No passwords, No popups, No cost
we earn from your eBay & Amazon purchases

Home /
T.O.C.
Fun
FAQs
Good
Books
Ref.
Libr.
Adver-
tise
Help
Wanted
Current
Q&A's
Site 🔍
Search
curated with aloha by
ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
- Pine Beach, NJ
finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry


  pub
  The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989

-----

Plating of Musical Instrument Keys



I'm looking for some information from someone who might have plated the keys on a clarinet before. I'm wondering what they are typically plated with? My wife has a clarinet that she would like me to re-coat the keys of with the PVD (sputtering) system I use and I would like to put down the same metal that is typically finished.

I can tell you that the keys look metallic but in the area's that have worn away they look copper color. I'm assuming the final coating is either nickel or chromium but I'm not sure which. Any advice?

John Davis
John Davis
- Berthoud, Colorado, USA
1999


I've been playing since 1971... clarinet keys, particularly any of them old enough to be worn down to the brass base, are almost always nickel plate. Much more recent keywork has occasionally been chrome, and Pete Fountain used to play a clarinet with gold-plated keys, but nickel was what was almost always used. I've never seen anyone replate keys, but I suppose it could be done provided you make sure the clearances (tight) on the holes for the pivots, as well as any threaded holes, are kept clear or reamed or retapped to their original clearance afterward, or the keys will bind.

Scott Wenzel
- Knoxville, Maryland
2002


Although nickel plating is frequently used, silver plating makes playing easier because it's a significantly softer metal.

Daniel Landau
- Durham, North Carolina
2002




(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

Finishing
Jobshops
Capital
Equipment
Chemicals &
Consumables
Consult'g,
& Software


About/Contact  -  Privacy Policy  -  ©1995-2024 finishing.com, Pine Beach, New Jersey, USA  -  about "affil links"