if anyone has a good quality plastic/polymer/delrin flute that breaks in 3-4 pieces (like a Dixon 3-piece polymer or something) and would like to swap for a wooden Pratten-style I’m thinking about a trade.
To explain, I bought a nicely playable and very attractive wooden Pratten last year (tweaked and tuned by our very own JemTheFlute - so you know it’ll be OK). But then I was lucky enough to come into a bit of money shortly after and an option on a couple of more expensive instruments (my beloved Cotter keyless and an old German 8-key). I’m quite happy having the other Pratten as a second instrument - it’s loud and effective - but what I really need urgently is an indestructible but good quality plastic flute that is collapsible and I can throw in the whistle bag/backpack, and play in the rain while camping/festival-going etc.
If anyone has such a thing and wants to trade (in the UK I guess) it would be fair swap I think, and would very much suit someone who bought a nice polymer flute, learned to blow Pratten, and wants to ‘graduate’ to a wooden instrument at no extra cost.
If you’re interested, you can read all about the instrument in question and what Jem did to it here. It’s the second one down - the distinctive ‘swirly’ one. Scroll down and you can read more discussion about and listen to a sample.
PS. sorry to advertise a selling-on Jem, no reflection on the excellent job you did with it. It plays well
No problem! I’m just glad you’ve been happy with it and that it served your needs at the time, and that you offer it on with such an endorsement. I’m also glad to hear you’ve moved on to some still better flutes.
Happy to do so. Like I say it’s powerful and very playable. I think I’m fair in saying that you pays your money and takes your choice. The Cotter is a better class of instrument and costs a lot more (if you can get one). Is price everything? No. Is my Cotter three times better than this one? Probably not. How do you measure these things? Impossible to tell. Would make a very nice first wooden flute for someone.
thanks for the offer from Oz (and a similar one from the USA), check your PMs.
If anyone from the UK has an interest in trade or sale then I’m still happy to consider that, bearing in mind the international postage. Otherwise I’ll go with ‘first come first served’ at the weekend.
Have a look at this Mark, Three piece Tony Dixon conical bore flute in D, ABS plastic, brass rings, corked tenons, and cork in head piece.
Tough as nails (or as tough as tough plastic can be ):
And this, sorry for chopping off the end, but you should get the idea.
Co-polymer actually G1, and just to be pedantic, it is called Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. The polymers Acrylonitrile and Styrene on their own are somewhat brittle, Butadiene is added giving the plastic it’s strength.
Thanks G1 I have already contacted Mark in regards to a swap.
What are you playing (the tune that is) on the clip you posted?
Whoops! I stand corrected… the one I bought just called it ‘polymer’. It’s good to learn new things! Thanks.
It’s just a toss-off from the collection of riffs that I use for my music and jams. Years ago I had to learn tunes note for note to appease agents and club owners, but as I became more accepted as a writer I avoided doing so - which has left my repertoire of other peoples songs for performance purposes bereft.
I’m currently working on a couple of ITM pieces to post here in order to be in keeping with the status quo. Thanks for asking.
G1, did you buy the two piece Dixon perchance? I know that it is described as a ‘polymer flute’ on some sites. Polymers are combined to form a Plastic that the flute is made from. It’s a bit of a grey area, Bakelite is a polymer, but not many people would call a Bakelite bowl a polymer bowl or a plastic bowl.
Usually, polymers on their own are pretty useless, but when two or more polymers are combined we get magical results: think nylon, rayon, polystyrene and PVC, where would we be today without the convenience of those materials?
Shellac is a naturally occuring polymer, as is cellulose. When cellulose fibres are disolved in an alkali / carbon disulphide solution then reconverted and extruded through an acid bath, we get the ever popular Cellophane.
Please let us hear your ITM composition as soon as you finish it.
G1, you have every right to be confused with regard to Tony Dixon’s use of the terms polymer or ABS plastic. I am unable to figure out any rhyme or reason to his descriptions on his website. On one flute or whistle the head is said to be made from polymer, and on the next item on the list a similar-appearing whistle or flute head is said to be made from ABS plastic. It is almost as if he is using the two terms interchangably. If he is not, then it is not clear to me what the distinctions are.
Although I understand that plastics are polymers or co-polymers, the term polymer in flutemaking or whistle making usually refers to a type of thin-wall extruded piping, whereas ABS plastics are often using for molded parts, such as whistle heads. The three-piece, conical-bore flute pictured in this thread is said to be made from solid polymer, which doesn’t tell you very much about its actual compostion, in my opinion. http://www.tonydixonmusic.co.uk/catalogue/dixonshop.html
While Tony may use all the plasticky terms in a fairly elastic manner…his 3 piece polymer flute is made of delrin. I’ve owned one and played 4 or 5 over the past 6 years, and they were all made of delrin.
Thanks Jayhawk, ‘Delrin’ is a particular brand name for one of Dupont’s products. Delrin is Polyoxymethylene, a polyacetal, the chemical formula being -(-O-CH2-)n-. I don’t know how to type it in as a formula so that’s as close as I can get.
ABS plastic on the other hand is a copolymer with the chemical formal, (C8H8· C4H6·C3H3N)n), so I wonder just which one the three piece Dixon is made from? I tend to agree with you that it is indeed Delrin.
I have tried in the past to contact Tony Dixon in regards to redrilling tone holes on one of his flutes (I have a couple of his flutes), but got no reply.
Now that my interest has been sparked, I may try to contact him again. Cheers.
I forgot to add, I bought a Dixon two piece which was described as being made from ABS plastic and a three piece which was also listed as ABS plastic, it is quite clear to the eye that these two flutes are not made from the same material. The two piece is flexible and the three piece is rigid with no movement in it whatsoever. I would say the two piece is a ‘polymer’ flute of the extruded plastic type you refer to.
Tony Dixon’s web site lists lots of whistles with different materials used in their construction such as ‘polymer’ ‘ABS plastic’ and ‘solid polymer’. Doug, I agree it’s a tad confusing not knowing exactly what material is being used, just saying something is made from polymer or solid polymer doesn’t mean a lot. So is the three piece on his site made from a natural polymer such as can be obtained from wood fibre, or is it a naturally occurring polymer such as shellac? Just calling it a polymer flute or whistle is no indication of the material actually used.
Ceili_whistle_man - I’ve had email exchanges with Tony several years back, and he told me it was polyacetal…when I asked if it was delrin, he said it was but not the stuff from DuPont - so maybe a European knock off?
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