 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ThePerfectReed
Date: 2012-02-23 23:57
Hi Everybody,
I've been reading this board for a while now, but this is my first posting!
I have a question: the silver keys on my clarinets keep corroding from my acidic fingertips--the metal is actually being eaten away. Does anyone know of a way to prevent this? I already wipe off the keys everyday, but still no luck. I've had my current set for about a year, and they are already starting to show wear.
I've also tried nail polish, but it's too sticky, and only woks for a few days at a time.
This isn't only cosmetic, as after a while the keys become sharp and rough from corrosion...
If anybody has any ideas/solutions, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks
Anton
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-02-24 00:20
Rhodium plating is meant to be non-reactive, so that might work.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-02-24 01:08
Anton -
Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about acidic sweat. Al Gallodoro ate through his keys very fast, and the only way he could keep playing was to have all the metal on his clarinet, alto sax and bass clarinet heavily gold plated.
Chris P., above, is a very expeienced workman andcan give you good advice. I haven't found his email address, but perhaps Mark C. wil forward a message to him.
Otherwise, I suggest that you go on the Yahoo Musical Instrument Technician board and ask the experts there for the best solution for plating http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/musical_instrument_technician/messages. At the least, they can help you find a shop near where you live that can do the work.
Replating is not simple. You'll need to remove the keys, take the pads and corks off and maybe even remove the posts and springs. After the work is done, you'll need a fair amount of work to put on new pads, corks, and springs, re-set the posts and regulate the action. Unfortunately, that won't be cheap.
Yamaha makes "Hamilton" keys, which are a mix of gold and nickel. You should probably consider a switch. If you can afford the $8,000 price, Backun makes clarinets with gold keys.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-02-24 03:16
I have seen a CSG in Hamilton plate where the thumb tube had been eroded so it was concave (and very rough) by the player's acidic perspiration. It only takes a small area where the plating is thin (such as a sharp edge) or damaged for perspiration to get under the plating and cause pitting and eventually full on corrosion to the base metal.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Campana
Date: 2012-02-24 07:45
When you buy something like a digital camera or a sat-nav the screens are protected by a film which is almost invisible, stronger and more crease resistant than cling film. It seems to be adhesive but not overly so and of a type that is re-usable. I wonder if this would attach to the contact areas of your keys.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-02-24 08:03
Have you tried some (dermatological) hand lotion prior to playing?
String players seem to suffer worse from sweaty fingers as it affects the tuning of their instruments. Change of diet and hand treatment (talcum + lotion) appear to be the best bet there.
--
Ben
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-02-24 09:37
I, and others I have met do have this problem in spades. Wiping the keys IS the cheapest and most reliable solution. You need to use a plain, 100% cotton cloth (NOT a silver polishing cloth which accelerates the problem !!!). You must wipe so that the smudgy appearance you leave on the keys is gone and you must wipe down after your final session for the day (never leave your finger oils on keys over night).
The Hamilton plate of the Yamaha CSG is unfortunately only a few microns thick (opposed to some makers that actually coat with silver or gold 10 times that amount) and this thin coat is subject to easy mechanical wear. Gold IS the final solution but you need a competent repairman AND plater to do this. The main issue with replating is that it changes the tolerances on ALL the keys (distances between posts) so you need to compensate for the difference in thickness in some rational way.
As I consider new, I am looking for makers that have gold plated keys to start such as Chadash or Gerold (German system only).
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-02-24 10:46
Gold plate is usually only 3 microns thick on top of silver plate, so not adding any significant increase in the thickness of the overall plating. Also due to high the price of gold, anything more than 3 microns will be horrendously expensive and it's already pretty expensive enough applying 3 microns of gold to a set of keys. Silver is usually applied 25 microns thick at the most, some makers apply 12 microns and some far less (well under 10 microns).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-02-24 13:37
"Silver density 40 µm
For a silver density of 40 µ, we expect a lifespan of up to 10 years (even if the clarinet is used during several hours per day).
If handled with care, this silver plating can last for an entire clarinet life. Due to the very high silver density, also the oscillation of the keywork is cushioned. This strong silver plating also ensures a pleasant and a bit softer clarinet sound."
Taken from the Gerold website.
Wurlitzer is also incredibly thick plating and I never had an issue with their silver keys (but I always wiped them off anyway).
...................Paul Aviles
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