 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: RobertWYu
Date: 2015-04-10 07:45
Hey guys,
As I was putting away my clarinet today a thought struck me. On R13 clarinets, why is the bell metal ring a different color than the rest of the keys or rings on the instrument. It seems to look like what nickel keys look like. Is there a reason for this besides cost saving?
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2015-04-10 15:05
I don't know for sure but as a mechanical engineer permit me to speculate:
The bell metal ring is often un-plated cupronickel (a.k.a. "nickel silver" a.k.a. "German silver"), I think because it has to be swaged (compressed) onto the wood bell and if it were plated before that operation the plating would tend to get scratched or flake off by the action of the press that swages on the ring. And you really can't plate the ring after it's installed on the bell. So while the rest of the keywork (and tenon rings) may be nickel- or silver-plated, the bell ring in unplated and so tarnishes with that yellowish color.
Again, a guess.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-04-10 15:30
On most pro level clarinets the bell ring is made of solid unplated nickel silver which is compressed onto the bell prior to final shaping and can't be removed without cutting it and potentially damaging the bell. There's usually a hard solder joint somewhere on the bell ring as it's formed from an extruded length of nickel silver rod to a specific shape with a sharp ridge on one side which locates in a groove turned around the bell rim.
Watch this video of the Buffet factory which shows the bell and bell ring being turned to the final shape very early on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DZgoYmbU-w
On some clarinets (eg. Leblanc LL, L27, LX, etc and other student level clarinets) the bell ring is made from plated sheet metal to match the keywork (or pillars) and formed into a V shape onto the specifically shaped rim of the finished bell. Howarth clarinets had a silver plated bell ring made from either brass or nickel silver rod with a circular cross section and that was fitted by compression to the finished bell.
Buffet B12s have a metal coated plastic bell ring that's glued in place but has a moulded internal ridge that locates into a similarly moulded groove around the bell rim and have a drop or two of glue added to prevent it rattling.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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