Stuck Screws and Rods: Clarinet Instrument Repair

Having trouble removing screws and rods from your clarinet to make a repair? Master Sgt. Dale Barton has a few tricks to help you loosen those stubborn parts.
The U.S. Army Field Band's Instrument Repair Series highlights how to care for and perform basic maintenance and repairs to your instrument. These fixes are intended to get you through difficult situations. Please consult a professional technician for proper guidance and advanced repairs.
For more information, please visit our website:
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Educational Activities Coordinator
The United States Army Field Band
4214 Field Band Drive
Suite 5330
Fort Meade, Maryland 20755-7055
#clarinet #musiced #armymusic

[@billymack3878]

Hey Dale, good to know you’re still into instrumental repair. Good luck and keep working hard. Bill M- Germany 1989

[@ArmyFieldBand]

See a qualified repair person for a proper repair. Best of luck.

[@gsaugust]

Very good information, very helpful. Thank you for your service for our country.

[@jorgepenaflor9315]

andre. reino

[@jorgepenaflor9315]

gsaugust andre. raio

[@jorgepenaflor9315]

sonora matsncers

[@molliecoons3813]

Thanks for posting these videos! I just started an musical instrument repair apprenticeship and am totally hooked. I love the explanations about how things work and more importantly, what not to do. Really appreciate your work!

[@FantaZ4U]

When doing vintage saxes, many of the rods get all black and rough over years. I chuck them in a power drill, take fine steel wool and Brakefree from my gun cleaning kit. Run it up and down as the drill turns, Then change ends in the chuck till the rods are all nice and shiny again. I use breakfree for the Teflon in it. Plus it works Great on a M1 Springfield. hOOra, Saxaddict out!

[@annemiekvankalken5794]

great video's. Very educational. Can you please make one with the replacement and adjusting of the springs? How long must they be and how will make it to stay in place? I am looking forward to it

[@Cor-kid]

Wish I found this sooner. I have an extra cheap clarinet I'm taking apart so I can learn how they work and whatnot and fucked up with the wrong screwdriver sizing, one of my stuck screws is definitely busted from the head. For sure a learning experience.

[@007Commentator]

Speakig of small screws, specially the pivot ones - I find it very helpful to attach a little Neodym magnet, e.g. a little cube, to the screwdriver, somewhere further up where it's not in the way. It will transfer it's magnetism to the screwdriver's tip and the screw ist held in place.

[@HereIsmarcus]

Many Thanks.Very helpful.

[@joanburgin6304]

Jello shot condiment containers are used extensively in my shop. I do luthrie, and some minor gun smithing. Try the Stewmac web site, and Brownells gunsmithing web site. Brownells makes the best screwdriver bit set bar none. A neat trick I found was using an old style 9.6 volt Makita cordless drill with the clutch set on (1). It is like a very gentle impact wrench, and will rattle loose tiny screws with ease. It also backs out roll pin punches & other things that get stuck and love to break off.

[@briancrossett2053]

Have you made any vids on fitting new flat leaf springs to clarinets including cutting and rounding a spring that is too long?

[@FantaZ4U]

hOORa, Another trick for screws, save old stiff foam packaging. I do odd horns and before I start I lay it on some scrap foam board. Then with a sharpie I make a very simple outline of the horn on the foam, As I take off screwed and rods, I stick them into the foam at the corresponding place on the foam board. Same screws in the same hole they came out of then. not all pivot screws are the same after many years of repairs and use. Using foam you put the exact screw back where it came from.

[@jorgepenaflor9315]

andre riao

[@jorgepenaflor9315]

andre riao

[@jorgepenaflor9315]

FantaZ4U Javier cugat

[@greengirl91320]

I have a question. I am a high school concert band teacher with no instrument repairman on the island of Guam. As a result, i've been learning how to do repairs from your videos on all kind of instruments, but I have a problem with a clarinet that I can't figure out what to do. Two of the trill keys are stuck and I can't even figure out how to disassemble that set of four keys to even try to see what might be stuck in there. Could you do a video on those keys please? I just need the instruments to work until summer when i can get it to a professional.

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

You mean that they are so stuck, that you can't unscrew them?

[@greengirl91320]

@@tamasfoldesi2358 nope. I can unscrew them. I just can't figure out why they won't pivot correctly. basically, the entire join connected to the trill key won't move, but I can unscrew and pull the whole thing apart and put it back together... but still couldn't figure out why it didn't work

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

@@greengirl91320 When a key is stuck, it's generally because of built-up dirt or rust on the hinge rod. It can be cleaned with denatured alcohol or break cleaner. Clean the hinge tube and posts with pipe cleaner (and alcohol/break cleaner of course). Reapply oil after that with an appropriate oil. If it doesn't solve the issue, then take it to a repair shop, because it'll require tools and knowledge that you simply don't have.

[@greengirl91320]

@@tamasfoldesi2358 No repair shop to bring it to sadly. There is literally no where on guam to bring it to. I would have to ship it stateside and I don't have enough instruments to let the student use another until I get it back from state side. I'll try the pipe-cleaners!

[@patchwoork]

I just broke the slot of a rod screw. How to remove it? Thanks

[@ArmyFieldBand]

Best to take it to a repair tech.

[@patchwoork]

The screw is locked onto the key. So when the key rocks the screw turns with it. An recommendations on how to loosen the screw from the key?

[@patchwoork]

And thank you for your quick reply.

[@briancrossett2053]

Vinegar destroys rust.

[@lowkeyliv2699]

i really need help, my screws came out while i was trying to set my clairnet up.

[@timmiedeluca]

i have a rod stuck on an American Standard Tenor from 1910s.Any suggestions?

[@boilerguy27]

What happens if you're scree is smashed

[@KarunoLeKarnal]

Was "Oboe" already taken when you created your account name ?

[@raefblack7906]

completely destroyed my screw heads . too late