 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aures22
Date: 2007-01-23 16:51
Hi, I'm looking for a 9.5 mm diameter .130" thickness cork pad for the upper-joint of my clarinet. I tried Ferree's and they only carry .110" thickness, and that will not work for my instrument.
How well do these Valentino cork pads work? I called them and they said that it is harder than the other pads like the greenbacks and it is synthetic and not made of real cork.
How well do these pads seal to prevent leakage, retain the seating around the tonehole edges, and most importantly, how do these pads sound compared to real cork pads or leather or double skin pads.
Please if you have experience with them let me know. Thanks.
Post Edited (2007-01-23 19:38)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-01-23 16:54
Don't even bother - they're about as airtight as a sieve.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-01-23 19:54
Shim with postcard-like paper or a bit of 1/64" cork sheet.
--
Ben
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-01-23 21:31
or cut your own from a cork stick, sheet, or wine bottle cork
or for simplicity add extra french cement under it (or other thick adhesive) and/or shim to the .110 pad
I'd do the first one myself if you had to have a .130
I've never tried the Valentino synthetics .. but if what Chris said is even partially true, I probably never will ....
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-01-23 21:49
The white 'greenback' Valentinos are airtight, but the brown fake cork ones are dire - I padded an oboe using them almost throughout (from the trills down to the low C# cup) and I couldn't get any suction on either top or bottom joints, even though the pads felt like they were sealing (using a feeler gauge) and testing on the meter which puts air under pressure into the joints also showed the joints were leaking.
Why not get a 9.5mm cork pad and trim it to the right depth (after smoothing and levelling out the face which is to be seated against the tonehole)? Cork pads are usually much thicker than needed, so you can trim them to any thickness (or shape) you like.
I usually shape the back of the cork pad so it's a cone (or dome) shape to fit inside the pad cup, then you don't need too much shellac inside the pad cup. Shape tha back with some coarse abrasive and test it between the tonehole and the clean pad cup to see if it's the right thickness - there should be an even amount of pad showing all around the pad cup when the pad is installed.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2007-01-24 00:48
I have the white green backs on my A and Bb and I am amazed at their durability and my clarinets seal like a bottle even after having the pads for three years.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2007-01-24 09:07
I order my 3.2 mm pads come from Music Center in Italy, who sell any thickness specified.
You'd probably have to order more than 1 though.
IMO, .130" (3.3 mm) is a more 'standard' thickness than .11". (2.8 mm).
But using the hot melt or shellac glue behind the pad as a filler whenever required, is standard practice. It is a luxury to have the perfect pad for any given key cup and its geometry with the instrument. It would also involve the relative thickness of the cardboard and the felt.
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