Oboe Archives - Page 7 of 8 - Professional Oboe Repair and Restoration

How much cork grease do I really need?

March 18, 2013/0 Comments/in Clarinet, Oboe /by Jason Onks

We receive clarinets and oboes here at Onks Woodwind all the time that have massive amounts of cork grease build up on the tenons. Too much cork grease can be a problem when it oozes up onto the body and gets into the keywork or pads. We also find the cork grease gets on the students’ hands which, in turn, gets all over the instrument and is never cleaned. So here are a few guidelines for cork grease and your clarinet or oboe:

Always clean tenons first before applying new cork grease. Cork grease attracts dust and dirt which is an abrasive. Adding cork grease on top of old cork grease, dust and dirt will actually make the instrument harder to assemble. You can clean the tenons with a plain, dry paper towel from your kitchen.
After cleaning, check the tenons first before applying new cork grease to see if you even need cork grease. Here at Onks Woodwind we really strive to fit tenon corks as perfectly as possible, which most of the time eliminates the need for cork grease.
It is not necessary to apply cork grease to your instrument every time you assemble your instrument!
After cleaning and checking and if in fact you do need cork grease, apply as sparingly as possible. When I apply cork grease, I put a little on my finger and wipe the cork grease onto the cork. I do not apply directly from the cork grease container, you will apply too much this way! When you are finished applying the cork grease and you can see it on the cork, you have applied too much! You should not be able to see the cork grease on the cork after it has been applied.

What kind of cork grease should you use? Stay away from petroleum-based cork grease! If you are in doubt, do not purchase. If you are in a music store look for cork grease that is labeled synthetic.

As always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us!

Oboe Adjustment? or Cleaning?

March 17, 2013/1 Comment/in Oboe, Repairs & Restorations /by Jason Onks

When it comes to maintaining your oboe, there are a couple of things to consider and a couple terms we use at Onks Woodwind, adjustment and cleaning. Those of you that play oboe know there are a lot of adjustment screws on an oboe. These screws are used to change the relationship between different keys, which ultimately make the oboe play well, or not. Performing a basic adjustment on an oboe shouldn’t take very long, which is why I usually do not charge for that service. Wait, what? Basic adjustments are needed throughout the year to keep your oboe in playing condition, so find someone you can trust and become their friend. Who should be able to perform a basic adjustment? Most repair shops, even if they don’t specialize in oboe, should be able to perform a basic adjustment. If you are a professional oboist, you should be able to perform basic adjustments. If you are a college student with aspirations of becoming a professional oboist, you should be learning how to perform basic adjustments. I first started learning when I was a freshman in college from Mr. Sawicki’s oboe adjustment guide.

This is where it gets a little tricky. For an oboe to perform at its best, all pads must be level or covering the tone holes as perfectly as possible. If a pad is leaking there is no amount of “adjusting” that will make the oboe play better. Because of this, performing a basic adjustment, many times, will not do justice for the oboe. At Onks Woodwind we recommend that you have a yearly cleaning, especially if you are a professional player. During the course of a year of heavy oboe playing, pads compress and adjustment corks wear out. Standing moisture collects dust over time from the environment and from swabbing, tone holes must be cleaned. (See one of my previous posts for pictures.) Oil deteriorates and keys become sluggish, other things like bent keys, rust, loose posts and keys are always possible. These are just a few common things that happen over time to your oboe. For many professionals that record in studios, it is essential that the oboe mechanism be quiet and to achieve this, the mechanism must be serviced regularly. A full cleaning and set-up at Onks Woodwind includes a complete disassembly of the oboe. All tone holes are cleaned and octave vents re-sealed. All hinge tubes, rods and posts are cleaned with solvent to remove old oil, dust, dirt, and/or tarnish and corrosion. Tenons are checked for wobbling and tenon corks are replaced if necessary (note, if tenon wobble is severe, a larger tenon cork will not fix the problem. Other repair methods must be used.) During re-assembly, all pads are checked individually for levelness and replaced, if necessary, as well as all adjustment corks are checked and replaced, if necessary. After all pads are as level as possible, that is when all adjustments are made to the adjusting screws. Keeping an oboe in tip top shape requires more than an “adjustment”. If you have never had a full cleaning and set-up, you will be amazed at what you have been missing. Many clients make comments like, “It wasn’t my reeds!” “Now I can actually play with ease.” Playing oboe has enough challenges and variables that are not easily controlled, but you can control the maintenance of your instrument.

Onks Woodwind schedules all repairs! You will know when to ship your oboe, when the oboe will be repaired, and when your oboe will return to you. Contact us to change your oboe world.

Cold Weather Warning!

January 22, 2013/0 Comments/in Clarinet, Oboe /by Jason Onks

During the winter months, your oboe/clarinet will get cold. DO NOT play it right away!! Your instrument needs to warm up from the outside of the wood to the inside bore, so no blowing through the instrument to warm it up. Plan on needing a few extra minutes to warm up your instrument by holding it in your hands or placing it under your arm while you prepare your reeds and music. The warmer the instrument is, the less chance you will have of cracking and less condensation build up inside your instrument.

If you need to ship your instrument during the winter months don’t worry, time is your friend. When you receive your instrument from the cold delivery truck, let the box set out for several hours before opening. Then open the box and let your case set out for several hours before opening. Good things come to those who wait 🙂

For more information about crack prevention and many other topics, visit onksws.com.

Crack Prevention

June 7, 2011/2 Comments/in Clarinet, Oboe /by Jason Onks

Wood oboes slowly expand and contract constantly throughout the year. For most of the year, the changes our oboes go through are so small we hardly ever notice. When there is a sudden change in weather; i.e. temperature, the oboe can’t keep up with its normal slow changes which results in major regulation issues and even cracking. It is up to us to give our oboe the utmost care during these most critical times of the year. Below are a few points which can be followed to help prevent your oboe from cracking.

• When the weather turns cold do not play your oboe if it feels cool to the touch. Your oboe needs to warm up from the outside to the inside. This means, do not blow through your oboe to warm it up, but hold it in your hands or put it under your arm pit. When the oboe feels like it is back up to room temperature then it is safe to start playing it.

• It is critical that the upper joint be warmed up all the way through the wood. Doing this will warm up the metal octave pips and drastically reduce the chance of moisture forming in the octave keys. There is no true way to avoid getting moisture stuck in your tone holes, but this step will help.

• After your oboe is up to room temperature, I suggest warming up by playing 5-note groups in the lower register of your oboe not going above a 2nd line G for the first couple minutes. This will allow the instrument to completely finish warming up before the left hand tone holes are opened, which will hopefully help reduce the chance of condensation forming in those tone holes.

• Moisture- Your wooden oboe was once a tree which had natural moisture such as tree sap and water. Once the tree is cut down and machined into a musical instrument we have to maintain a certain amount of moisture in order for the wood to not dry out and crack. There are many different thoughts on how moisture should be “applied.” I believe you should oil your oboe. You should oil your oboe 2-3 times a year, or have your professional repair technician do this for you. If you are buying a brand new oboe, oiling once a week for a couple months would be wise. You never know how long a new oboe has been setting around and in what conditions it has been setting.

• Humidifiers- I always keep a humidifier in my oboe case. Your oboe spends most of its time in the case, so I like to have the environment inside the case to be as stable as possible. Now, I have no proof that the humidifier actually does anything, but it definitely doesn’t hurt. And as cheap as humidifiers are, why wouldn’t you do this step if there is a possibility it will help prevent cracking!

• After you have finished playing your oboe and are putting it away in its case, you have to remove all excess water, spit, and condensation from the oboe. This step is essential to help prevent cracks form in your oboe. First, feather or swab out your oboe to remove any visible condensation from the bore of the oboe. Second, on the upper joint, use cigarette paper to check for moisture in the closed keys. Do not leave any spit in the tone holes of the closed keys, doing so will result in the wood expanding too quickly which leads to cracking. If the cigarette paper is wet continue this process until all moisture is gone. Third, prop open your trill keys before closing up your case. This will insure that any lingering condensation in the trill tone holes will fall out or evaporate. To prop the trills open, I use the cardboard protective wrapping from a razor blade. It is a perfect thickness to slip down in between the trill levers and the trill keys. Just remember to pull the material out of the trills before you re-assemble the oboe.

• Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding these issues. You can also download my Crack Prevention article by clicking here.

Jason Onks

615-223-9015