 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John
Date: 2002-01-24 20:43
No, this isn't anything kinky. My daughter's clarinet professor has suggested that her R-13 needs and overhaul and an oil bath. Way back in the '60s my professor wouldn't even allow us to oil the bore. He said the clarinet picks up enough oils from our skin.
I've searched this site. What are your thoughts? The clarinet in question is a very good one from the late '60s and has been played regularly ever since. I had it overhauled 5 years ago.
Thanks for you help.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-01-24 22:54
We just had a little discussion about oiling - in the Fall we had a long discussion about oiling. Search on -- oil, bore oil, etc. and you will get more information than you want. The decision to oil - either by immersion or by surface application should be decided by the teacher and an experienced technician - many experienced technicians will oil the wood during an overhaul. Any oil picked up from the skin (which is minute) is animal oil and not the plant oils used to impregnate the wood during manufacture, and of little use in preservation of the wood. Oiling with plant derived oils (IMHO) replentishes oil lost by washing out with moisture (since these oils selectively bind water), or by evaporation over time, and buffers the moisture content in the wood. If a horn is "active - (played at least twice a week) the moisture content in the wood (without adverse drying environmental conditions) remains pretty constant but the oil lost during long periods may accentuate subsequent environmental insults.
The Doctor
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Author: t
Date: 2002-01-25 10:00
more on the topic at:
http://naylors-woodwind-repair.com, click on "publication"
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-01-25 12:48
John, if you followed the Doctor's advice and searched for discussions on oiling, you have by now discovered that there is no consensus on oiling - except that it is not something you should do at home and often. Some great overhauls use an immersion bath; other great overhauls use a surface-applied oil. An immersion bath seems more extensive; perhaps that's why some people assume it's better. For me, I think I'd find a technician that has a great reputation for clarinet overhauls and accept whichever means of oiling they suggest. They didn't get their reputation for doing substandard work.
You probably have access to more information on oiling clarinet wood on this bb than most non-internet professors ever dreamed of. Make sure you include the Doctor's writings in your study. The title isn't honorary - he's a professional chemist (and a sneezy sponsor) with research to back up and demonstrate his findings.
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Author: William
Date: 2002-01-25 14:52
Perhaps it is time for some young clarinetist-engineer/scientist, with analytical and statistical abilities, to begin a comprehensive long term controlled study on the effects of oiling versus not oiling. Or maybe, as many of us switch clarinets as often as we do automobiles, this subject is of no real importance. However, it is controversial without any real consensious, even among expert repair persons. Perhaps, if a long term study is not in order (or convienient/important), an answer could be found in the treatment (oiling) of woods in the fine wood working insdustries--?????? Just some random morning thoughts--ad libitum. Good Clarineting "Too Oil or Not To Oil"---??????????????
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Author: Ed
Date: 2002-01-25 15:39
Also check the Klarinet archives- there has been a lot of discussion over the years.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-01-25 17:05
I like the idea of a young scientist - emphasize young - taking up the study of oiling but it would be observational looking at various parameters - e.g. moisture content of the wood (of course there would have to be a large number of billets - or do we want to measure the finished product ?), dimensional changes due to varying environmental conditions, (the list is very, very long and the list of confounding variables huge making statistical analysis very difficult). Also, I do not know what end point - end points - would be the objective of such a study - cracking, not cracking - tonal qualitites (how do we measure this?), - etc. I have measured many different parameters on small numbers of samples primarily to refute many of the myths about oiling that have accumulated over the years. Many of the tools (complete spectral analysis of woodwind sound characteristics) however are not refined enough to decern significant differences in various measurements even when they many exist.
I think that we must rely in the interim on the observational and technical expertise of the many fine repair persons that populate this site and other technical forums. They have seen more woodwinds coming in for repair in their experience than any experimental approach could afford to test (of course this is a biased sample because the "perfect" horns never come in - although I guess everyone needs pads now and again). A poll of these technical persons about their views, pro and con about oiling wood could be interesting. Their views would also be informative about the frequency and type of oiling used - or not used, and the "trigger" observations that suggest the need for oiling or not oiling a particular horn
The Doctor.
The Doctor
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-01-25 19:19
I have had a Noblet Eb cl and an old French oboe "hot oil treated" by the McGuires in Tulsa which certainly restored appearance and playing-life to dried out woods, so I am sold on it. On occasion, I use almond oil [sparingly] down the bores and very lightly on the non-keyed exteriors, letting capillary action distribute it uniformly. Seems to help. Don
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-01-26 10:32
So, where Omar writes further up "IMHO", read "according to findings so far from my quite extensive scientific research on the topic".
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Author: John
Date: 2002-01-26 21:51
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and interest. I followed the suggestions and did a lot of reading. I also talked with our tech who overhauled two of my Buffets.
My R-13 doesn't exhibit any of the charactersitics that would call for an oil bath. The clarinet has been in the midwest since I bought it. We may have some of the keys adjusted to fit my daughter's hands, rather than mine.
Thanks, again,
John
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