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Re: Re setting pads.

Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-11-27 12:21

If a pad is seating very unevenly so it's too light on one side compared to another and the impression is still concentric with the tonehole crown then they can be reseated provided the adhesive used is shellac or hot glue and can be softened using heat.

A good starting point when seating pads is to have them seat with even pressure all the way round, or with slightly more pressure at the front than the back.

Having the fronts seating too lightly (which is all too common) will only make things feel squishy or spongy under the fingers and when multiplied several times (and especially with several pads all closing at the same time as in basset clarinets, basset horns and low C basses), that will only end up in poor response with all those leaks.

I use a flame and use it to glance the pack of the pad cup as that's not going to risk scorching or burning anything whereas pointing the flame straight at it is most likely to scorch the body which I've seen on instruments repadded by clumsy arses who shouldn't even work on them. Use a small gas flame and use a lot of care and things won't end up a crime scene.

Using a hot air torch is more risky as it's not always as precise as a gas torch flame as the heat is dissipated over a large area rather than a pin point and in the wrong hands will only end up in tears. The positive side of using a hot air torch is with lacquered keys and keys with pearl fingerbuttons as the risk of scorching is low, so ideal for vintage saxes with nitrocellulose lacquer and small diameter main action pad cups with the fingerbuttons crimped into them as you'd have on the LH1 fingerplate on altos and most soprano and sopranino sax main action pad cups.

There are the split tip soldering iron-type tools to heat pad cups which rely on conductivity to heat the required pad cup, but they can mark or scratch the plating if used without any care, although they are the safest option as the risk of scorching the body is low. They can also be used to help remove stubborn pillars and other parts screwed into the joints.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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