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JoePiccolo
Technician

Joined: January.17.05
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: October.31.05 at 9:43pm \| IP Logged

What are the most commonly replaced pads on the sax, clarinet, and the flute?

I am also interested in the thought process involved in ordering/reordering pad supplies. Things such as lead times for the summer influx of instruments, how many months should one order their stock before it’s needed?? Also what quantity of each size is advisable? I do realize that each and every local has a different market.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Joe

LarryMueller
Technician & Clinician

Joined: January.20.05
Location: USA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 24

Posted: November.01.05 at 5:30am \| IP Logged

Joe,

On sax, the "gutter" pad (Eb) and the knuckle pads are the first to go. Sax sizes aren't as standard as other instruments either. I guess plenty of 17.5, 18.5, 40, 42, depending on the brands in your area, on alto saxes.

On clarinet I use 9.5 usually on the top joint, and the trill pads go first. The 2 open pads on the bottom may not keep their seat, so if they haven't been installed carefully, it's often easier to replace them than to relevel. I usually use 16.5 in medium or medium thin, but sometimes 17 mm.

On flute, moisture doesn't trail to the pads so easily. A kid will often, however, polish their flute a bit. If not extremely careful, they rough the front edge of the pads, especially on the main body. These pads are usually 17.5 - 18.5, so I stock lots of those. I prefer thinner pads like Lucien Deluxe. I can shim them to suit any brand.

I try to have pads ordered a couple months in advance. The fall season seems heaviest with the suppliers, so I try to avoid big orders August thru September. I've noticed more mistakes, or wrong sizes of pads, sent during the fall.

Larry

admin
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Joined: March.10.05
Location: USA
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Posts: 304

Posted: November.01.05 at 9:28am \| IP Logged

<<<I am also interested in the thought process involved in ordering/reordering pad supplies. Things such as lead times for the summer influx of instruments, how many months should one order their stock before it’s needed?? Also what quantity of each size is advisable? I do realize that each and every local has a different market.>>>

Hi Joe,
Good question. Most of it depends on the size shop you work in, the kind and amount of work you do, and the amount of red tape you have to go through to get your supplies. I can only comment on a small shop without red tape.....hopefully others will chime in on other situations.

My ordering process consists of always keeping a tablet on my main bench where I work. When I run out of pads in a drawer I go to my backstock. If I have to empty my backstock of a particular size into the regular stock drawer I add the pad size to the list on the tablet. The amount of backstock ranges from 2 or 3 dozen in the main sax pad sizes(6 pads in the uncommon sizes) to 100 in the common flute and clarinet sizes (1 or 2 dozen in the uncommon sizes). I order most of my pads from Votaw and it's pretty rare that they don't have a size in stock. Plus they ship the same day so I'm usually covered. On the rare occassion that I do totally run out of a pad size because of stupidity on my part or a supplier being out of stock, I have a "back-back" stock that I resort to....assorted pads from shops I've bought out.

I do the same with tools and parts. I stock parts for the brands and horns I see most. When I have to order a part for something I usually order two...one for the waiting horn, the other for stock.
Also, I've got pretty much everything I need to get a job done but occassionally a specific tool would come in handy. As soon as I need it, I put it on the list. For instance...when I need a specific decimal size reamer, I use a hinge tube file to get the job done the first time but then automatically place the correct sized reamer on the list for next time.

So I don't really change anything between the swamped season to the comfortably busy season. My lead times always vary. I usually have enough stock to keep me going until I HAVE to place an order to get a part for a customer or need a specific tool. I try to do it this way so I don't have to pad an order for an 89¢ part with stuff I don't really need.

But like I said, I'm a small operation - 1 to 2 people depending on the workload - and don't need to get approval for orders or PO numbers, etc.

Also, staying organized with your parts and having a system for storing them helps immensely. That way you're not ordering stuff you already have.

Keep that tablet handy at all times - one page per supplier. When you're ready to order, go to the supplier catalog/website and write down the item numbers and quantities you intend to order. Once you place the order from the list on the tablet, write down the date the stuff was ordered, how it was ordered (web/phone/fax/etc.) and who you spoke with (if applicable).

Again, bigger shops probably have a more formal system but this works for me.

Hope this helps.

Looking forward to learning how others handle the ordering process.

Thanks,
Michelle

JoePiccolo
Technician

Joined: January.17.05
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: November.01.05 at 5:09pm \| IP Logged

Thanks for all of the helpful advise........as I come closer o finishing my time at Keyano....I look respectfully to the kind people of this forum for advice, and encouragement.

I hope to see many of you at the Napbirt conference.

Joe

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