Is there any reason not to leave your flute fully assembled (after swabbing out) between playing sessions? The only thing I can think of or have a slight fear of is if the thread on the tenons were to swell and cause cracking or maybe the tenons could become bound somehow?
That’s 2 reasons. Maybe find some more here:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/disassembling-and-assembling-the-flute/102145/1
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/basic-flute-care-question-from-a-beginner/103731/12
The effect of moisture on the performance of woodwind instruments
https://www.conservationphysics.org/flute/flute.html
Potential risks include:
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Cracking and/or warping due to lack of ideal humidity or rapid changes in humidity.
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Untimely compression of tenon corks leading to poor socket tenon fit, which could ultimately cause leaks.
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Constriction of tenons due to being under constant pressure.
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Accidental damage due to the flute being uncased. This happens rather frequently, as any woodwind repair person will testify.
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Depending on the environment, one might also have additional problems with a keyed flute as airborne debris can accumulate and impair pad and key mechanism function.
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Also environment dependent, allergen buildup can be problems for those who have sensitivities: The first moments of playing will blow any dust, pollen, etc, that have settled in/on you flute around the embouchure right back up into your face.
All of the above are risks, but all are dependent on a number of factors and no one can accurately say exactly how high, or low, your risk will be for problems with your flute, under your conditions. You just have to do the best risk/benefit assessment you can and then decide how comfortable you are gambling. Or buy a polymer flute and live a mostly care free life.
Interesting reads thanks. I’m always a bit torn on how much to worry about humidity, our house is old and poorly sealed and in the Canadian climate gets from as high as 60% humidity in the summer to as low as 20% in the winter with the wood stove and heatpump going. I appreciate humidity can have a powerful impact on wood, but on the other hand, between my wife and I we have many wooden instruments ranging from flutes to pipes to guitars to harps and I’ve been fortunate that I’ve not experienced any adverse effects to any of them in the ten years we’ve lived in this house. I think I’d be more concerned about the more rapid swelling and binding of cork or thread than the wood itself.
60% humidity isn’t usually a problem, other than the possibility of mold growth. It can certainly temporarily change the playing characteristics & tone of instruments, particularly stringed ones. I wouldn’t care to leave my guitar out in 20% humidity, although mine was built at low humidity before sealing the box. It’s in a case with a humidifier, and lives at 45-50%.
I always leave my two flutes assembled, as it is then much more likely that I will pick them up for a quick practice. I haven’t encountered any problems, although I do disassemble them occasionally to lubricate the joints, as I have come across flutes where the joints have become permanently welded together through inadequate lubrication. One of my flutes has synthetic cork lapping and the other had waxed thread. I live in England, i.e. not in a land of especially low humidity.