Me flute's gone wobbly...

Subject: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Jo Taylor
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 07:01 PM

Can any fellow concert-type flute platers help? The bottom joint isn't hugging the middle joint any more. I've tried all manner of wrappings, nothing works, only resorting to plenty of joint grease and a ciggie paper wrapped around it. I would like to know a technical solution, I can't think of any method that would guarantee keeping the joint air-tight. Fiddle players get a bit cross when I'm waving it about and the end falls off onto their delicate wooden instruments... it's bad enough that I dribble on them at the best of times!

Jo

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 07:23 PM

Take it to an instrument repair shop (band instrument). Find a good one in your area. What can be done is to resize both the long joint and the foot joint using a mandrell and through peening. Assuming you have a plated flute (silver or nickel over brass alloy) its touchy but not tremendously difficult. More care is needed on the solid silver flutes such as a Haynes or an upmarket Gemeinhardt, but still accomplished without too much difficulty.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 11:18 PM

in the meantime, I'd experiment with different plastic films..even Saran wrap....or Plumbers tape..(used to wrap pipes)

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 08:11 AM

Is it a wooden flute? If so does it have cork joints or string? I was just thinking that there maybe some makers who also do repairs?
Good Luck anyway - Let us know how you get on -which country are you in?

Roger - more flute players the merrier!!

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 12:45 PM

Then again of course Jo, a lot of wobbly flutes have had excellent results with Viagra. If its really bad, I know some have installed hydraulics.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 03:32 PM

Jo, try waxed dental floss wrapped/coiled around until you get a good seal between them. (called whipping in ropework) it may work depends on the type of flute. Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 04:18 PM

Great idea - recycle dental floss - no one would ever want to borrow it!!

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 19 Aug 00 - 04:19 PM

the flute that is

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Manitas
Date: 20 Aug 00 - 04:59 AM

Hemp is the thing. Bagpipers etc use it for the joints. I've gotr a big roll of it somewhere...Oh dear what have I said.

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Stefan Wirz
Date: 20 Aug 00 - 06:09 AM

and I hoped I'd become aware of a Bo Carter song I have overslept ... ... what a pity !

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Jo Taylor
Date: 20 Aug 00 - 04:25 PM

Thanks all for your suggestions. Yes, it's a silver plated one, Rudall Carte. I've tried cling film (that's what saran wrap is?) and plumbers' tape - too thick. I've used the other things (not dental floss or hemp though) on wooden instruments, but can't get a tight seal on this one. 'Spaw's suggestion (the first one!!)looks like the way to do it. What is a mandrell?

I'll see what I can find out about instrument repairers over here. Roger, I'm in Normandy, France. I'd hate to have bodge job done and lose my trusted friend. My guitar had its head broken off earlier this year - accident in a bar - it had been with me for 26 years and to be parted from it is awful. It's gone to hospital (a trusted friend and luthier in England) for painstaking repair work, I would have been loath to entrust it to someone whose work I don't know.

Thanks again for the input!

Jo

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Bernard
Date: 20 Aug 00 - 04:42 PM

Years ago when my old Boosey & Hawkes Regent flute suffered a similar problem, and repair shops weren't as technically tooled up as they are now, I wrapped kitchen foil and epoxy resin around the 'male' part of the foot joint.

The following day, when it was thoroughly set, I slowly sanded it with wet & dry, and soapy water, unitl I got a good fit. That was 20 years ago, and it's still a good fit...

Good luck with it!

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Jo Taylor
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 08:26 AM

Bernard, could you PM me with further details? I'll be back in a couple of days, off to hospital myself now!

Jo

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: Bert
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 11:09 AM

A dab of soft solder should do it. Just tin the male part.

Subject: RE: Me flute's gone wobbly...
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 11:18 AM

Bert, I tried tinning my male part. Gawd, it made my eyes water! (Well omebody had to- I'm never too ashamed to make the obvious "joke"!)
RtS