 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2020-09-06 15:14
Attachment: Selmer 9 LH keys.jpg (41k)
My Selmer 9 Full Boehm from the 60s started to rattle. Two of the LH pinky keys operate the pads throgh a mechanism which has a pin on the end of the lever which fits a hole on the rocker arm crossing to the RH side. From age, the pins are no longer a snug fit in the holes and started to rattle. I wrapped then in a small piece of polythene sheet cut from a bag and that (a) makes the fit snugger and (b) eliminates the metal-to-metal contact. It no longer rattles, but I wondered if anyone has a more elegant suggestion
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2020-09-06 21:16
Thanks... I just thought there might be something more elegant (other than cutting off the pins and drilling out the levers for new ones (and I know nylon isn't desirable!)
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Author: gatto
Date: 2020-09-06 21:27
>It no longer rattles, but I wondered if anyone has a more elegant suggestion
What about just a drop of oil? I had a similar problem and a drop of oil onto the pin was the solution. I was told they are made of Teflon, by the way.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2020-09-06 22:12
The guy I took my S9 FB to wrapped the pins in what he called "fish skin". Did the job just fine. He also described it as a pretty traditional fix, FIWI.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-09-07 10:35
I've also been using the corners of small plastic bags cut off which form a nice pocket to fit over metal pins and a drop of thick oil in them both keeps them in place and silences them, plus they last for ages and can be replaced dead easily as and when they need to.
Another thing I've done is replace the pins with modified Buffet nylon pins that are also reinforced with a steel core which makes them unbreakable instead of using them as is. A drop of thick oil also silences them.
Metal pins can't be made a metal-on-metal snug fit in the lingkages, especially the LH F#/C# one as that has tons of movement in it compared to a regular one without the LH Ab/Eb lever.
So-called 'fish skin' which is the intestinal membrane from cattle which is also used as goldbeaters' skin to seal oboe reeds as well as sausage skin and natural gut strings (yet another so-called term as 'cat gut') is the usual go-to method to silence these pins, but like a lot of things, there are much better materials than sticking to ancient and tired old traditional methods. Traditionalists need to get with the times and ditch that has-been oldy-worldy ways that had their day decades ago.
Another cause of noise in the LH levers is their fit both on the rod screws and between the pillars. The F#/C# does need a bit of lateral play because of how it interacts with the connecting arm to prevent it from binding up. The Ab/Eb lever needs to be a tight fit on its rod screw and between the pillars as any wobble will cause it to rattle against the sides of the F#/C# and E/B levers which it sits in between and moves at a different plane to them because of the shorter pillars (instead of having equal height pillars like Leblancs which all move in the same plane as each other). The E/B lever can also be made a good fit between the pillars as that has far less movement than the F#/C# lever.
Regular servicing and using the right viscosity oils in the right quantities (neither allowing things to run dry nor turning the entire thing into an oil slick of Amoco Cadiz proportions) and locations as well as durable silencing materials will keep things running nice and quiet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2020-09-07 12:40
Thanks all for your helpful comments. I'll add some thick oil to my polythene wraps. Using the corner of a bag rather than a disk from a flat bit is a good plan!
Chris
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-09-07 17:35
The best way to keep the corners of the bag on the pins when refitting all three LH levers all at the same time (as they usually have to all go on together) is dip the pins in oil (if you keep your key oil in tubs) or add a drop of oil to the pin and then the bit of bag will stick to it (pinch the sides of the piece of bag to open it up).
Then the LH levers can be refitted with pins located in their holes first before dropping the rods in between their allocated pillars. The pointed ends of the bits of bag will help them locate and fit into the holes securely when refitting the LH levers.
I use a 6mm dermal punch to cut the corners with as that leaves curved cut edges to the bag corners - the cut pieces of bag resembling a quarter slice of cake.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2020-09-07 18:52
Sounds a great idea. The flat pieces i used leave ragged edges sticking out - they don't seem to affect the operation, but I'm sure i will have to repeat the excercise soon and I'll definitely go for the corner scheme and oil.
Thanks
Chris
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