i’m thinking about putting thread on the joints of my flute in place of the cork. before i went forward with it, i was wondering if anyone who has gone through the experience could offer me some tips.
i used to play highland pipes, so i’m not worried about waxing the thread and wrapping the joints, but i’m more concerned about taking off the existing cork without hurting the flute.
thanks for the help.
b
You should probably discuss this with the flute maker (if the cork is original) to find out two things - how is the cork held on (and therefore how is it most easily removed), and is there combing under the cork to secure thread.
The second question is more important. If there is no combing - the closely spaced scored rings in the bottom of the lapping trough - thread will tend to slide along the trough, bunch up and jam. You can create effective combing by putting on one layer of thread, and dribbling glue (eg superglue or a woodworking glue) over it to lock it to the bottom of the trough. Then add the remainder of the thread as normal.
There is a reasonable argument simply to add your thread on top of the existing cork. It will locate it securely, preventing the sliding and jamming mentioned above. It will also be more resilient than thread alone, requiring less adjustment with seasons. It will also reduce the tendency for thread to compress the wood at the tenons.
Terry
Naive question from a newbie owner of a Copley blackwood with cork - why would you want to do this?
Thanks for the advice Terry, I really appreciate it.
Neil - the reason that i’m intrested in switching from cork to thread is that i think that thread makes a tighter seal than cork since it doesn’t respond as much to changes in humidity once it is properly waxed. i also think it is a more even seal if you wrap it well. i’ve had flutes in the past that used thread on the tenons and i just prefer it.
b
in place of using glue, i have used bees wax to anchor the initial threading. i advise don’t use glue unless you have to. i would not lap it over the cork. i would remove all the cork. better to have thread directly on wood. cork will cause displacement and shifting as it changes it’s form, breaks, and wears away; it really serves no purpose(just gets in the way) if you go to use thread.
And this discussion brings up the obvious (to me anyway) question of which is superior, thread (and which thread as well) or cork.
Yes, don’t do it is my advice. Thread is always used on GHBs and it is such a pain in the arse that is my opinion anyway.
It strikes me that thread may not be your problem. Just how are you playing your pipes, anyway?
Roger
Does cork really not seal as well as thread? Maybe it’s the less variable humidity here in the UK, but I’ve never noticed a problem with wooden recorders that use cork, nor with my Copley so far. I’m guessing this is an emotive issue!
I was just asking Casey Burns about this very thing. Here’s his response.
Thanks again Casey. 
"Hi Patrick!
I get my thread from Forrests Music in Berkeley (size EE reed thread)
and the wax is toilet ring wax, used to mount a toilet to the plumbing,
available at your local hardware store. You can order the thread from
Forrests online at:
http://www.forrestsmusic.com/thread.htm "
I went out and bought the supplies and sat down to thread an an old flute I had bought just to practice on. I re-threaded the rascal and tried to put it together. Hmmm, seems a little tight. Pushed a bit harder and CRACK!
Take home messages:
Doc
OH NO!
Having repaired, recorked, rethreaded and made literally a few thousand instruments, I couldn’t possibly disagree with you more - In my experience cork is simply the better choice everytime: Cork’s greater elasticity makes for a better seal, and also allows more margin of safety with regards to the swelling and shrinking of tenon/socket joints - all things being equal, a properly corked joint will prevent a cracked socket from overswelling/warping of a tenon than a properly thread lapped joint will.
Loren
Thanks for proving my point Doc: very little margin for error with thread lapping.
“Hear me now and believe me later” 
Loren
Yeah, I wish you’d been here to whack me with a stick or something. Oh well, live and learn.
By the way Loren or Terry, can cork be put on combed tenons?
Doc
Yep, sure can. I always put combing under my cork, just in case a future owner would prefer thread.
Terry