Supposedly cryogenic treatment of an instrument will reduce metal stress made by metal working procedures in manufacter or repair. Any time metal is worked (bended, straightened, etc.) the metal gets harder (more brittle) and does not respond as easily to vibration.
Temperature treating can either be done by annealing (heat) or by freezing (cryogenics). True, there are some that do not subscribe to the second option, stating that the molecules or crystalline structure of the metal returns to normal after freezing. The cryogenic process has been used for over 30 years in industry (diesel engines, golf clubs, rifles, saws, etc.). The process itself isn't't that expensive, though recent marketers are offering this treatment well into the hundreds of dollars. If done correctly, cryogenic treatment takes 3-4 days. The item is lowered to the desired temperature gradually and left there for 24 hours. After the desired time, the instrument is then slowly returned to room temperature. If you live near a moderate sized city, you might be able to find a place to have your instrument treated. There is a place in our town that does it for well under $100. Our trumpet professor has had several of his instruments treated and he notices a distinct difference. I had a very old instrument treated because of severe bell damage and the treatment resurrected a dead bell. Treating a new instrument supposedly relaxes the metal so that it plays more freely; similar to a well-broken in horn. As a caveat, not all instruments show improvement, thus it is not a universal cure. I have noticed some difference in 75% of the instruments I have seen. So, if you want to try to turn your instrument into a hornsicle, then be aware of the variety of prices offered by different companies. The worst that can happen is that you will not notice any difference. I have not heard of an instance in where this treatment adversely affected the instrument. Maybe other readers have. We'll see how the response is to this thread. Sincerely, Eldon Matlick ===== Dr. Eldon Matlick, Horn Professor, University of Oklahoma Principal Hornist, OK City Philharmonic 500 W Boyd Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-4093 off. (405) 325-7574 fax Conn-Selmer Educational Artist http://ouhorns.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
