 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: ptarmiganfeather
Date: 2013-04-12 18:23
Ok, I'm learning to take my oboe apart. Not for the faint hearted or ham fisted! Finally a job where my tiny sized hands are a blessing.
Yesterday I took off the keys from the middle joint and cleaned the tone holes. The E tone hole had some white buildup in it that I gently wiped away. I wiped out the other holes, dusted, checked the pads, and put back everything, all while my toddler was having a nap. Most useful are these two tiny crochet hooks I haven't used in forever for springs and a camera for before/after pics. I want to venture to the top joint - I have already removed the octave keys for cleaning. Saving that for another day.
So I am curious how to keep a long screw that goes through all the key touch pieces (for a lack of nomenclature) in place. I have one that keeps working loose on my top joint, right hand side on my back-up oboe. It is more annoying than anything else. Do I use nail polish, wax, loc-tite, a piece of thread? I will only be applying it to the thread end. A search only found remedies for adjustment screws. Thanks and have a great day.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-04-12 19:14
Rod screws should only need to be screwed in with reasonable force to keep them in place - not over-torqued or screwed in with a few degrees of a turn to spare or backed out a bit, but screwed in then given a final tighten to lock them. You shouldn't really need Loctite or anything else to prevent a rod screw from backing out as the shoulder by the thread is what keeps the thread in tension in the pillar to secure the screw.
If a rod screw keeps coming undone, then it's either not screwed in tightly enough or isn't screwed in tight as that causes the keys to bind if the threaded pillar isn't lining up properly which puts a slight bend in the rod screw. Also if the screw is bent, it may only be screwed in or backed out to a certain point where the keys no longer bind. In these cases it's a problem that has to be addressed. Another cause of rod screws backing out are bent key barrels which wil grip the rod screw and eventually rotate it enough to cause it to back out, so look for any shiny spots of wear on the rod screw which indicate where it's binding.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: ptarmiganfeather
Date: 2013-04-12 19:38
Thank you so much Chris P. I really appreciate your advice, and will use it accordingly.
I know "Enough to be dangerous." That is bad. But I know that too. Especially to not blindly go into some oboe surgery without preparation, and if it is a repair person type job it will go to the shop. Thank you again.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2013-04-13 20:07
Whenever I take the keys off the instrument I use pipe-cleaners on all the key-tubes and I shine the rods carefully with a clean thin cotton handkerchief. I then put a droplet of oil into each tube and lightly oil the rod before assembling.
Loc-tite will definitely work - a tiny drop deep in the threaded pillar, far from any moving parts. Don't put any on the rod itself. Keep a tissue at the open end of the threaded pillar to catch any loc-tite that is extruded. Clear nail-varnish will probably work just as well.
J.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2013-04-13 20:54
clear nail polish works very well -- just take great care to keep it away from pads (and the wood too).
GoodWinds
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Author: ptarmiganfeather
Date: 2013-04-15 16:53
I cleaned and oiled the rod and inspected for wear spots. There were none. There seemed to be some gunk, but the rod moved freely and didn't have any warped spots. Now the mechanism is much quieter and moves nicely. It was not screwed in tight enough, because now the screw stays put.
I also polished the metal and wiped everything down with a paintbrush. The tone holes looked good. Thanks for the tip about pipe cleaners and nail polish - I use pipe cleaners for reeds and seem to have misplaced my stash.
Thanks again for all of your advice everyone! Happy Monday.
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