all the reamers, barrel fraises, taps, point screw countersinks and every other tool you'll need when refitting the keys.
Don't go overboard with the plating thickness as that can cause problems with the trill and side keys along their lengths as the gaps between them will be reduced, similarly with ring keys where the reduced inside diameters can cause them to catch on tonehole chimneys or the LH thumb bush (as well as the increased outer diameter of the thumb tube and speaker tube causing problems when refitting them). Also be sure the plater doesn't overdo the copper flash by applying the copper too thick as then you'll have a thick layer of silver over that, so all the original dimensions of the keys and fittings will be significantly increased.
I personally like a nickel flash over the copper flash as that gives the silver plate a nice molecularly flat and smooth surface to bond to, provided all the prep work and polishing is done to a high standard and the copper flash has gone on well. If the nickel flash has been applied too thick, then you'll have some trouble when fraising back the ends of key barrels as the cutting edge will skate on the nickel and also get blunted by it. If that's the case, then very carefully and gently grinding through the nickel plate will help things. Also if the nickel flash has gone on thick, the plating will crack where you bend keywork and if adhesion isn't good, it'll wrinkle and flake off. It's not necessary to have a nickel flash as silver plate is often plated directly onto the copper flash.
Gold plate is often only applied by around 3 microns as a top coat over silver due to the cost of gold, but you can specify more if you have the budget for it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
