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old leather pads

Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2024-10-11 17:52

Do leather pads get bigger when they get old? I am working on re-padding an old bundy alto clarinet which had all leather pads and many of the pads are ridiculously out of position. Either someone was a complete idiot who repadded this the last time, or the pads swelled up and changed shape over the years. Most keys wont even close anymore the pads are so wrong.

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Re: old leather pads

Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-10-11 18:04

If they were really soft and pillowy leather pads which were too thick and installed poorly, then they'd have most likely been like that from day one. The leather on a lot of older leather pads is also very porous as it's not usually coated with a waterproof/airtight surface layer so is susceptible to absorbing water and drying out which makes the leather stained and very brittle.

I've recently rebuilt a 1960s Buffet full Boehm and thought I could work with the leather pads that were already installed in the largest pad cups by the previous repairer, but they've had to go as they're too thick and spongy for my liking.

If the leather is porous, the felt backing could also absorb moisture and swell up if it's not sized, or the sizing used could also be hygroscopic if it was something similar to hide glue.

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

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