Reseating pads after adjusting

[moondaddy]

After adjusting old pads and reshimming it seems like you would need to reseat them wouldn't you? I had one pad that was so lightly sealed on one side that it had almost no tone hole indentation there. Can you teach an old pad new tricks?

[pied_piper]

It depends on whether the pads have firm or soft felt. Firm pads never get much of an impression in them. Softer felt pads which are usually used on student-level instruments can be reseated with a deeper impression. If the other pads have a visible impression, they are probably soft felt.

To reseat a pad with a deeper impression, moisten it slightly - use a pipe cleaner to apply a little water. Then, clamp the key closed with slightly more pressure than it takes to close the key normally and let it dry overnight.