 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2012-05-15 00:03
I may be nuts here, but since I seem to have some wooden clarinets that are not going to be playable, I thought I might have some fun with them and engrave the bells. Anyone tried this? Would a Dremel work? There was a small discussion on a old Sax on the Web forum. I thought I'd bring the thought over here.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-05-15 01:20
A Dremel rotates very fast and is hard to control for fine work. Wood engraving is done with a V-shaped gouge that you push with the palm of your hand and guide with your fingers. Engraving on metal (as on sax bells) is done with a metal stylus in the shape of a screwdriver, which you rock back and forth.
There are lots of videos on YouTube. Look also under gun stock engraving.
Ken Shaw
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-05-15 02:45
bbrandha wrote:
> I may be nuts here, but since I seem to have some wooden
> clarinets that are not going to be playable, I thought I might
> have some fun with them and engrave the bells. Anyone tried
> this? Would a Dremel work?
Might be an interesting thing to try. Definitely use a proper graver and not a dremel tool. You should be able to find something more suitable from a shop that sells woodcarving supplies. I will not that engraving wood will be inherently more difficult than engraving metal as you will have a non-uniform material.
Although somewhat rare bells have been engraved by the major manufacturers in the past. Selmer had a simple floral engraving on the Centered Tone Omega bells back in the 50's for example.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-05-15 06:14
A dremel has lousy control and is not precise at all. I wouldn't use that. A dental lab micromotor has super precision and control so it might work well. Maybe I'll try it sometime.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2012-05-15 22:16
I have a Proxxon high speed handpiece that is easier to control than a Dremel. It's not as fast as a dental handpiece but seems adequate. Engraving, per se, is a specific kind of material removal, typically with a v shape. Rotary tool procedures would require a pointed cone tip attachment to approximate engraving.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2012-05-16 11:23
Vytas Krass seems to have the knack. Check out his website.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-05-16 13:11
Alseg wrote:
> Vytas Krass seems to have the knack. Check out his website.
>
I'm pretty sure Vytas didn't engrave the clarinet shown on his homepage. The Selmer Ct Omega clarinets came with that engraving from the factory. I own one that has identical engraving although Vytas's one has much nicer gilding than mine.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-05-16 13:56
Steve -
The 1950s Selmer French Centered Tone Omega definitely had vine-leaf carving on the bell and the bottom of the lower joint. (I used to play a pair.) You can see it on Vytas's site at http://www1.webng.com/myclarinet/index.html. The original carving did not have the gold filling, which Vytas has added.
There was also a short-lived Selmer USA Omega, which was an intermediate level clarinet. It had similar engraing on the bell, but it did not extend onto the lower joint.
Ken Shaw
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2012-05-17 16:49
I've been able to recreate and recut emblems to make them more visible or visible where they once were. So doing an entire bell like the Omegas would be about the same procedure except expanded but I'll give you my instructions on emblems.
The best method I have used to this point, for a missing emblem is:
- first use a lead pencil to draw the emblem. This may take practice or use an existing instrument and use a piece of paper and lead pencil and scribble to see the emblem, then use an exacto to cut out a template of the emblem, then draw the emblem on the instrument. I've been lucky enough just to be able to redraw an emblem .. it does take some time to adjust and get it correct.
- then use an exacto knife to cut a thin mark of the emblem. Don't just try and cut it. Just push the knife into the wood in slow & small marks. Then afterwards drag between the marks to make the "line". This thin mark is important as it allows you to use it as a guide for other tools.
- next you then use a etching type tool in which you start etching out a deeper line. You continue this until it looks nice. Lightly at first then get deeper over multiple cycles. I have probably a dozen different sized and shaped etching tools (like engraving saxophones) just smaller and pointier.
Leblanc emblems are very simple and noblet emblems are good to learn on
Buffet emblems are tedious
Selmer emblems are quite difficult and require some gouging tools for the leafs on the wreath. A dremel does make the "gouge" a bit easier and faster but not for the faint of heart as you have one shot at it.
you could use an automatic tool but ebony/grenadilla is actually quite soft. and with an electric tool you could cut too deep and off and cause a real mess.
and don't expect to do this in one sitting. I do pieces at a time when creating an entire emblem.
If you really want to do a big engraving it might be good to test your skills first on a flat plank of ebony. Once you move to a bell which is very oddly shaped having the etching ability first will make working on a bell shape much easier.
fwiw, I don't know how the custom sax engravers do it .. there is so much tedious and accurate work. I've seen pics of slipups and then incorporating those slipups into the design. At worst they buff it out.
==========
Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
Post Edited (2012-05-17 16:57)
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2012-05-17 22:50
Thank you, all. I'm excited to try it. The excitement may not last, but I'm pretty good at stuff that other people seem to think is tedious, so we'll see.
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2012-05-21 16:09
I had fun with an old bell. I put rose stickers from the craft store on it. It gets a lot of comments and has not changed the tone. I have some other bells I'm going to work on. Flags for fourth of July, a christmas motif, etc. I hadn't thought about engraving, too precise!
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