hi,
so i live in arizona… and had my mcgee blackwood flute out in the weather for awhile. now i can’t get the tuning slide to fit into the headjoint.
all the decorative rings popped off too, so i’m guessing the slide expanded in the heat. so i have it inside now, oiled it (there’s no cracks) but it still doesn’t fit back it, and it’s been 2 days.
am i going to have to get it repaired, or is there some other way i can get it to fit back in? or will it eventually fit back on its own?
thanks…
eric
oy… get the flute back to around 60 rh, the rings should stay on (the rings are not decorative unless it is a plastic flute)
metal slide or MDT or some other wooden thing?
if not metal rehydrate first and then see if it works.
Terry has several tuning slide schemes. Which do you have? Terry should be by presently to help get you sorted. If not, PM may be in order.
Bob
Yup. Rehydrate pro tem and Talk To Terry!
I lived in southern Arizona for 30 years, so I know that the combination of high heat and low humidity will cause wood to dry up and shrink. That is why the rings have come off of the flute. You need to buy a hygrometer to monitor relative humidity and a sealed plastic box to store the flute sections. The flute should swell back to it’s original shape with time. I would put the rings back on the flute as it is becoming rehydrated, but, as others have said, you should ask Terry about this.
I just put it in a plastic container with a wet sponge, and let it hydrate. I am out in the desert myself at the moment, 5% humidity!
thanks everybody.
it’s a metal slide…
so it’s not just the heat; it’s also that the wood has dried out and shrunk? i didn’t think of that…
ok, i’ll try the wet sponge, so i don’t have a hydro-whatis. 
thanks,
eric
Arizona? Ask to see its green card. If it ain’t where it should be the INS will make it go back.
If the metal slide is not fitting, you may have a more serious problem. Check the barrel socket and see if it is still round, it may be distorting the slide? You might want to shoot Terry a message…
Sounds like either your slide got a bit out of round (compressed or dropped perhaps), you haven’t kept it greased, or conversely you kept it well greased and some of that Arizona sand got into the mix. Count yourself lucky, it could have been frozen in a closed position…
Definitely hydrate, especially before trying to put any of the tennon and socket joints together. If the rings have popped off, the wood has almost certainly shrunk. I’d give it at least 24 hrs in a tupperware with a wet sponge, and with the rings tapped back in place, as others have suggested. That may take care of everything.
If it is the metal slide then the real question is why have you been disassembling metal sections at all. At this point I’ve had both antique and modern flutes, all with metal slides. I only take them completely apart at that joint once in blue moon to fuss with the cork if things seem out of wack. And then only indoors in, fairly clean, environs.
I’m sure Terry will have good advice, once he catches back up with us, but I certainly wouldn’t panic. Most likely you will just have to clean and regrease the slide parts, then figure out which axis of the slide cylinder has gone out of round (I’d use a vernier, but a ruler should do). Light pressure with your fingers on that axis, and if the slide edges haven’t been damaged there should be no problem. From what I’ve seen of Terry’s slide designs, they are well engineered, and if you haven’t had an accident, should still fit together. Of course you could always use the heat and ice trick to increase and decrease the diameters of each slide half, but I’d rather know why they didn’t go together smoothly in the first place.
You never said if you got the flute new or used. If used, possibly the first owner might have a suggestion also.
Actually, if it were me, in Arizona, I’d certainly consider switching to a Delrin flute for outdoors playing (or stick with your whistles). Lots of great ones out there, and they certainly are easier to maintain. I’ve got a Seery, with a big voice, that I take when I’m out hiking or camping.
Hi Eric
Sorry, been out of town and up to my ears in stuff. Can you email me all the details and we’ll work out what’s going wrong and the best approach to fixing it?
Terry
hi everybody,
so i put all the parts in a plastic box (actually, a gun case i use for another flute with a wet paper towel and yesterday everything fit back together (if a bit snug
the slide is only metal on one end, ie, the metal slide fits into the all wood headjoint, so that’s why i was storing them separate (also to oil all the wood parts.)
i have 2 delrin flutes, and i like them both (the Rob Forbes and a Copley) but the McGee is nicer… and easier to play. i think b/c of the extended foot joint? the bottom d is much easier to play…
i’m thinking about trying to get a somers, who seems to make delrin flutes with extended foot joints… but either way, i don’t want to give up the McGee.
anyway, thanks for all the help!
eric