What is your opinion on using plumber’s tape to help keep flute joints tight during dry months?
I live in Minnesota and have to transport my flute from house to car to gig, etc. No matter how humid I try to keep my house and flute case (I have a fiddle “dampit” in my flute case) the wood just shrinks a bit in winter time. In emergencies I have torn off a small piece of paper and wrapped that around the joint to keep it tight. (Twice my flute has fallen apart - VERY frightening! I am not used to having to keep such a tight grip on it when it’s just resting in my lap or I’m taking it down from my mouth!)
I was wondering if plumber’s tape would be okay for my wooden flute. I would take it off each time I put my flute away.
It’s good stuff, won’t do any harm. I keep a roll handy. Are the tenons cork lapped or thread? If thread, you can always add more to tighten the joints and take it off again if and when they become too tight.
As a bassoon player, I would also like to add that dental floss works well on thread-lapped tenons in such occassions, as well. I would try to avoid the minty kind, though.
The danger with plumbers (teflon) tape is that it makes the joint appear fit well when it is way too tight. This results in cracking. I’ve seen this on several flutes.
Best to learn the simple technique of thread wrapping tenons. Its not rocket science.
casey, i must be in the minority since I’ve never seen a well-fitting teflon-taped tenon crack.
I use the tape on all my personal flutes, from original Rudalls, Prattens and Nicholsons. I have for years (much to the consternation of the purists).
Why? Because it protects the thread laps from getting any moisture, expanding and getting a joint stuck (the old cotton-based or wool-based threads…nylon does not expand, but I prefer kevlar thread). Plus it is a nice smooth turn. But to caution: you must work it slowly, otherwise it will crack.
But once closed and fine…they don’t crack. At least mine have not; so I’ll have to believe it’s caused by something else.
Thanks all. I play a Murray - thread wrapped joints.
I would like to know more about the simple technique of thread wrapping. Can I use any thread? Is wax of some sort involved? Can I do this in the middle of a session?
Also a large plastic container, sealable (very cheap at big stores)
plus a damp sponge (largish) can humidy flutes as if you were
in Honduras, not Minnesota. If the flute lives there when you’re
not playing it (which also humidifies it) I don’t think it
will shrink from dryness
Licking cork tenons: cork loves to support the growth of mold.
Dental floss: highly adjustable, convenient case, has saved my bacon playing clarinet, bass and contra clarinet many times.
A caveat about dental floss: because it is a floss (unwound), rather than a thread or yarn, it has almost no stretch. Just be aware anytime you mix stuff that moves (wood) with stuff that doesn’t. Same goes for amarid fibre thread, but I’ll take David on faith that Kevlar works.
Come to think of it, the bell-joint on a maple bassoon is about a bazillion times bigger than a flute tenon, but the wall thickness is about the same. Dental floss tenon wraps don’t cause wood failure in that case (from my limited experience).