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Re: RH Ring key pad leak- maybe

Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-12-30 12:05

>> How else could I be sure? << >> I removed the key << >> and the seal improved <<

It sounds like you can remove and reassemble the key and you can check the seal, so no reason not to remove the key, seal the tone hole and check for seal. This way you can know for sure if it's leaking or not. That's the first thing I'd check.

>> I don't think you should need or even want to remove the pad to re-seat it - precisely *because* you'd never get the impression lined up the same way. <<

You're right that it's best not to do this. If you remove the pad because it's leaking then it's better to replace it anyway. However, it's possible to mark a leaking pad where the arm is, add glue and reglue the pad back so the orientation is close enough that it seals far better than it was before, as a DIY repair.

>> If you soften the adhesive (I assume it's some kind of heat melt material - shellac or hot glue - hopefully no one tried epoxy on it) the cup can be heated so the cement just softens and pad can be moved with a pad slick. <<

Unless a repairer put enough glue behind the pad to allow floating, then in about 99% of the cases it is not possible to float pads. There isn't enough glue behind it on just about all new clarinets. Many used clarinets also have pads that are impossible to float for one of several possible reasons.

BTW it is not necessarily a bad thing to not have enough glue to float. As long as the glue completely fills the gap between the pad and the key cup it's good. Some manufacturers don't even have enough glue to glue reliably...

Another thing is that if it's a stepped bladder pad, then by floating you lose half the reason to even use a stepped pad and there's weak support for the step. Of course a leaking pad is worse, but in most cases there are better ways to deal with a leaking bladder pads (though it's sometimes necessarily to float).

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