The clock hands method - loosening a stuck bassoon bell joint
The clock hands method for loosening a stuck bassoon bell joint:
1. Ensuring you don’t use too much force, place the long and bell joints over your knee with the join in the middle (call this 12 o’clock)
2. Very gently push down with a hand on each joint - don’t twist, just push
3. Release the pressure and turn the bassoon to 1 o’clock and gently push down again
4. Keep going until you’ve turned the bassoon to every hour on the clock.
This should break the seal and the joints will now easily twist free. If this doesn’t happen at the first attempt, continue around the hours of the clock until you succeed.
This method almost always works. If it doesn’t, bring your bassoon to us to help: www.doublereed.co.uk