Tell us something.: I love whistling and I have been a member of this forum for many years now.I have found it very informative and helpful over the years that I have been here.
I recently got a Dixon 3pc of E bay for a good price £59
I was just wondering,one of the advantages of having a polymer flute is that you can leave it assembled ready to pick up whenever you want,but the dixon has cork wrapped tenons,is it still safe to leave assembled or do I have to break it down after playing?
"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
I suppose the only harm you could do is compressing
the cork, possibly making the tenons loose in the sockets.
The remedy for that, if it happened would be recorking,
not a big deal. But compressing-cork is something that
some people have written in here to say doesn't
happen much; so the risk may be small.
You might compromise and take it apart occasionally.
If the cork seems to be getting compressed,
take it apart routinely.
Tell us something.: I love whistling and I have been a member of this forum for many years now.I have found it very informative and helpful over the years that I have been here.
Tell us something.: I restore 19th century flutes, specializing in Rudall & Rose, and early American flutes. I occasionally make new flutes. Been at it for about 15 years.
Whistling Willie wrote:Thank's guys,I was just worried incase I damaged the cork.
If the cork compresses, you can always hold the tenon over the kettle and the steam will expand the cork again. The delrin is high temp. melting at 800 deg. so it shouldn't be a problem.
"I love the flute because it's the one instrument in the world where you can feel your own breath. I can feel my breath with my fingers. It's as if I'm speaking from my soul..."
Michael Flatley
I would recommend not ALWAYS keeping it together. Not from a flute, but I have an older Chieftain whistle with a cork on the tunning slide, and after a couple years the cork was completely dead, because I wasn't aware of the cork compression. I now use packing tape to keep the seal. Just to save future problems, I recommend taking it apart at least a little bit . Hope this helps.
Tell us something.: I love whistling and I have been a member of this forum for many years now.I have found it very informative and helpful over the years that I have been here.
dyersituations wrote:I would recommend not ALWAYS keeping it together. Not from a flute, but I have an older Chieftain whistle with a cork on the tunning slide, and after a couple years the cork was completely dead, because I wasn't aware of the cork compression. I now use packing tape to keep the seal. Just to save future problems, I recommend taking it apart at least a little bit . Hope this helps.
-Casey
I think that clear packing tape is an excellent solution to loose joints on a flute, recorder, or whistle. The tape is sticky on one side to adhere to the cork or whatever other material was originally used. The other side of the tape is slick so that it will turn without much friction in the tenon socket. With packing tape you can make a perfect fitting joint, easily adjusted for temperature and humidity changes throughout the year. When the tape gets worn, it is easy to remove, clean off residual adhesive, and install fresh tape.
Tell us something.: You just slip out the back, Jack Make a new plan, Stan You don't need to be coy, Roy Just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus You don't need to discuss much Just drop off the key, Lee And get yourself free
dyersituations wrote:I would recommend not ALWAYS keeping it together. Not from a flute, but I have an older Chieftain whistle with a cork on the tunning slide, and after a couple years the cork was completely dead, because I wasn't aware of the cork compression. I now use packing tape to keep the seal. Just to save future problems, I recommend taking it apart at least a little bit . Hope this helps.
-Casey
I think that clear packing tape is an excellent solution to loose joints on a flute, recorder, or whistle. The tape is sticky on one side to adhere to the cork or whatever other material was originally used. The other side of the tape is slick so that it will turn without much friction in the tenon socket. With packing tape you can make a perfect fitting joint, easily adjusted for temperature and humidity changes throughout the year. When the tape gets worn, it is easy to remove, clean off residual adhesive, and install fresh tape.
The only problem is that sometimes it's not so easy to remove - it can adhere to the cork to the point of tearing the cork when you try to remove the tape. Better to go with plumber's teflon tape if one is going to go that route - it may not stay put as well, but it's not going to destroy the cork you have.
Loren wrote:
The only problem is that sometimes it's not so easy to remove - it can adhere to the cork to the point of tearing the cork when you try to remove the tape. Better to go with plumber's teflon tape if one is going to go that route - it may not stay put as well, but it's not going to destroy the cork you have.
Loren
Or Kapton tape with the solid silicone adhesive as used for solder mask....it has the slick surface of packing tape and a clean removal...actually easier than plumbers tape (still my favorite)
603/329-7322
"I fail to see why doing the same thing over and over and getting the
same results every time is insanity: I've almost proved it isn't;
only a few more tests now and I'm sure results will differ this time ... "
Tell us something.: You just slip out the back, Jack Make a new plan, Stan You don't need to be coy, Roy Just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus You don't need to discuss much Just drop off the key, Lee And get yourself free
Jack Bradshaw wrote:
Or Kapton tape with the solid silicone adhesive as used for solder mask....it has the slick surface of packing tape and a clean removal...actually easier than plumbers tape (still my favorite)
Hmm, haven't tried that, I'll scare some up and give it a try sometime. Thanks Jack.
I've got one of those Dixon flutes. One of the joints in mine would seal fine without the cork; the other one needs the cork to seal, so I take it apart when I'm not using it. I don't think there's quite the exact fit you'd get from an M&E. I'd treat it like I'd treat a cork joint on a metal instrument -- sure, the metal's not going to move, but the cork's there on purpose.
My experience is likely shaded by the extreme dry of the winter in the northern plains of the USA but I found my cork compressed a lot when I left it together. Another symptom of the dryness (which isn't likely in your climate) is that after not playing it for a while the cork in the headjoint dried up and became loose thus buggering the tone.
