 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-12-10 18:27
I've given my newly-acquired Buescher clarinet a couple of light oilings with Bore Doctor. It's been stored upright on a clarinet stand ever since I received the instrument a few weeks ago.
Giving the horn a quick exercise playing last night, I noticed that the instrument seems to be leeching something white and powdery from the exterior of the body in at least three places, and also from inside the right ring finger tone hole.
Any thoughts? Are the oilings dislodging some built-up saliva deposits, or is there something more insidious like a fungus problem going on here? What, if anything, should I do about it?
The instrument is also starting to take on a really rancid olive oil odour--puzzling, since it's been out in the open air for weeks and my bore oil is fresh with no smell at all.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-12-10 18:37
Er, you do swab your clarinet after playing, right? But caution, swabbing only removes moisture in the bore, but rarely in the mating parts of the joints, so it is advisable to disassemble the instrument and dry the sockets with a bit of kitchen roll. And when it is disassembled, it could as well be stored inside its case rather than on a stand.
Normally the oil is absorbed by the wood and is thusly protected from going rancid. Excess oil, however, that lives in an unswabbed bore is very likely go deteriorate, thanks to a relatively large surface (compared to the neck of a bottle), and due to the contact with germs of all sorts, saliva (which contains enzymes to break down fat and sugar) etc etc.
So, I'd dry the clarinet, place it disassembled into its case, let it breathe for half an hour, and then close the case and stow it away.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-12-10 19:49
Tictactux: I'm very diligent about swabbing out the bore and drying the tenon and socket ends on my extensive collection of instruments. That said, I have played this Buescher for a grand total of barely 10 minutes in the time I've owned it, since the wood hasn't yet stabilized to my satisfaction. I play a couple of F scales from low F to altissimo F, dry it out, and put it back to rest--much like breaking in a reed. No need to hurry this elderly instrument back into service.
Donald: Yes, it is a wooden clarinet, and quite old, with a wraparound register key.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-12-10 20:31
Hi Ursa, I didn't mean to insinuate you weren't diligent in your care. I just thought if I didn't post for your own benefit, then maybe for someone else's. (I learned a lot from eavasdropping into other people's threads). So, no offense meant.
Now...did you find the time to inspect that white powdery stuff a bit more closely? What if it doesn't come from the innards of the instrument but rather from say a foul pad? (you didn't say if it were a repadded/cleaned/overhauled instrument or if you just unearthed it from some basement).
Then, as you have an extensive collection of instruments, did you use the same bore oil for other instruments as well? (with no negative results, I presume).
Hmm. <scratches head>
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-12-10 22:50
Could it be some sort of mould?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-12-10 22:56
Thanks for taking an interest in my situation, tictactux...
The instrument is in as-purchased condition. Judging by the logos of the old Rico reeds that came with it, it hasn't seen the light of day since the 1980's. I suspect the brown leather pads on the instrument are original.
The only work I've done on it is oiling the bore sparingly, as I've done with my other wooden clarinets. The bore still looks dried out and somewhat cruddy; the grain on the exterior has tightened up a bit.
Upon further inspection, the chalky white substance has oozed out of the upper joint throat A, and trill Bb tone holes. It's running down the exterior of the instrument and coagulating on the thumb ring linkage and on the throat A assembly. It's very much like dried toothpaste residue found in a sink.
I've used the same oil with great success on my other wooden clarinets. Obviously, I won't be using the swabs utilized to oil the Buescher on any other clarinets.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-12-10 23:18
In that case, I'd really recommend the clarinet be disassembled, stripped of its keys, bathed, dried and oiled. You never know what's lurking in there, and I've yet to see a wooden instrument - regardless of age - that took offence at a lukewarm shower, some mild liquid hand soap and a bottle brush.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tony F
Date: 2011-12-10 23:39
A couple of possibilities for the residue are that oiling has softened some hard deposits of cork lubricant which is now oozing out, or possibly some sort of fungal growth in the tenons. I agree with Tictactux, the best plan is to strip, clean and oil it. This will also give you the opportunity to examine the pads.
Tony F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-12-11 02:15
Well don't soak the clarinet bore for a long time, meaning many days. A horn that old should be repadded.
Then see what happens. I've never heard of this happening so it's sort of a trial and error. Been repairing clarinets for about 30 years and haven't een this happen.
There is a chance that the oil has leaked into the pads. Try wiping off the oil and only oil the horn every few months.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-12-11 09:34
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your insights.
Removing a couple of keys revealed the culprit: an abundance of dried metal polish lodged deep between the trill keys and spatula keys. Some was also lodged in trill key tone holes, where the moisture blown into the horn during test plays dissolved it, causing it to run. What a mess!
Due to the likelihood of metal polish fouling the wear points of the mechanism, I think it best from a conservation standpoint to simply hand the instrument over to a technician for a proper cleanup and rebuild.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
