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Re: Questions (for Chris P) and others

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-25 18:06

Oboe finishing is the final assembly, from all the parts to a finished instrument.

Here's the stages (roughly in the order I work in) in which I finish an oboe after getting the body joints, newly plated keys, springs and screws:

1. Check the bore on the body joints and ream out if necessary.
2. Make sure socket linings and tenon rings are sealed.
3. Recut all the tonehole bedplaces and fill any imperfections.
4. Check all the keywork for plating imperfections.
5. Arrange all screws and springs in order.
6. Polish the joints and pillars by hand.
7. Fit 8ve insert wells into top joint.
8. Fit socket rings and thumbrest.
9. Check and fit tenons to sockets.
10. Degrease tenon recesses and fit tenon corks.
11. Straighten out and polish all steels (rod screws)
12. Shape and fit tenon corks to sockets and oil bore.
13. Fit 8ve inserts (sealed in with wax).
14. Ream out key barrels and straighten out where needed.
15. Fit adjusting screws.
16. Fit flat springs.
17. Fit needle springs and point screws.
18. Fit floating steels.
19. Fit LH low Bb, B and Eb key (feather keys) and pin touchpiece to steel.
20. Fit RH C#/Eb keys (kidney keys) and pin C# lever to steel.
21. Fit top joint trill touchpieces and pin to steel.
22. Fit remaining bottom joint keys.
23. Fit remaining top joint and bell keys.
24. Degrease keys and glue most key corks and thumbrest cork on.
25. Trim all key corks and thumbrest cork.
26. Fit bell key pads, oil and assemble bell key.
27. Fit all top joint pads.
28. Fit remaining TJ key corks, oil, assemble and regulate.
29. Check top joint is airtight.
30. Fit all bottom joint pads, checking the linkage with the TJ Bb and C.
31. Fit remaining BJ key corks, oil, assemble and regulate.
32. Check bottom joint is airtight.
33. Pin the C# touchpiece and C-D trill overlever to their steels.
34. Regulate low B and Bb, pin feather foot to steel.
35. Play test, and adjust where needed.
36. Polish keywork and body (removing fingerprints), fit tenon covers and put in it's case. It then gets checked by at leat two other employees (for quality control purposes) and sold.

Depending on the model (student or pro), this can take between 12 and 24 hours.

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

Post Edited (2007-04-25 18:17)

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