Post 58: Maintenance starts with your Mouth

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We get the opportunity to speak to oboists all the time about preventive maintenance.  There are several aspects of preventive maintenance that every oboist can do to prolong the life of their instruments.  Things like proper assembly, not squeezing keys, swabbing, proper storage, etc. are all good things to do when trying to minimize trips to the repair shop.

There is one more item that we feel is crucial to practice with regards to preventive maintenance and that item is cleaning your mouth before you play your oboe.

In today’s fast paced world, we have every conceivable convenience food and beverage available at our fingertips.  We typically consume these items on the go, between classes, lessons or even concerts.  If we take a moment to read the ingredients list for these convenience foods, we will find that many of the listed items are different variations of sugar and color die.

When we blow into our oboes, or any musical instrument for that matter, warm air and moisture from our mouths are blown into the instrument.  Anything that we have recently consumed before playing has the potential to also be blown into the instrument, most notably, SUGAR!

Through the years of repairing various woodwind musical instruments, we have noticed that sticky pads are a constant threat to the player.  There are many reasons this may happen, but the primary reason is build-up of sticky residues on the surface of the pad, which then sticks to the tone hole.  Oboe players have enough problems with sticky octaves, G#’s and C#’s without any self-inflicted help!

So what can we do to help prevent pads from sticking?  Clean out your mouth before playing! Maintenance starts with your mouth!  The first thing we recommend is to brush your teeth before playing.  We know this is not ideal in many situations like high school and middle school daily schedules.  However, with a little planning, it may be possible to duck into a bathroom and brush your teeth for 30 seconds plus a good rinse.  For those of us that are not on a super tight schedule, brushing your teeth should be an easy goal to accomplish with some planning.  We recommend carrying a travel toothbrush and toothpaste with you in your oboe bag so you are always prepared.  To assist our customers, we are including a complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste when you have your oboe serviced at Onks Woodwind Specialists!

If you truly cannot brush your teeth before you play, the next best thing is to thoroughly rinse out your mouth with water.  We recommend you carry a reusable water bottle with you for regular healthy hydration, but also to be ready at all times to rinse out your mouth.  Take a mouthful of water and swish around for several seconds.  Repeat this procedure several times to maximize its effectiveness.

Choosing one of these two options for cleaning your mouth will significantly help to prevent pad sticking and help prevent excessive build-up in the bore and tone holes.  Of course there is nothing that is 100%, so even with the best preventive measures we recommend a full service cleaning annually.

So, as you can see now, you do not have to have experience adjusting your oboe or disassembling your oboe to have great preventive maintenance habits.  You have the power and it starts with your mouth!

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Post 57: What is a Complete Mechanical Overhaul at Onks Woodwind?

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Previously in Post 48 we described why oboe mechanisms are complicated and how the mechanisms wear over time.  We also went on to describe why it’s important to have annual maintenance and the type of service your instrument would receive from our annual cleaning/set-up.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to overhaul an instrument to bring it back into good playing condition.  The term overhaul can mean different things to different people.  Here is an outline of what your instrument will get with a complete mechanical overhaul at Onks Woodwind.

  • Completely disassemble instrument so we can remove all springs.
  • Clean all posts, rods and hinge tubes so we can fit keys.
  • Mechanically fit all keys on the instrument individually.
    • Fitting keys involves swaging keys tighter onto the rods.
    • Countersinking pivot screws in posts to fit keys that are on pivots.
    • Many times keys/rods are too loose to swag.  When this happens we make new oversized rods to stabilize keys.
    • Postholes themselves can be too large from years of usage.  When this happens we have to rebuild the insides of posts to secure the rod that secures the keys.
    • Post threads can sometimes become loose in the instrument.  When this happens we must re-secure the post into the instrument.
    • Over time braze joints on keys can become weak and split apart.  When this happens we must prep and re-braze the key so it will remain stable and not break in the near future.
  • Remove all corks from the instrument and keys.
  • Remove all pads from pad cups.
  • Clean excess glue from all pad cups.
  • Secure loose metal tenon rings.
  • Ultrasonically clean all keys to prep for buffing.
  • Wash instrument body and posts to prep for buffing.
  • If plating is intact all posts, keys, metal tenon rings, bell ring, reed well, and metal sockets are buffed to a high shine.
  • If plating is not intact keys and posts must be prepped for plating.
    • Plating prep includes filing/sanding keys and posts so all surfaces are smooth.  Many times this includes building up worn away base metal and sanding down layers of plating to be even with the base metal.
    • Once keys have been re-built, all keys and posts are ultrasonically cleaned and buffed to a high shine.
    • Keys and posts are ultrasonically cleaned again after buffing, hand inspected to make sure no buffing compound remains and packaged for shipping to the plating company.
  • Instrument bodywork.   Clean up scratches or previous crack work that need to be touched up.
  • Plug all holes in instrument body to confirm body is airtight.
  • Polish octave vent wells and octave vents.
  • Replace reed well if necessary.
  • Rebuild tenon connections if necessary.
  • All new tenon corks.
  • All new key corks, adjustment, and bumper.
  • Re-install posts. (If they were sent off for plating.)
  • Re-install springs. (We typically only replace springs when they are broken or do not work properly.)
  • Replace all pads during the re-assembly process.
    • As one might imagine, pad replacement is a crucial process.  Pads have to cover tone holes perfectly, but they must also work in harmony with all other pads.  Pad thicknesses are just as important as the pads covering with regards to the mechanisms regulation, pad angles and venting.

All of the procedures above, and more are completed and/or considered while overhauling an oboe or English horn at Onks Woodwind.  Overhauls can take between 20 and 30 hours depending on how much the mechanism, keys and body have deteriorated.

We would be honored to bring your oboe or English horn back to life.   Whether it is your day to day work horse or family heirloom, Onks Woodwind is here for you.  Contact us today!

 

If you would like to download this information in a printable version, click here.

Post 56: Why we recommend oiling…

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The oboe oiling debate will never cease.  I’ve been a member of the double reed community for nearly 30 years at this point, and I have always seen the conversation around whether you should oil or not.  I’m sure there’s some scientific data out there to support or not support oiling, however, the variables involved are so inconsistent that it’s hard to say with certainty one way or the other.  Therefore, most people talk about oiling or not oiling from a personal experience perspective.  This post will be no different, it’s just a conversation with my thoughts on why I do believe in oiling oboes, and clarinets for that matter.

Let’s face facts!  Most of us do certain things and believe in certain methods because our primary teachers believe in them.  We love our teachers!  So, just like I believe in swabbing, I believe in oiling.  My primary teacher, Dr. Dan Ross, believes in oiling and I watched him oil his oboe many times through the years.  I, in turn, oiled my oboe many times through the years while I was a student and then afterward as I moved into being a professional.

The basic reasons I believe in oiling are very simple.  Oiling conditions the wood to help keep it hydrated which, in turn, helps prevent cracking under some circumstances and retains the amazing qualities of the wood for a longer period of time.

I personally played a K series Loree oboe for just over 20 years. I believe, due to the oiling, I never had a crack and the amazing dark timbre of the oboe was retained through the years.  (NOTE:  I oiled the oboe when it was new almost every day for a month.  Every morning I would check it and the oil was gone, “soaked up.”  I continued oiling frequently until the oboe stopped soaking up the oil as much, then I slowed down the frequency even more, etc.  Eventually, I only oiled that oboe a couple of times a year.  I believe the wood will tell you when it needs to be oiled.)

I once heard a story which I believe to be true.  A repairer wanted to dispel the “need to oil” myth.  He took a piece of Grenadilla wood and completely submerged it for two years.  At the end of the two years, he removed the wood and cut it in half.  What did he find?  Those of us that believe in oiling would like for the wood to be soaked, but that was not the case.  He cut the piece of Grenadilla in half and found no oil penetration.  This repairer concluded that oiling is not necessary because the oil does not penetrate deep into the wood.

In my mind, this previous story does not conclude anything, except that Grenadilla will not soak through.  If anything this study helps show that we do need to oil or moisturize our wooden wind instruments.  Imagine if oil cannot penetrate deep into the wood, how fast the wood will dry out without protection.  This is one reason I think we should oil because we need to keep the wood conditioned. Look at any piece of wood that has been cut down from originally being a living tree.  Over time it drys out and breaks down, especially when it is introduced to different temperatures and moisture.  When wood drys out it becomes less dense, therefore losing all its beautiful original “wood” characteristics that you purchased it for in the first place.  Manufacturers know this all too well as they are making instruments with more wood, which makes them heavier, to appeal to players who want a deep dark sound!  More weight or more denseness makes deeper darker sounds.  So to conclude this paragraph, I have found that oiling a wooden wind instrument consistently over time will extend its life regarding tone and potential damage to cracking.

(Side note to oiling and saturation.  If you oiled your oboe and the wood became saturated, the oboe would be unplayable at that point.  Why?  Because we cannot be playing our instruments with oil oozing out all over us, it would also ruin all pads and corks over time.  The only thing we need oozing out of our oboes is beautiful music!  Lol.)

There are a few other ideas I have that I feel are more common sense taken from my observations over the years.  Have you ever “oiled”  furniture?  I grew up seeing my mother and grandmothers oiling their furniture, especially antique furniture.  Why?  Did the oil penetrate deep into the wood fibers?  I can’t say for sure, but I would guess that it did not.  What it did do was add a protective layer of moisture to help prevent the wood from completely drying out.  By not drying out, the wood joints would remain tight over the years, the wood would have minimal shrinkage and/or warpage, and the wood surface would not crack.  This process is done in various ways on all types of woods, really hard dense woods and softer less dense woods, all to achieve the same results of having a beautiful piece of furniture for generations to come.

This next thought has nothing to do with wood, so is probably irrelevant, but I’m gonna mention it anyway.  When our hands become dry, we most likely apply lotion to our hands.  We don’t do this for the lotion to penetrate deep into our tissue then into our bloodstream, but only to condition and moisturize the exterior layer of our skin.  We are conditioning our skin so that it doesn’t dry out, crack or peel.  I find this example to be similar to oiling wood in many ways.  Again it’s not exactly the same as wood, but carries with it the same thought process, application, and results.

Read our Oboe Oiling Procedure here: https://www.onksws.com/2018/10/15/oboe-oiling-procedure/

Click here https://youtu.be/mz4zFshuaB8 to view a video of Jason demonstrating the oiling procedure.

Post 55: Swabbing your Oboe by Numbers

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Click on the pictures below to view each step individually.

 

Other helpful hints:
  • Just like when you are playing your instrument, do not talk to your next door buddy while swabbing.  Most swabbing incidents occur because the swabber is not paying attention.  While swabbing, do not talk to your friends, but focus on the swab and instrument at all times.  Doing this and pulling the swab very slowly will ensure that you have a successful swabbing session.
  • If you do not want to chance getting your swab stuck, another option is to swab your instrument in sections.  Instead of pulling the swab all the way through each section, pull until the swab gets tight then pull the swab back out the same way it went in.
  • Use a non-pull through silk swab for another very safe swabbing method.
  • And of course, you can use a feather instead of a swab to have a successful “swabbing” session.

Post 54: Why do I keep getting water in my octave vents?

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Over the years at Onks Woodwind, we have found two reasons that consistently cause water buildup in oboe/EH octave vents.

The first reason is that dust builds up inside the octave tone holes.  This buildup happens over time during normal playing and swabbing of the instrument.   I think everyone agrees that if any tone hole gets clogged with any foreign material, the foreign material will attract moisture.  Tone holes, especially small ones like octave vents, must remain as clean as possible to help prevent water buildup.

The second reason is related to temperature.  Most oboists are aware that they must warm up their oboes before playing them to help prevent cracking, but did you know this is also important to prevent water buildup?  Octave vents in oboes and English horns, are typically made out of metal, and this metal takes a little longer to warm up.  Have you ever blown your breath on a cold window or mirror?  If you have, you know this causes condensation instantly.  The metal octave vents are the exact same scenario.  Because of this, we recommend warming up the upper joint of your oboe/EH for much longer than you think it needs.  By warming up the joint for a longer period, you allow the warmth from your body to radiate through the wood/plastic and completely warm up the metal vents which will eliminate the possibility of condensation buildup in the vents.  Over the years we have recommended this procedure to many clients and it has solved their water issues just about every time.

There are, of course, many other issues that can cause water buildup in octave vents, but we feel these two reasons are the most common.  Clean up and warm up are our suggestions!  -Jason Onks