 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: RobertWYu
Date: 2015-03-25 05:51
Hi everyone,
As I was cleaning my clarinet today after practicing, I began to wonder why we try to remove moisture from our clarinet as often as possible. I know that water and moisture aren't good for the wood, but I'd like to try to understand why that is.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-03-25 06:07
Standing water will cause the wood to swell, mostly where the water sits. For example in the sockets of the barrel, the top of the bottom joint, or the top of the bell. If joints are left together with moisture sitting there, they will expand and compress the cork, making the cork less effective over time and possibly jamming up the parts in the process.
Also the rivulets of condensation in the bore can cause issues since the wood will swell more there than in the areas not laden with moisture. Erratic swelling of the wood could cause cracking over time.
It is not quite true to say wood does not like moisture. Newer wood contains natural oils (and oils that were used to treat the wood). Bore oiling (every now and then) with the proper specified bore oils will help keep the wood less prone to issues with condensation (oil repels water).
............Paul Aviles
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-03-25 06:31
I once had a tech tell me that Yamaha student clarinets (model #?) of rubber or composite, with Valentino pads, could be stored in water and it wouldn't hurt them. Like he'd seen this done as a demo. Or at least he'd seen them cleaned by immersion. (Please don't try this on my hearsay testimony.)
For normal instruments, the issues are-
1) the body, if wood--- issues described by Paul
2) the pads--- get them too wet or for too long, you'll need new ones
3) the mechanisms--- water in the keywork might drive out any oil, or maybe there isn't any(!) and corrosion and binding will happen sooner or later
Did I miss anything?
These are all reasons half the band goes crazy when a monsoon starts while they're on the field. And the other half (trumpets and such) laugh at them.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2015-03-25 06:35)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-03-25 15:31
Funny you mention the "running from the rain." Somehow most military bands get the impression that rain is, in and of itself, harmful to woodwind instruments. My feeling (perhaps not shared by the majority I grant you) is this; as long as you are good about drying the instrument parts off after standing out in the rain (to include areas not usually attended to such as under keys where the springs and associated screws are located) there should be no undue ill effects from a rain shower here or there. You DON'T want standing water to remain on parts that can rust as Stan points out, but clarinets in general are pretty sturdy beasts.
Now, when you are actually playing in the rain you do occasionally get the reverse "gurgle" in tone holes (that is, water blockage caused by beads of water from without).
And you get wet too.
And don't get me started about the smell of old, wet music !!!
.............Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2015-03-25 15:32)
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