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Sraightening a Buny alto clarinet body

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  paulwl 
#1 ·
I've got a not so vintage, I think late 1960's, Bundy plastic alto clarinet that has been in storage for a long time and its body has a noticeable bend.
Is there a common way to straighten it up?
The only option that I see is moderate heating and fixing it in a straight position with some kind of mandrel running through the body but I don't know if that's going to help.
Actually that's a mistery to me why it would bend at all. Neither the clarinet itself nor its original case indicate it was neglected in any way. Nice clean horn that according to its clean condition hasn't been played much in the past.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
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BTW, I (we?) are assuming that the body tube itself is bent. But could it just be that the centre tenon or socket has broken off at some time (or suffered in some other way), and been "repaired" in a way that the tenon is no longer in line with the rest of the instrument. If that is the cause, then correction would depend on just what the problem is.
Gordon, no - this Bundy like probably all of them (at least I've never seen a different design of this model) is a one piece body. No joints in the middle.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
I was told by someone who saw them being made at the factory, that during parts of the manufacture (like drilling holes, etc.) they were only supported at the ends. They could see the body bow very significantly. Maybe that one was always like that since it was made.
Hmm, I see what you mean but from my experience new plastic will rather return to its original shape if only bent for a short period of time like drilling holes as you noted.
Another possibility of course is that it was indeed made that way in the production process for some reason. This one is a later run and I have two earlier ones of the same model and they are absolutely straigth.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
If I get a stock length of plastic rod, even reasonably thick one, and store it suspended from both ends, it gets a bend in it, just from gravity, like timber would.
Many plastics are really not that geometrically stable when under constant load.
I wonder if the case only supports the ends?

Perhaps you could unbend it the same way, especially in the sun. At least put the case upside down!
Gordon - I was thinking about it being bent from storage but the inside of the case has good foam mold and there are no signs of it being supported only at the ends.
However - who knows? - Maybe it was left in a hot environment for some prolonged period of time. Maybe it came from the southern part of the US where it was stored in the attic? I don't remember where it came from.
 
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