It’s almost the new year, and I’m sitting inside feeling not just a little bit sorry for myself (and mad at myself!) for my cracked Hammy flute situation. It’s been less than a year that I’ve gotten bitten by the ITM bug, and on my music student budget, the used Hammy came up through this forum and seemed like such a blessing at the time. Now I’m fiding out that it will cost a whole lot to fix it, and I’m not sure it would make financial sense in the long run…a true dilemma. I have my Powell in the meantime, but its just not the same thing…and I have some whistles, but again - not the same thing. It doesn’t help that I just put on a Matt Molloy record, but I guess you could say that I’m wallowing in it right now…hey - we all do it from time to time!
So…if anyone hears anything about a good flute (keys?) coming up for sale, I am ready to think about it seriously. I am usually a firm believer in “flute monogomy” - it has worked for me so far with my Powell…but in the case of my Hammy, I think it might have walked out on me and slammed the door, if you know what I mean! The new year might be a time to meet and get to know “someone new”…
Well the easiest fix is just to fill the cracks w/ superglue…(get a humidifier, of course so you don’t just crack it again). This can be dissolved away in the future for a better (more expensive) repair.
The barrel is usually easy…the head is only a real problem if the crack goes through the emboushure…
Use the very thin stuff that will wick into the crack and don’t use too much…you dont want it to run into the bore…just enough to seal the crack…several small additions are better than one big one…then leave a bead on the surface to remind you where the crack is…I like to wait a day between applications.
I’ve watched Pat Olwell do this in one shot and smooth the surface and in 20 minutes you cant find the crack…we mortals need to take our time !
Hi,
I would go for Terry’s recomendation, and remove the liner to remove the pressure. If you just fill the crack, the next time the flute dries, it will crack again. The barrel socket should be reinforced with a new socket like Terry mentioned.
Jon, most of us would agree that the best “permanent” HJ repair involves removing the liner and reaming all the old glue and crud from the head joint, then putting the liner back in with some glue.
But that isn’t always so easily done and it’s nothing I’d recommend to a man with his first wooden flute.
I think Jack is correct- just fill the crack with super glue, perhaps in two passes, and sand it down with fine paper (start with 600 grit and finish with 1,000). It isn’t a valuable old flute and the point is to be able to play it as soon as possible. When and if it does re-open it can always be refilled.
hi,
He’s sending it to me for a quick, hopefully painless repair. The Barrel is cracked also, and we all know how hard it is for those sockets are to keep from cracking again.
Sorry, this is a problem with cyberspace! :oops: :oops:
Geeez… :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops::oops:
Dang, like auto mechanics, I could of said that the little thingy that adjusts the cork should be replaced also, so it would raise the price too…
:oops: 