Carrie showed us how to take the keys off our oboes in order to clean and oil. It’s pretty easy, but definitely something you want someone to show you how to do.
One tip: keep the parts in order on your towel as you remove them. And it helps to go in the “right” order. Eg for the top joint we started with the long bolt that holds down the b, a, and g keys, then took off a-flat, then the trill keys and finally the three octave keys.
Tonight I did the bottom joint. It was much trickier. Sometimes the bolts hold on up to five moving parts at once. So it takes a bit of zen to oil them all then cajole them together simultaneously.
stuff to have in hand: alcohol, key oil, polishing cloth, soft-bristled brush, small screwdriver, needle nosed pliers
look, ma, it’s back together.