 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: John Gibson
Date: 2001-08-05 21:46
You may think I'm nuts....but why doesn't anyone make clarinets of oak? I've used it extensively building cabinets...and have refinished and refurbished more antique furniture than I'd like to admit. It's a great hardwood. Beautiful grain...takes a finish well....or can be left alone with a good oiling. So why aren't there any clarinets made of this wood? Just an idle Sunday afternoon pondering.
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-08-05 23:27
Theoretically, a concrete clarinet should resonate as well as a wood one... maybe because oak is a harder wood that isn't easily workable with in fine tuning?
(I'm not to sure about concrete.)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-06 00:18
Grenadilla has developed as the wood of choice due to its very tight and very even grain. It can take more stress in the machining processes than oak can and is extremely resistant to warping over time.
It is certainly possible to make oak clarinets but grenadilla seems to better combine the characteristics for manufacturing and longevity better than any other wood except possibly true ebony. I believe ebony is seldom used simply due to its scarcity.
Today you can get clarinets made from cocobolo wood and rosewood. In the past, clarinets were also frequently made of boxwood but these were quite prone to warping.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John Gibson
Date: 2001-08-06 02:00
Dee....
what is the difference between ebony and grenadilla? I thought they were the same thing.....
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: joevacc
Date: 2001-08-06 02:21
I believe ebony is a group of species. (hard black wood) Grenadilla is a specific species.
Best,
-=[JoeVacc]=-
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: joevacc
Date: 2001-08-06 02:27
Ahh! I just found this!
< http://www.encyclopedia.com/articlesnew/03928.html>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-06 02:30
Grenadilla is a catchall term that includes a wide number of species of mpingo. It is not actually a specific scientific species
Ebony is from the genus Diospyros and is probably the densest of all woods.
Grenadilla/mpingo, also called African Blackwood and a variety of other names, is a different group of species. There used to be an article somewhere on sneezy that discussed the different species included in the catchall term "grenadilla" wood.
The confusion arises because at least of the common names for grenadilla uses the word ebony in its name even though it is not ebony. It's rather like the so-called German silver, which is not German and contains no silver.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: joevacc
Date: 2001-08-06 02:42
Dee, as usual is so right. They are both groups of species.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: willie
Date: 2001-08-06 04:46
There are several wood out there that are as hard or harder than grenadilla, but tend to crack voraciously when drying. Our clarinets get wetter when we play and dry out a bit when we don't. Some woods just can't take this. On large ships, especially war ships, the propeller shafts ride in "cutlass bearings". The actual bearing is a wood grown in S. America and it is naturally very oily and slippery. This bearing supports tons of weight and wears very little because of the density of the wood and its natural lubricant. But, if you go into dry dock it has to be kept wet or it crumbles like day old corn bread. I've also seen beautiful oak wood slats installed in the beds of custom pickup trucks that looked great but after getting wet in the rain and then drying out, developed nothing but cracks. Most of the rednecks around here now use pine for the bed as it is an oilier wood and will withstand the weather down here better. Grenadilla seems to have the ability to retain moisture and oil better for more stability (expansion and contraction).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2001-08-06 18:43
Willie:
Are you talking about lignum vitae being used in cutlass bearings? Lignuim vitae is an oily wood that is so dense it won't float in water (similar in density to iron wood of the American south west -- but easier to work). With the right tools, it is fun and relatively easy to work. I have used it to make a number of leather working tools for my wife (tooled leather is worked damp). So far, the tools have seemed to withstand the moisture with no problem. However, it doesn't seem unreasonable that a wood could handle moisture up to a point, but no more without potential damage. I wonder where the moisture exposure of a clarinet would fall. It would definitely be a pretty horn.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-08-06 18:54
I believe the wood used for ship shaft bearings is generally "lignum vitae", described in my materials book as follows: "The wood of the guayacum trees....of tropical America....It is very hard, heavy, and tough. The color is brown to greenish-black. The grain is very finely twisted, and the wood has a greasy feel, containing 3% of natural resin.....The wood is used in places where extreme hardness is needed.......In machine bearings it withstands pressures up to 4,000 psi, and is used for propeller-shaft bearings in steamships......
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-08-06 19:05
Having spent almost 8 years in the Navy as a mechanic - yes, strut bearings are made of lignum vitae.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
