 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: W00DY
Date: 2013-01-27 03:00
Hi all.
I'm a woodturner, and a professional musician. Although I'm not a clarinetist, I work with several, and I have been interested in experimenting with making barrels. My question is this...
What size/type of reamers are used to bore out the barrel. Taper pin, morse taper, other?? Any advice would be welcome. The reamers are pretty expensive, so I'm hoping to get away with only buying a couple.
Thanks!!
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2013-01-27 05:07
Most barrel artisans use proprietary made- to order-reamers.
It is good to know a fine machinist or be facile in metal working.
Some artisans favor single bladed French reamers, others use multi-bladed tools, often sequentially. Some of mine are curved in a pattern, and others are used in reverse direction.
I vary mine depending on the sound I am after (based on communication with the client), the intonation problems that you are seeking to correct (determines taper.....and, NO, it is rarely ever involving a Morse ratio), and the wood or synthetic used.
Be prepared to ruin about 100 barrels before beginning to have success.
Before starting, you might wish to look at pricing for fine African Blackwood.
A supply of pharmaceuticals is also recommended ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Oh, and do not forget the socket reamers for the mouthpiece and upper joint end.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2013-01-27 05:37)
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Author: W00DY
Date: 2013-01-27 15:36
Thanks Alan.
I'm not surprised to hear that there are investments to be made. I'm also not surprised to hear that the first many barrels will be overpriced firewood. I just wondered how the artisan barrel maker got his first tools. Everybody has to start somewhere, right? Can the socket reamers be bought easily, or do they need to be custom made as well?
Thanks to all!
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2013-01-27 16:33
contact me offline, Woody, for socket details.
Ever turn the inside of a narrow-necked vase? That is nice place to start.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Wes
Date: 2013-01-27 23:02
It is possible to make a precision barrel reamer from a slotted dowel and a hacksaw blade. When I bought an old Tribert clarinet for my granddaughter, I did that to give a Moennig shaped contour to the barrel. It did the trick, lowering the clarion left hand and the too high low A and Bb. She played on it in Carnegie Hall two years ago. For the serious making of barrels, there are companies and individuals who will make good bore reamers. Maybe Votaw or Ferrees would have a socket reamer.
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Author: W00DY
Date: 2013-01-27 23:46
Allan... Thanks again. I sent you an email. I appreciate your willingness to help a noob get ejucated.
Wes... That is a great idea! I may try that. For less than 5 bucks in materials, there isn't much risk in it!
I have plenty of hard maple to practice on before I start gambling with rosewoods and blackwood. I'll probably get blasted for asking this, but would a maple barrel sound horrible?
By hand, I have gotten precise length and even cut what I consider to be pretty good sockets, but the boring process has had me completely stumped until now. (Now I'm only 80% stumped) Thanks again for the posts! More ideas are welcome if anybody feels like chiming in.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2013-01-28 15:22
Wes wrote:
> Maybe Votaw or Ferrees would have a socket reamer.
It would probably be easier to just use a boring bar to create the sockets since they don't need to be made to an extremely tight tolerance. Assuming that you have the appropriate type of lathe to use a boring bar this would certainly be less expensive than buying reamers and could be used for any desired diameter.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-01-29 18:36
Seems like it would be good to have both sockets and the axis of the barrel bore on the same centerline.
So many barrels play better in one particular rotational orientation --because the barrel bore centerline is offset from the upper joint's centerline.
I thought that a good barrel was either computer-numerically control machined OR that the reamers were all piloted in the same bore.
Bob Phillips
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2013-01-31 19:27
Ferrees sells socket tools. They aren't cheap, and I had to lathe down the brass lead to fit the "precut" bore.
on a drill press cut a smaller than needed bore
then Basically, on a accurate lathe
you round down a block of wood.
Cut a basic bore (smaller than finished product, just as a guide)
cut outside barrel shape now or later
cut to length
cut sockets for the specific brand/model
cut outside barrel shape or do earlier
then you do the hand reaming of the bore to what you want
and you'll need to acquire various lathe & cutting tools. Ferrees sells lathe items but there's many items you'll need to make or acquire elsewhere.
I start with a drill press to get a center.
After that, It's easily doable on a nice wood lathe, even the sockets
the outside shape is more easily reproduceable on a nice programmable metal lathe. Especially is you are cutting for wood/metal rings.
that's the basics of it. Measuring many barrels from a variety of clarinets and learning the intracasies of the bore design takes experimentation and accuracy and a fine ear or a friend with a very fine ear.
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Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2013-01-31 20:41
Woody,
I forgot to mention, email me. I used to turn bowls and other furniture making things as a hobby .... so I have an idea where you are coming from on your ideas and have been through alot of manual intensive processes to make my first barrels then through "automation" of steps.
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Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
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