Hi all, for Christmas I was given a Clarke Original D whistle. Just now I was looking at it and on one side at the wooden plug the tinplate appears to be separating from the wood. When I press on it and release it makes a tiny popping sound as if the glue is sticking then letting go.
As of right now the whistle sounds fine - but if the plug comes out or something is it easy to fix it or am I better off getting a new whistle?
Thanks in advance.
I’ve had that same problem with several Clarkes over the years and superglue has always been an easy fix for me. It’s best to do it right away; I once had one that became so loose that the plug came out completely and I was never able to seat it back properly and get a proper sound from it again. It doesn’t take very much so use a small amount and try to keep it in a small area so that you do not have glue seeping out and getting all over the plug. If you have a small clamp then use that (gently) to hold it in place while drying. I know that we are all a bit attached to our instruments but be careful not to permanently attach your whistle to yourself 
I have had this happen when I have flattend the top of the windway on Clarkes.
If you don’t want to mess with glue here is what I do.
Pull the plug.
Squeeze the sides a little make it snug, return the plug… make sure it plays.
Using a small nail and tap both sides with a hammer to make a good dent to hold the fipple plug in place.
You can run beeswax around edges to affect a better seal.
In fact a little wax on the plugend will keep the wood from becoming a spit sponge.
Its just a suggestion… hope that helps.
I have had my Clarkes separate a bit at the sides when I flattened the windway. But the air loss wasn’t that great and I just played them that way. Home tweaked Clarkes are fun!
I just take a steel punch and hammer and tap once or twice on the sides near the end. Something like a shaw but doesn’t go through the metal. Works for me.
I just take a steel punch and hammer and tap once or twice on the sides near the end. Something like a shaw but doesn’t go through the metal. Works for me.
Both of my Clarkes have a little air loss problem on the sides, but thats kind of their natural sound anyway so its not a very big deal.
Thanks for all the replies. I will probably just hit it with a centerpunch on each side - the whistle sounds fine so I don’t think I’ll need to mess with the fipple plug anymore then that.