Hi. I just got a new keyless and the ring at the end of the head joint slips off. I want to glue it. (It’s blackwood and the fittings are brass.) Is it OK to use regular glue, or do I have to get special wood glue? And if it has to be wood glue, can I find that at your average hardware store? In the meantime, I might tape it on so it can be there to reinforce the tenon like it’s supposed to. Function over form.
Thanks in advance -
Heather
no glue at all, heather
take off the offending ring, cover the socket with a paper napkin (or even paper towel) and slip the ring over it. That should hold it into place.
use a new Exacto blade to trim of extra paper on the edges
careful not to cut or scrape the wood
Err, I’m not a professional flute restorer, so perhaps I shouldn’t be butting in, but I am a sometime amateur artist, and something of an art collector, and while wood is -considerably- more durable than canvas or paper, I think I’d strongly, strongly recommend against putting acid paper (that is, nearly any wood-pulp paper, esp. recycled paper) in long-term contact with any degradable material I cared about. Natural color (unbleached) paper towels and napkins might be all right - but then, corrugated cardboard is natural color and one of the most virulent art-destroyers in existence, so I’d be inclined to get acid free paper from an art supply and/or framing supply store.
Mind you, against wood, at a guess, I’d expect it to take a decade or more for noticeable damage to occur; I don’t know because I’ve never left acid paper against wood for an extended period.
–Chris
Heather - David could it be a moisture problem. I had the same problem with my flute, not enough humidity or moisture in the air. That is why I bought the Dampits from you Dave. They solved the problem along with humidifier for the room in which I keep my instruments.
Mark
you’re right, mark
that’s likely the problem (in fact, probably is)
but the paper is so thin, it keeps the ring in place and allows for the movement as necessary.
I also agree unbleached paper might be a good alternative…not something I’ve ever thought of
bottom line is, do not use glue
that does not allow for normal expansions/contractions and will cause many more problems in short time
Folks,
since moisture changes can play havoc with wooden flutes, and keeping wooden flutes at a consistent humidity level is the secret for preventing cracks, ring loss, etc., has anyone tried using a cigar humidor for long term storage of flutes?
As long as you don’t mix cigars and flutes, it would appear to be an ideal storage place. Any ideas on this?
My Humidor consists of a large Tupperware container with a guitar humidifier and hygrometer inside - this is where my Olwell hangs out and relaxes when it’s not working.
Loren
I had the same problem with my Nicholson, one of the rings kept falling off. When mentioning it to Terry McGee this is his reply;
Fixing loose rings
The rings on wooden flutes are more than decorative. Those on the sockets are
vital reinforcement for the thin wood. Wood can handle a lot of compressive
load, but not ruptive. Rings can become loose when the wood shrinks after a
spell of dry weather. There is an easy fix for loose rings. It’s called “the
old handkerchief trick” …
Remove the ring, noting which way it goes on easiest, and set it aside. Take a
small piece of thin cloth - a scrap of worn handkerchief is usually ideal.
Holding the joint vertical, with the offending end uppermost, put the cloth over
the end. Take up the ring, being careful to keep it the right way up and push
it onto the end, pinning the cloth underneath it. It shouldn’t go on very far.
Now force it on most of the way by either of the following two methods (But
remember - don’t go all the way just yet!)
Tap it down equally all round with a soft faced mallet, or a piece of wood.
If you use this method on the socket end of a headjoint, remove the cap from the
other end of the headjoint first to prevent it being damaged. (It should just
unscrew or twist off. If it won’t, use a bit of dowel to push both cork stopper
and cap off. Remember to set the stopper back in the right place later!)
Press or tap the ring against something unyielding like the desktop (if you
don’t mind denting the desktop!)
Whichever method, stop when there’s about 0.5 mm or 1/32" all round left to go.
Now, with a sharp razor blade or scalpel, cut away the spare cloth from around
the ring. Make sure the blade cuts into the 0.5mm or 1/32" gap, so it won’t
leave visible marks on the wood or leave scraps of cloth remaining. Once the
scraps are neatly gone, continue to press or tap the ring completely home. Now
use your razor blade again to remove the cloth covering the hole at the end of
the joint.
All of this might sound a bit daunting, but it actually takes less time to do
than to read about! The cloth, being resilient, will almost assuredly prevent
the ring coming free again.
This has worked for my flute although I imagine paper would be easier to do as David suggested as it would be less fiddly. I would guess long term the cloth would last longer.
On the other hand as you said the flute is new, can you send it back to the maker as this normally happens on older flutes, not new ones.
Good luck with it,
Colin
The old hankerchief method works well.I’ve used it on several wooden whistles and flutes.
good point, Colin
Terry and I have debated this point, though, merely because while I appreciate the “staying power” of hankerchief cloth over paper, I’ve seen too many people put too much cloth (which gives less) under a ring, only to crack/split the wood.
Remember, too, that rings have a “right way” to go on since some makers taper their wood at the ring. Make sure you know which way the taper matches the removed ring so you don’t really make a mistake later.
Frankly, I think today’s makers should all use the old method of “barbing” the innerside of the rings to prevent loose rings from dropping.
On 2002-07-13 23:05, Ronbo wrote:
Folks,
since moisture changes can play havoc with wooden flutes, and keeping wooden flutes at a consistent humidity level is the secret for preventing cracks, ring loss, etc., has anyone tried using a cigar humidor for long term storage of flutes? …
I don’t use a humidor, since the pistol case my Copley came in seals pretty well. What I have gottern is cigar humidfier (Most stores that carry pipes & accessories - under $15) It’s a clear plastic tube approx 6" long and less than 1" in diameter, filled with a water absorbent gel. It’s easy to see when the water level is getting low, does a good job of keeping the humidity around 70%, and takes up very little space.
Thanks for the information, Dan. I guess it’s off to the tobacconist to get a humidifier and off to the local Wal-Mart for an appropriate piece of tupperware.
On 2002-07-15 21:13, Ronbo wrote:
Thanks for the information, Dan. I guess it’s off to the tobacconist to get a humidifier and off to the local Wal-Mart for an appropriate piece of tupperware.
You may be able to get them both at the same place - I actually picked mine up at KMart. I’ve also seen them in drug stores - CVS, Walgreen’s etc.
Also, beware of storing your flute in an absolutely airtight container - I’ve heard warnings that it can promote the growth of fuzzy things on your flute. YMMV
I believe it’s the humidity level and not the airtightness of the container that leads to the “Fuzz” or mold. Too much humidity has it’s drawbacks as well.
The humidity of a sealed container can be controlled by the size of the humidifier you use inside, and to some degree (depending on the type of humidifier) how much water you put in the humidifier and how often.
Also, it’s sort of assumed that if you’ve spent all this money on a flute, you’re actually going to play it regularly, right? In which case the container doesn’t remain sealed for more than…what, 24 hours at a time? I mean you are practicing EVERY DAY, right? 
Seriously though, I would store a flute (untouched) in a sealed container for long periods, but if you’re opening it to remove your flute every few days, you shouldn’t have any problems.
One other thing: I currently use a Cavallero Flute Roll (Padded nylon roll-up bag) to carry my Olwell around to sessions and what have you. In order to maintain a more constant humidity in transit, I leave the Cavallero bag in the tupperware container with the flute - this way it absorbs a certain (small amount of moisture, which helps to insulate the flute from rapid changes in humidity.
It’s interesting to note that putting the Roll-up bag in the sealed container drops the humidity down 20 percentage points (according to my hygrometer) and keeps it there - That’s how I know the Roll-up is absorbing some moisture, it never actually feels the moist.
Loren
On 2002-07-16 11:53, Loren wrote:
. . . (according to my hygrometer) . . .
Where does one buy a hygrometer? I’ve been looking and looking – hobby shops, hardware stores, piano shops – no luck.
Charlie
Cigar/Tobacco stores often have hygrometers. They are also available at some woodworking stores, i.e. Woodcraft, for inclusion in cigar humidors.
[ This Message was edited by: DanD on 2002-07-18 10:12 ]