 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2022-02-08 01:50
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I have Selmer Paris M 769x (model "55") that I purchased already "overhauled" (yes! I know!). It is clean and solid with a banded socket on the bottom joint. But there was a profound wobble between the joints. I was able to "fix" the wobble with thread around the top joint tenon.
Luckily for me, I have a ton of Selmers, so I was able to try each of the two joints out with a different joint from a highly functional Selmer (in this case M8448). Both joints play poorly in this experiment, with the top joint of the problem clarinet playing a bit better with its swapped partner than the bottom joint (with a different top joint). The top joint of the problem clarinet wobbles with a different bottom joint and feels as if it doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of the socket of a replacement (swapped) bottom joint.
John Butler has graciously agreed to look at it. Psychologically, I can handle dysfunction in a clarinet that looks like crap, but this one is so clean. Sad. I rather think the result will be a very clean parts donor.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
Post Edited (2022-02-08 01:54)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-02-08 02:32
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You need to address the tenon rings if the tenon is wobbly.
I've recently rebuilt a P series Centered Tone (P22xx - even though it doesn't carry the 'Centered Tone' script on the top joint, just as some Series 9/9* clarinets don't have that on them either) and the middle tenon on that was wobbly. The socket had been split in two places in the past and was only glued together, relying on the socket ring for some strength at the open end, but still not offering enough support towards the C/G tonehole and the pillars either side of it. See attachment.
I carbon fibre banded the socket as I've done on other clarinets with cracked sockets and also refitted the tenon rings to make the tenon a nice solid fit in the socket which is what you need to do to your clarinet as adding thread to the cork or using a thicker tenon cork won't prevent the tenon from rocking due to how naturally compressible cork is.
Build up both the tenon rings with superglue and wood dust, then machine them down to the required diameter so they provide a solid, close fit in the socket even without the tenon cork in place - they should ideally fit like a tuning slide or a sax crook tenon in its socket and even hold together well without the tenon cork.
I used a bit too much carbon fibre on the CT's socket as it shows through the filler - I prefer to completely hide the carbon fibre under the filler as I did on the bell and on the 1948 (N series) BT's socket in the 2nd photo.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2022-02-08 02:40)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-02-08 02:42
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On this early '50s B&H Emperor I rebuilt the tenon ring at the shoulder with superglue and wood dust. The owner had always had trouble with the middle tenon wobbling for as long as he's had this clarinet for since he bought it used in the late '60s.
The metal tenon ring(or tenon cap) was also undersized as they often are, so I trued it up, then soft soldered on a thin brass shim over it while it was still in situ (just make sure you go extra careful with the gas torch when doing this, although grenadilla will withstand the temperature well) and machined that down to the required diameter so it was a good solid fit in the socket even without the tenon cork fitted.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2022-02-08 02:51)
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Author: Bill
Date: 2022-02-08 22:43
Beautiful work, Chris!
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2022-02-10 07:43
>> then machine them down to the required diameter so they provide a solid, close fit in the socket even without the tenon cork in place - they should ideally fit like a tuning slide or a sax crook tenon in its socket and even hold together well without the tenon cork. <<
That depends on weather I guess. Locally, with that fit, the tenon will bind shortly after. Even tenons that are sometimes a fraction looser than that are binding sometimes. I have to fit tenons slightly looser so they don't mind any time of the year.
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