 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-22 03:35
Wanting to know as much as I can about the Oboe mechanism I've notice a number of screws that are smaller than the adjusting screws and are located on the rods. On my Oboe (S2) there are none on the uppper joint but 8 on the lower joint. I know that you are never to touch these, but what is their purpose. I'm taking an 'educated' guess that they are some sort of 'locking ' screws for rods within rods. I"ve never seen them on any Flutes or Clarinets that I've owned.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2017-03-22 12:27
They attach the keywork and mechanisms to the inner rods so that they can operate within the sleeve of the overlying tubes. I think there are three - the RH C# D# cluster, the long LH B D# cluster, and the LH trill-keys.
I never take these apart, though I suspect that a pro repairman will do this to clean and re-lubricate the rod and sleeve assemblies.
Use a decent residue-less lubricant oil and you should never need to take these apart.
J.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-22 13:25
Hi Jhoyla. Thanks for the feed back on this. I thought that was what their function was an yes, I wouldn't dare tinker with them. Note that on my Howarth S2 there are none on the upper joint and 8 on the lower joint.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-22 21:22
Flutes have knock pins instead of pinning screws - I personally can't stand knock pins as they are often difficult to remove if they're made from soft steel.
The ones on your S2 most likely have a 13BA thread - later and current Howarths use 12BA which are slightly larger (and they have countersunk heads). I usually refit 12BA pinning screws when overhauling older Howarths. On oboes with knock pins I replace them with pinning screws.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-23 02:18
Hi Chris. Yes, I know what you mean about 'knock pins' and I can imagine that they'd be a pain in the preverbial to remove. I see a few of them on my two flutes, some are not flush but actually stick up a bit
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-23 20:12
And this is where flute and oboe makers differ - oboe makers prefer the use of pinning screws whereas flute makers prefer to use knock pins.
Pearl flutes use tiny grub screws to lock the various 'pinned' mechanisms together so none of the steels are drilled through which is only a point of weakness. But the grub screws can sometimes work loose or the locked parts can slip causing adjustments to go out.
B&H flutes (those Buffet 'Cooper Scale' things) had both pins and also some splined steels that were fitted into key barrels to lock them in place without pins, but they too could work loose.
A pinned mechanism is the easiest way to remotely move a lever from a distance while other keys are loosely fitted onto the same steel and work independently to the pinned pieces. The only other way around this is to have long bridged keys which are easier to get damaged. Older saxes often had long bridged low B keys that shared the same rod screw as the low Bb key, but they can get in the way during playing (as in the old Conn X bar baris).
On modern oboes you typically have three pinned mechanisms - the top joint trill beam (but not always), the RH C#/Eb cluster (sometimes the C# key is bridged) and the feather keys. Marigaux oboes have another pinned mechanism on the bell where the bell vent and bell key work independently - the bell vent is opened when low B is played and the bell key for low Bb is mounted on the pinned steel for the bell vent. Older ring key oboes may have the RH3 ring key pinned to the steel to close the F# pad cup. Some cors anglais may have a pinned steel for the LH1 split top plate. Schreiber student model oboes have a pinned 1st and 3rd 8ve key, so the 3rd 8ve key is mounted freely on the 1st 8ve steel - the back 8ve touch and lever for the 1st 8ve are pinned to the steel.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-24 00:33
Hi Chris . The information that you post on this, the Oboe BB and the Clarinet BB is much appreciated. I often copy and paste your comments to my Open Office and print them out and keep them in a folder for future reference.
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