Removing a Stuck Swab From A Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon

The removal of a stuck swab is a commonplace occurrence in today’s musical instrument repair shop. This problem tends to be either a reasonably routine task, or one of great difficulty. Most recently, I had a rather nice Fox model 330 come in with a stuck swab. The problem was that Grandpa decided he would try to remove it himself, to save money. He proceeded by placing a screwdriver in the receiver-end, and then hammered downward on the stuck swab, rather vigorously. Needless to say, by the time I got to see it, it was in rather serious condition. The swab had been further compressed, the bore had been scratched seriously, and the metal reed receiver was totally destroyed.

I began then, to remove the swab (piece-by-agonizing-piece) utilizing virtually all the methods in my arsenal of experience. The process took the better part of an hour and a half. I was particularly disappointed when I discovered that the damage to the bore was excessive and was, in fact terminal. The bore of an oboe, particularly in the narrow upper section, is extremely vulnerable to variations, even as little as .001”, not to mention the deep gouges in the bore, and damaged tone holes perpetrated upon this oboe.

My next step, was to contact Fox Oboe and Bassoon Co., to inquire as to the cost and availability of a replacement upper section. The news was not good. A replacement section would cost over $600 and would take approximately 3 to 4 weeks, as they had to custom fabricate the part. The next unpleasant task was to contact the owner and inform them. Needless to say, Grandpa was in the dog house, and $600+ poorer.

Just for the record, I mercifully did not charge them for the time I spent removing the swab. I did charge them for the cost of the replacement section plus 20% and for the cost of shipping.

This was the worst-case scenario I had ever experienced personally, and, as the result, brought me to reflect upon the situation in terms of how one might avoid a similar situation in the future. First of all, and in all fairness to Grandpa's poor judgement (rest his soul), this scenario is not all that uncommon. Furthermore, it has always perplexed me, why makers of cleaning swabs (particularly oboe and bassoon swabs) make them so oversized to begin with. When I sell a swab to a customer, I always recommend that they carefully, and slowly, draw the swab through one section at a time, from the large to the smaller end of the piece when the first use it. And, if it seems to be become hard to pull through (especially towards the small end), stop immediately, back it out and trim a small amount of the material off the swab. Repeat this process until it pulls relatively easily all the way through each body section. (On a bassoon, you may have to make two, or more swabs to clean all four sections, or, you might want to use the long Pad-Saver type swabs that are available for bassoons and harmony clarinets.) In addition to these precautions, I also suggest that before pulling the swabs through, they tie a “recovery” line to the tail-end of the new swab, in case they are required to pull it back-out the larger end of the instrument. BTW, my preference for swab material are the ones made from the new micro-fiber materials, as opposed to the silk swabs or cotton swabs, which do not pull as easily, and grab more than the micro-fiber cloths. Some oboists still insist upon using the old turkey-feather to avoid all the potential trouble.

There are some common mistakes employed by band directors (and others) which are not in the best interests of your instrument. As stated earlier, you must NOT try to force the stuck swab out by hammering on it with a screwdriver or long rod. This only compresses the material further, and makes it MORE difficult to remove. Secondly, DO NOT try to access the swab by way of the tone holes, with a screwdriver or other probe. This will most likely result in damaging the tone holes. Thirdly, DO NOT attempt to add oil or water into the bore. This will only make things more difficult by causing the swab material to swell, and become even harder to remove. Fourth, DO NOT attempt to drill-out the stuck material by drilling down the bore with a long drill. And, finally, do not try to burn or melt the stuck swab with hot probes. All these methods will more than likely damage the bore beyond recovery.

RULE No. 1: When you find that you have a stuck swab, do not try to employ any agressive methods, endangering your instrument. Instead, you should immediately take the instrument to a qualified technician and have them remove it for you. It should be mentioned that there are many more technicians un-qualified to perform this repair, compared to those that are. In any case, DO NOT allow your teacher, or Dad, or friend try to remove it for you. (Notice, I did not mention Mom, as she, as a rule, has far better sense).

RULE No. 2: The stuck swab MUST be removed out of the larger end from whence it came (the larger portion of the taper). Again, do not attempt to force it out by pushing from the narrow end, as this will only make matters worse by further compressing the swab.

Having addressed these issues, let us now examine the appropriate methods of removing stuck swabs in oboes, clarinets, and bassoons:

Method 1: The first technique I will usually employ involves the use of a long flexible “grabber” device. This is a tool available through a number of tool suppliers. It is often 12" - 24" long, and is fitted with a push-button on one end which, when pressed, causes a set of 4 steel prongs to extend out and open at the opposite end. By holding the prongs open with the button, 'attack the stuck swab from the lower, larger end of the bore (most often via the center tenon of the upper section) Try to grasp the swab material inside the bore (by releasing the button) allowing the prongs to close on any loose fabric. Now, while pulling the button backward to help grasp the fabric, use firm twist-and-pull motions on the swab. You should be able to remove tiny pieces of material, perhaps one tiny shard at a time. If you are extremely lucky and haven't pulled the swab too hard initially, you might be able to back the swab out after only a few attempts. On the other hand, it may take you a while, mustering up all the patience and persistence you can. If the swab has not been compressed too badly, you should be able to remove the swab effectively, and without damaging the bore of the instrument. As a precaution, I cover the length of the metal sheath of the tool with shrink tubing, to avoid damaging the bore.

Method 2: Historically, if the gripper technique fails, the tech will have an option of using a long thin rod with a narrow wood screw brazed on the end. This tool is used to carefully “screw” into the jammed swab material, hopefully, allowing the tech to get enough leverage on the mass, where they are able to effectively pull the stuck swab back out of of the bore. If this doesn't happen to work for you, the next best thing would be to carefully coax pieces of the stuck swab out with the screw-end. You may go back and try the "gripper" tool again if you want. It should be noted however, before you stick this brass rod (with the wood screw at it's end) into the bore, place a felt bumper (about 1" long and slightly smaller than the bore's I.D.) over the rod, to help center-up the rod and screw as it enters the stuck swab material. This will help to avoid damaging the fragile bore of the instrument. It is critical that the length and diameter of the brass rod, and the size and length of the brazed wood-screw tool match the size and length of the bore being worked on. Naturally oboes will require the thinnest rod with the smallest wood screw; Bb soprano clarinets will require slightly larger rods and screws; harmony clarinets and bassoons will require even thicker rods with the larger wood-screws. In our shop we have one specially made for each application.

Method 3: This method is a variation of method #2. where I have attached a key-ring through the opposite end of the long rod. With this ring, I am then able to attach a vibration tool (a converted cordless impact drill motor). Once the rod/screw has been firmly screwed into and secured in the wedged swab material, I then hook the vibrational tool onto the key-ring loop and pull gently as I engage the 'vibrator'. This vibration, combined with a gentle pull, seems to loosen-up the more stubborn stuck swabs, where a steady hard pull by itself might not work as well. May the force be with you.