Author: BartHx
Date: 2013-01-28 20:11
Except for reattaching a pad that has come loose, I would not try to do the whole process without taking the key off of the instrument. You need to take the time to get the cup as clean as possible or you won't get good adhesion with the new glue. I use a variable temperature heat gun for heating the cups. If I am taking out a pad that was put in with hot glue, it will get the cup hot enough to just wipe it clean with a paper towel. With a lower temperature, I reheat the cup after putting an appropriate size drop of hot glue into it (you could cut a chip instead -- I use that for a field repair) until the drop starts to level. I'll then put in the new pad, remount the key on the instrument and usually have enough time to level the pad before the glue becomes too solid. If I am not quick enough, the heat gun has a well defined air column near the outlet so that I am able to heat the cup without overheating the pad or instrument body. A micro torch should work well, too.
If you are using a slow setting adhesive (eg. liquid shellac) you will need to gently clamp the pad until the adhesive sets. However, for that, you need to be sure that the cup is absolutely aligned with the seat. If it is not, pressure could force the pad all the way to the bottom of the cup and make it out of line with the seat. If you are able to slightly float the pad in the cup, you can accommodate a very slight misalignment of the cup. Trying to use pressure to level a pad with a heat setting adhesive can cause the same sort of problems.
For an emergency field repair, I stack a foam pad, a chip of glue stick, and the pad cup mounted on the instrument. I then heat the cup with a Bic lighter until the glue melts and the cup settles onto the pad with very light pressure. The foam pad (as noted above) is forgiving enough that I have had no problems with this method. If it's just a matter of the pad glue letting go, leave the pad in place and heat the cup to reactivate the glue. However, I have more often found that, with bladder pads, the bladder has torn and the felt separated from the backing chip. In that event, the pad needs to be replaced.
There are a couple of places where you will find more than one, independently operating, pads mounted on the same pivot rod. Do those separately with the other one not in place.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
