 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: m1964
Date: 2026-07-17 08:35
Hi,
On advice from Chris, I started removing the speaker/register and thumb tubes on clarinets that I fix. It does make oiling the bore much easier and ensures that there are no leaks from either tube.
Thumb tubes seem to be more stubborn than register ones. While register tubes come out relatively easy, thumb tubes require heating and re-heating and trying to move the remover clockwise and counter-clockwise, and re-heating and then trying to cool it fast using alcohol, and.
They do come out eventually but I am afraid that heating the thumb tube too much can crack the clarinet.
I use liquid shellac to seal the tube. I wonder if the shellac needs to be applied to the "threaded" surface and the top of the wood flange, or only to the surface of the tube that meets the wood flange.
The second method probably would make it easier to remove the thumb tube in the future, however I am not sure how reliable it would be in a long-term.
Waiting for your valuable feedback and suggestions.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-07-17 13:54
I just heat up the tubes, apply stick shellac to melt onto them and refit them. Any ooze can be cleaned off with alcohol or solvent on wooden instruments.
If they're threaded, I heat and apply beeswax to the thread to seal them so they can be undone easily next time.
For plastic instruments, either use contact adhesive or silicone sealant.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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