Will leaving a 3 piece Dixon assembled damage the cork tenons?Just inherently lazy I guess.
Bruce
Leaving a corked tenon assembled will eventually compress the cork; it’s really advisable to disassemble the flute. It probably doesn’t need to be done as often as with a wooden flute, because there is no wood swelling that will occur, but the cork will eventually lose it’s elasticity and you’ll need to replace it prematurely.
Thanks Gorden ,that was the scenario I was concerned about.One more of life’s little inconveniences.On reflection,encountering a little inconvenience is much better than a large inconvenience 
!
Best,
Bruce
Bruce,
Even though I don’t have a polymer flute (yet) - one of the great advantages over its wooden collegues I see is that you CAN actually leave it assembled. I certainly would when I get one.
Whenever the cork does not seal anymore, just replace it with plumbers-tape. It works great.
happy tooting,
Jeroen
Thanks Jeroen,thats a neat repair.The only thing more rare than a flute player around here is someone who can repair one.Plumbers tape! I wonder if plumbers play flutes?Seems like natural thing if you are so familiar with pipes.
Bruce
You don’t say how often you plan to disassemble the flute, and this makes a difference.
I’d go for at least weekly, wiping the cork lightly to remove residue, and re-applying cork grease when put together.
If you leave it assembled for months, a joint could be come so tight as to require extraordinary methods to disassemble it, and the possibility of concomitant damage to the cork and/or tenon.
Also, moisture will accumulate in the joint, even if tight, and become a breeding place for germs. You may say so what, the joint is far away from my mouth. However, think of what happens when you take a deep breath while playing.
As mentioned earlier, you could use plumbers tape for repair. Dental floss is also used. You could replace the cork with thread, when eventually needed, in about five or so years.
Bill