ok its been a few months since i started playing this. Im pritty sure there is some truley aweful gunge lurking down its tube… how should i go about getting it out?
… to make things even more trickey the pipe is folded, so its not a clear circle, it has a littleridge running up its indsides…
Well, I would recommend getting a testube cleaning brush, something with a wire frame and expandable bristles. Swish it around inside and wash it out with water or ethanol. I’ve never tried this, mind you, but it can’t be that different from washing the inside of a conical flask.
Interesting, I never thought about cleaning out a non-tunable conical with a small bell. I wonder what Dave Shaw recommends, if anything? Maybe you could write him and ask and report back here.
For cylindrical and tunable whistles, a bit of Scotch Brite pushed through the tube like a gun patch is the usual solution for serious, life-threatening gunk.
As a long time player of conical whistles, a Shaw owner, and old trombonist, the best I’ve found is the special brush made to clean a trombone’s slide. It has the collapsable bristles of the test tube brush but with a handle long enough for the job. There’s also a trombone cleaning rod that works like a flute rod (you put a bit of cloth in the slotted end, like a flute rod, except it’s three feet long). I have both, and recommend using them together. The brush loosens the grunge and the swabbing rod cleans it out.
Reading MT’s post, I think the rod is also used by gun owners, so you might get a better price on one of those. I think they’re the same thing, except when a music store sells them they’re $30 more.
Oh yeah, a handy trick is to wrap the handle with duct tape so it doesn’t scratch the metal.
Oh yeah #2, you’ll need to use a thin strip of cotton cloth and tape it to the rod in the slot. If it comes loose inside a Shaw whistle (or your trombone slide) you have to go to the gas station and use their air hose to blow it out the other end. Don’t ask how I know this.
Oh yeah #3, You could probably also use a 36" x 1/8" dowel (available at hobby shops for model airplane builders), but be sure to tape the cloth really good or else see Oh Yeah #2.