Fluteland.com Flute Message Board

Thanks a lot for the links. Are both amber and clear shellacs made from the insect secretions or are either or both synthetic?

Trying to put pads on an old Conn sterling flute. I think some of the tone holes have a little warpage so it's been tough going. Using a feeler gauge and little arcs of shims. How much can seating a pad with dampening and key clamps make up for not getting it perfect with the shims? Also, not relate...

Can you give me a brand name on that?

I wish that was the only problem. Unfortunately the fumes are what really get you and a filter mask will not cut it.

I've found a non toxic contact cement though. Any comments on it?
http://www.joggles.com/store/catalog/pr ... ts_id=2277

Solvents, petroleum derivatives, hexane, toluene, pretty much anything that says flammable or has a warning on it, super glues, methly alcohol. There is one solvent I can use and that is grain alcohol AKA Everclear 190 proof.

Thanks. So shellac won't stick to plastic tenons?

This question actually relates to work being done on a clarinet but maybe could also apply to a wooden flute so here goes: I'm replacing tenon corks but everyone uses contact cement which has chemicals I am highly sensitive to. Is there any non-toxic alternative to getting cork to stick to a plastic...

Great post as usual. Thanks. So the solder mainly flows around the lip plate/tube junction and gets by itself to those hard to get at areas underneath that you can barely see?

The difference in diameters is a bit greater than 1/8" so sounds like cork would work. Would Micro cement be OK to use for it? I don't like to use the glues with toxic fumes. Unsoldering and reversing a lip plate seems like a pretty touchy operation. How do you get under there and get a good seal al...

Did you use heat when bending the brass tubing? Not sure I want to get into soldering although I've done quite a bit with electronics so you never know. Kind of partial to just making up the difference in tubing sizes with a little cork since that would be the easiest. Any comment on that?

After adjusting old pads and reshimming it seems like you would need to reseat them wouldn't you? I had one pad that was so lightly sealed on one side that it had almost no tone hole indentation there. Can you teach an old pad new tricks?

Have you seen the "swan" head joint? No sharp angles. May be possible to bend one like that, eh? I've researched bending metal tubes and it seems like packing it with sand and using a jig and some heat might be a possibility. How much heat would be one question and how to seal the ends of the joint ...

Finally got the job done. Nephew made me 3 punches from drill stock. The sharpest one was the best although since he didn't temper them it took the point off to do the punching. Then it was just a matter of applying heat (I used a wood burning tool) and WD-40 and alcohol. Now I'm looking at pads. Ju...

Having back problems I've been looking into the alternate head joint possibilities. Unfortunately they are all out of my budget at present but I hate to give up playing. Anyone have a curved head lying around they're not using? Otherwise I do have a nephew who has a BS in engineering and works with ...

Thanks Piper. That's super. I'll let you know how it goes.