The BEST way to repair a woodwind cork (clarinets and saxophones)

It is not hard to repair a woodwind cork, but there is only one way to repair the cork on a clarinet or saxophone the right way! I will walk you through the process of repairing a clarinet tenon cork and will show you some tips and tricks that ensure the best cork possible. here is a quick table of contents of what will be covered in this post:

1.) Buying Cork (pricing and thickness)

2.) Removing Old Cork

3.) Adhesives

4.) Applying new cork

5.) Finishing cork and exclusive tips and tricks!

1.) Buying high quality tenon cork from a reputable manufacturer is an essential to ensure a great cork replacement. Ferries tools is a fantastic website to find many instrument repair tools and supplies, and their cork sheets are the best quality I have found on the internet. (https://www.ferreestoolsinc.com) The prices on ferriestools are a bit steep but the quality of the cork is worth the premium price. Another option is the sheets of cork provided on http://instrumentclinicusa.com. The prices are cheaper, but the quality is a bit poorer. When purchasing cork for clarinet tenons or saxophone necks, MAKE SURE to buy "natural sheet cork," instead of composite cork or synthetic cork. ex.) http://instrumentclinicusa.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=39_234_237

2.) Removing old tenon cork can be a difficult and grueling process, especially if the owner has used some sort of adhesive like super glue to keep the cork on the clarinet. There are special tools to remove clarinet tenon corks but a pair of pliers are the best option if used carefully. Carefully scrape the old cork off with the pliers. Use rubbing alcohol or lighter fluid on a paper towel to loosen and remove the remaining adhesive. EPIC TIP #1: Make sure NOT to use rubbing alcohol on hard rubber, or acrylic (plastic) clarinets. The rubbing alcohol affects the structure of the clarinet plastic and makes the clarinet much more brittle (possibly causing a catastrophic break at the clarinet tenon) Instead, use lighter fluid to remove the old adhesive on plastic clarinets. EPIC TIP #2: If the old contact cement is difficult to remove, put a fresh (thick) layer of contact cement on the tenon, and let it soak into the old cement. Then, quickly rub the contact cement off using an old rag. The old contact cement will be loosened with the fresh cement, and both layers should come off in the rag.

3.) What adhesive should you use? For clarinet tenons and saxophone necks, you should use contact cement. Do not consider replacing a cork without having contact cement ready! Other adhesives such as super glue, rubber glue, epoxy, or gorilla glue will be messy, ineffective, and will be extremely difficult to remove when replacing the cork down the road.

4.) Applying the new cork! This should be done slowly, carefully, and deliberately. First, measure the width of each clarinet tenon joint with a ruler, and cut the new clarinet tenon joint cork the same width as the tenon using a razor blade. Do a “dry” test fit with the new cork piece to ensure that it will fit snugly and be thick enough. Then use a razor blade to bevel one of the cork sides. (see pic). Now, apply a thin (thinner than you think) layer of contact cement to the back side of the new clarinet cork and the surface of the clarinet joint. Let the contact cement sit for 20-30 minutes (or until they are not tacky to the touch). Now, press the beveled edge of the cork onto the tenon, and wrap the cork snugly around the clarinet. Cut off the cork at an angle to ensure a flush fit, and then press the cork firmly, ensuring a great bond between the cork and the clarinet.

5.) Now, cut strips of sandpaper (about 280-350 grit) to the same width as the clarinet cork, and use these strips to carefully sand off the excess cork. EPIC TIP #3: Apply strips of strapping tape to the back of the sandpaper to ensure that the sandpaper does not rip when sanding the cork. Sand the cork until the clarinet tenons (or sax mouthpiece) fits snugly (much more snug than it should with cork grease applied). Now we are done with replacing the cork! EPIC TIP #4: In order to ensure the cork lasts for a long time, we will apply a coating of paraffin wax (candle wax) to the cork. The wax seals the pores in the cork and prevents the cork grease from seeping through the cork and into the contact cement, which weakens the adhesive. Melt the wax onto the cork, and rub the cork quickly to heat it up, melting it into the cork. Now we are done! Apply cork grease and play your instrument!