I use my son’s room as my flute room when he’s away at college, my (his) computer and other stuff is in there, so it’s where I hang out when I’m home.
Anyway, I took the hygrometer out of one of the cases that I keep a flute in, and set it out on the table for some reason, and forgot about it until later today.
It’s telling me the RH in this room is in excess of 60%.
So I guess I might as well use my tupperware to store cookies! 
Mary
60% humidity should be fine for your flutes. Its about 50-65% in my shop most of the year, lower when we get a dry spell Winter or Summer. The flutes don’t seem to mind this much. Its when it gets down to 25% or less or really muggy (think: mold - thus keeping the flute in a closed container may not be the best thing for this! I have seen mold happen and its ugly.) that puts flutes in danger.
Cheers!
Casey
Like, DUH, Mary, we live in a swamp.
See, I decided that I could use a smilie JUST for you, even though I’ve sworn off them.
I’ve had only the opposite problem here: stuff swells instead of shrinking. It’s most noticeable with boxwood, but all the boxwood I’ve had that originated in Britain/Ireland or Europe has ended up swelling when it first gets here.
Stuart
Yay humid.
Welcome to the Blast Furnace. My little weather ticker is showing around 72% humidty outside most days recently. Inside is a little less because of the air conditioning.
Sounds good Eddie…I remember the only cracks I’ve made here were from getting the humidity too high (~100%) then bringing it out to “normal” so it “dried” too fast !
Bye the bye…what whas that beauutiful air you were always playing ?
Its driving me crazy trying to remember…
Hee ~ I love this weather, and I like this swamp, actually!
for some reason, I thought the inside of the house would be drier, though.
Hey Stuart, how’s the Wilkes…
Eddie, when are we all getting together again?
M
(Just thought I’d throw in that it’s 35% humidity here now - up from yesterday’s 22%)
Susan
The weird thing with my blackwood Bryan Byrne flute is that during summer, when the humidity goes up, the flute actually shrinks. I always have to put more thread on the tenons in summer, whereas in winter the joints are good and tight. The flute was made in winter (well, finished in winter, anyway) so that may have something to do with it, but I don’t understand why the joints should be looser in humid weather…it doesn’t make any sense to me.
That is weird. Unless . . . no, it’s too crazy.
Stuart
Unless it’s the heat, and the headjoint is expanding more than the tenon on the body.
I noted the same effect on one of my cheapy student flutes (plastic head, blackwood body) when we had our ‘heatwave’ here… temperature went up from around 18c to 32c, and the top joint became so loose I had to put two wraps of dental floss on the joint to tighten it up. (When heated, the larger diameter expands more than a smaller one).
This time of year I tend to leave the flute in it’s case and in my bag for an hour or so to let the temp equalize before I take it out to put it away, just incase. And I don’t take it outside to play in the sun during the afternoon!
Hmm, can you hum a few bars? It could be “A Parting of Friends” which Matt Molloy has recorded several versions of.
I was talking to Larry Mallette last night and he’s making it up to East Durham. I wish I had the time/money this year. I wish there were more (any) festivals with workshops here in the south.
Actually the headjoint -->top middle joint connection isn’t a problem; the looser connections are between the upper middle joint and the heart joint, and between the heart joint to the foot joint. The foot joint of my flute actually fell off recently when I started playing…fortunately onto a carpeted floor and there was no damage. I had to add a thread fairly frequently this summer and last, and I’ll have to remove some in autumn. Totally counterintuitive, but there you go.
My schedule is actually pretty open, I’m mostly recovered from the accident and I have a car to drive. Larry’s heading up to East Durham week after next or so, if you want to wait until then.
Gerald is trying to startup the starbucks session again, keep an eye on your email.
Also, now that I’m married my house is more organized if folks want to gather at my place. I don’t mind going to the Woodlands either, gives me a chance to hit the mall.
Sure, Starbucks is fine, our houses are fine. We’ll be out of town the last week of July, so.
Just had a nice visit from Ben, he borrowed my Olwell for a couple of days. He’s in aspen for the summer.
Wish I could go to East Durham too. Oh well, I’m trying to play along with John Skelton’s tune books. Man! That’s easier said than done! 
Glad the car accident wasn’t too awful and that your car situation has sorted itself out. Nothing like being “forced” to purchase another vehicle…
Mary
Yeah, wow, maybe I’ll actually be able to GO to the next HFS.
Let me know. This weekend (including today), as it stands now, is my only first-call weekend this month. Or, were you saying July is bad?
The Wilkes is nice. VERY nice. Very different feel.
Stuart
Eddie said;
Hmm, can you hum a few bars? It could be “A Parting of Friends” which Matt Molloy has recorded several versions of.
?? Could be…now that I think about it, I might have taped you…
Hey Brad…(thinking sessions…and I can’t get to Texas)…if you get over to CowHampshire…Ol’ Bob Abrams is running a nice little session at the Lazy Lion in Deerfield…
Spake’ o’ th’ divil –
We’re making our Northern Tour starting this Friday – CT, VT, MA & aim to hit Durham (friends in Woodstock) for a couple of sessions. If anyone’s interested in a few tunes in one of those neighborhoods, PM me with your off-board email & I’ll send you mine. That way we can communicate from the road (I’ve got one-a-dem newfangled Palm Fruit things that checks my work email) …
Anyway, we’re not necessarily brilliant players, but we’re friendly … 
The divil y’ say ? The divil is usually playin’ in Portsmout’ rather than Dovah. D’ya have a more definite schedule Kathleen m’dear ?
We can at least tell ya what’s ta do…we’ll be at E Durham next week though…