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Saxophones Expanding compressed neck cork

richardr

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I'm sure that this has been mentioned many times before, but I haven't seen it in the past year so perhaps it's worth a mention: the corks on the necks of both my tenors had become compressed through years of use so that my mouthpiece was a slack fit. Two temporary fixes:
1. Wrap the cork in PTFE tape to build it up; and
2. Heat the cork over a flame so that it expands and fits again. After a couple of recommendations of this method (one from Colin the Bear -thanks, Colin) I tried this on my Grassi cork this morning. Both recommendations were to use the flame from a lighter but I used a cooking stove with a very low flame because this left both my hands free so that I could rotate the mouthpiece to apply the flame evenly all round the cork. I didn't time the exposure of the cork to the flame but I should think it was a second or less - as long as it took me to rotate it through 360 degrees. It worked a treat: the cork has swelled and, with the aid of a smear of grease, my mouthpiece is now a good fit.
I don't think that the heating method would work with a damaged cork - if your cork is torn, tape it - and the result appears to me to be the sort of thing you'd do to keep playing until you can get a new cork as opposed to a permanent fix, but it's serving me well while my TJ mouthpiece is away for re-corking..
 
Steam from a kettle also works on corks. But be careful. Both methods can cause the glue to let go. Flames will singe the cork if you're heavy handed.

But why are you having a mouthpiece re-corked? Or is it from a clarinet?
 
I agree with Kev use steam, far safer and more controllable.
 
But why are you having a mouthpiece re-corked? Or is it from a clarinet?
Sorry, I should have proof-read my post before posting. What I should have said is that I'm having my crook re-corked and the tech has my mouthpiece so that he can make the new cork fit it.
 
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Another method I used to use before becoming a "real" repair tech who just replaces a cork was to pour some boiling water from a kettle into a measuring cup and soak the end of the neck (crook) for several minutes.
 
Another method I used to use before becoming a "real" repair tech who just replaces a cork was to pour some boiling water from a kettle into a measuring cup and soak the end of the neck (crook) for several minutes.
It's a bit pointless saying it's a measuring cup and not giving the details of how much water is required for each type of sax.
 
Another method I used to use before becoming a "real" repair tech who just replaces a cork was to pour some boiling water from a kettle into a measuring cup and soak the end of the neck (crook) for several minutes.
Two thoughts on this: first, why a measuring cup? What difference does the volume of water you use make? Secondly, I'd have thought that several minutes' immersion of the cork in very hot water would be long enough to risk heat transfer through the cork and melting the glue that holds it on. I wasn't taking this risk because of the very brief time needed for the cork to be in contact with the flame.
 
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Further points: I have recorked a crook successfully in the past but I didn't have any cork this time. I didn't need the waste of time and hassle of going into Manchester to buy some and the cost of doing so plus the cost of cork would have exceeded the price the tech will charge me for a better job.
The downside of this is that without its crook my No1 tenor us unplayable and I'm parted from my usual mouthpiece. I wasted most of my practice time this morning experimenting with different combinations of mouthpiece, ligature and reed on my other tenor instead of doing the practice I needed.
 
It's a bit pointless saying it's a measuring cup and not giving the details of how much water is required for each type of sax.
Over here measuring cups are transparent and make of pyrex so they are unaffected by heat. It is my "go to" cup for all types of things---acids, plating solutions, brass patina chemicals, etc. Measuring is not an issue.

I really think you're slipping @Targa. I thought your first response in this thread would have used the expression "cork soaker" somewhere in the first sentence. You'll never get such a good set-up ever again. >:)
 
Over here measuring cups are transparent and make of pyrex so they are unaffected by heat. It is my "go to" cup for all types of things---acids, plating solutions, brass patina chemicals, etc. Measuring is not an issue.

I really think you're slipping @Targa. I thought your first response in this thread would have used the expression "cork soaker" somewhere in the first sentence. You'll never get such a good set-up ever again. >:)
Had to google that, Didn't get much of Saturday night live here. Now I've got to spend several hours watching it on youtube.
 
How times change. Gone are the days when everybody had a cigarette lighter about their person.

I suppose you've heard the one about the clarinet player? The curve at the tip of a clarinet reed was a good match to the old half crown coin. So positioning the reed between two coins and burning the tip with a cigarette lighter could work like a clipper and add a little life to a dud reed.

During trumpet solo clarinetist leans in to trombone player and asks

"Can I borrow half a crown. I want to burn my reed"

Trombone responds,

" Here's a quid. Burn all of it. :)

Did I get that off here? I can't remember
 
I really think you're slipping @Targa. I thought your first response in this thread would have used the expression "cork soaker" somewhere in the first sentence. You'll never get such a good set-up ever again. >:)
Had to google that, Didn't get much of Saturday night live here. Now I've got to spend several hours watching it on youtube.

A case in which SNL is not funny.
Also "Nebbiola" is not a wine. It should read "Nebbiolo"

Now back practicing the octatonic scales (HWHWHWHW). Also known as "halfholes"

My moderator soul will wake up tomorrow morning and delete half the thread, by the way.
 
Another method I used to use before becoming a "real" repair tech who just replaces a cork was to pour some boiling water from a kettle into a measuring cup and soak the end of the neck (crook) for several minutes.

That's the way I do it,always seems to work a treat
 
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