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Re: cotton vs. silk

Author: jhoyla
Date: 2008-04-10 06:26

Regarding the sticky rubber coating on the weight that comes with some silk swabs - I suspect that this is to allow one to surreptitiously and silently swab during an orchestral performance, without the weight rattling noisily in the instrument.

I have found that removing the rubber coating and then tightly wrapping the weight with a thin skin of teflon "plumber's" tape has the dual effect of muffling any sound the weight makes, and also helping the weight skid down the inside of the instrument with no stickiness. You have to refresh your home-made teflon coating from time to time.

If there is a lot of moisture in the instrument I pull the swab until slightly taut and then wait a second or two before continuing. This stop-go approach gives the swab time to absorb the moisture, since silk is not the most absorbent of materials. I swab from the bell through to the reed-well.

Many equipment sellers sell a special tool for hooking a stuck swab. A crochet-hook works just as well. Insert up the tennon end, twist and pull gently. Whatever you do - NEVER try and remove a stuck swab through the reed-well!

J.

Post Edited (2008-04-10 06:35)

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