Woodwind players are ever-mindful
of the possibility of cracks developing in their oboes or clarinets,
particularly when these instruments are new (or newly rebored),
or if they are kept in cold or dry climates. Performers employ
various strategies in attempting to prevent such cracking, through
careful breaking-in of instruments, the application of bore oil,
systematic swabbing, the use of humidifiers, and so forth.
About twenty-five years ago, Darrel Stubbs began experimenting
with a methods of crack prevention in oboes. At the time he was
principal oboist of the Utah Symphony Orchestra and professor
at Brigham Young University (he has since retired from both positions).
Living in Salt Lake City, his instruments were exposed to extremely
dry conditions for much of each year.
Stubbs began with the premise that cracks often appear when the
moist bore expands while the dry outside of the instrument contracts,
and that such conditions could be avoided if the amount of moisture
entering the bore wall could be greatly reduced. He was aware
of a product on the market called "Thompson's Water Seal,"
which is commonly used by contractors and homeowners to waterproof
wood, concrete, masonry and other porous surfaces. Since the water
seal was absorbed into the surface being protected and would not
form a coating on the bore wall, Dr. Stubbs theorized that this
product might be useful in crack prevention in woodwind instruments,
and he began experimenting by applying it to the bores of his
oboes.
Fifteen years ago, I was living in extremely dry conditions in
Missoula, Montana, when the Utah Symphony Orchestra performed
in that city. On this occasion, Professor Stubbs told me that
prior to his experiments (some ten years earlier), every oboe
he had owned in Utah had cracked, but that once he started treating
new instruments with Thompson's Water Seal, not one of his instruments
experienced cracking. He then demonstrated to me his simple methods
of application of the product, an explanation of which appears
below, with my modifications.
I began to use the sealant on my instruments, and also experienced
excellent results. Even under very dry winter conditions in Wisconsin,
new and used oboes treated with the Thompson product at the proper
intervals did not crack. During the ensuing fifteen years, I have
encountered only two minor cracks on treated instruments, and
these occurred only when yearly follow-up treatments were overdue.
In addition, since the Water Seal sheds water effectively, condensed
moisture travels down the bore quickly, thus reducing the problem
of water in tone holes. I have encountered very few problems with
tone holes filled with condensation on treated instruments, even
in such humid climates as Florida and North Carolina or while
performing in outdoor amphitheaters at music festivals.
Recommended Treatment
An instrument's bore wall should receive two or, preferably, three
coats of Thompson's Water Seal upon first application. Although
the manufacturer's label states that "for best results, two
applications made 48 hours apart are recommended," both Professor
Stubbs and I prefer three such coats. Thereafter, an instrument
should be treated with one coat each year, preferably in the fall,
before central heating dries out the playing and storage environment.
The product is inexpensive, and can normally be found wherever
painting and building supplies are sold; a quart will normally
last most oboists for a lifetime of instrument applications.
It is quite simple to apply the product, but care must be taken
not to apply it to the pads or around the tops of the tone holes
of the instrument, as extraneous sealant can cause pads to stick.
Plastic strips and patches can be made easily to place under the
pads for protection, as described below. However, any accidental
residue causing such sticking can normally be removed by the simple
and timetested expedient of passing paper between the pad and
the instrument (while in extreme cases, excess can be safely and
easily removed with a cotton swab slightly dampened with alcohol).
Equipment
For application, only three items of equipment are needed: a turkey
feather, a new
sandwich, food storage, or similar plastic bag (preferably 1.5
mil or thicker), and a pair of scissors.
Application
First, cut plastic strips and patches from the plastic bag and
place them under all of the pads of the instrument. Three long
strips about 3/4" in width protect most of the pads, and
seven plastic patches about 3/4" square will protect the
remaining pads.
The first strip measures about 5 1/2" by 3/4", and protects
all but two pads on the top joint. It reaches from the first octave
key to the G key, passes under the trill keys, the half-hole key,
and the C, A, B-flat, and G pads. It is held in place during application
by the normal pressure of the first octave key, the trill keys
and the C and B-flat keys.
The second strip measures approximately 3 1/2" by 3/4"
and passes beneath four pads on the middle joint, namely those
on the three keys operated by the right index, middle, and ring
fingers and the F-sharp key. This strip can be held in place by
holding down the three keys operated by the right index, middle,
and ring fingers and the F-sharp key. This strip can be held in
place by holding down the three keys with the right hand while
applying the sealant with the left hand. Alternatively, light
rubber bands can be placed to hold down the keys operated by the
index and ring fingers (but take care not to bend the rods when
placing or removing the rubber bands).
The third strip (ca. 5" by 3/4") passes beneath the
forked-F resonance key pad, the low C key pad, and the low B key
pad, and can be held in place with light rubber bands.
All other pads are protected with square patches, and are kept
in place either with the natural pressure of the closed keys or
light rubber bands (second octave key, A-flat key, F key, C-sharp
key, E-flat key, low B-flat and B-flat resonance keys).
The next step is to apply the Water Seal directly to the bore
wall with a turkey tail feather cut down lengthwise. Each vane
(web) of a feather should be cut until all of the barbs are about
1/2" long, measured from the rachis, the central shaft of
the feather. The barbs should be short enough so that they will
not protrude excessively through the tone holes, but long enough
to protect the bore from the harder rachis. Dip the top 2"
or so of the cut-down feather into the Water Seal, and then apply
this to the bore wall of the instrument. Look up the inside of
the joint to make certain the the product liberally coats the
entire bore wall.
After application, place each joint with the main holes up, and
with the instrument at a slight incline, so that any excess product
can drain down to the bottom of the bore, away from tone holes.
It is best to have the instrument in a ventilated room at this
point, so that the vapors of the Water Seal can dissipate. The
application feather should then be washed with soap and water
and air-dried.
Normally, the sealant is quickly absorbed into the bore wall.
Darrel Stubbs usually waited about ten minutes and removed any
excess sealant from the bore of the instrument with a thin plastic
knitting needle. However, I wait an hour or more and remove any
excess with a swab; usually by this time very little of the product
remains.
Stubbs recommended playing on new instruments for a week or two
before treatment, but my experience has shown that this is unnecessary.
In any case, it is obviously still necessary to break in a new
instrument carefully, whether it has been treated or not. (While
having experienced great success with the Thompson product on
modern instruments, I do not use it on Baroque and Classical oboes,
preferring to treat the bore walls with the more traditional almond
oil, in keeping with historical practice.)
The Thompson's Water Seal treatment is intended to be only one
part of a crack-preventive regimen; it is to be used in conjunction
with a careful break-in period, proper swabbing, and humidity
control. However, it does supplant the use of bore oil. As the
sealant does not build up along the bore walls, but as it does
repel water, it is an excellent tool for woodwind players who
are concerned about the cracking if their instruments, and who
experience condensation in the tone holes of their oboe or clarinet.
I would like to hear from others who have used Thompson's Water
Seal or its equivalent in woodwind instruments. Please contact
me at: School of Music, R-71
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-2098