Copeland Condensation

guyregular · Post by **guyregular** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 12:33 am

Can anyone offer advice on how to prevent a Copeland Brass high D from clogging up with condensation in the fipple?

ErikT · Post by **ErikT** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 12:52 am

Try a mixture of soap and water rubbed in the windway. I also like (and have taken to using) Mack's method of using fabric softening sheets. It's less messy and works wonders.

Erik

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 5:20 am

Warm the fipple of the whistle before playing. Tuck it under your arm, hold it in your hands, put it in a pocket (no keys or spare change!) etc. Do NOT warm it by blowing through it. Moist breath+cold metal=condensation!

Whistlepeg · Post by **Whistlepeg** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 7:41 am

Some of the more expensive recorders (oops, sorry.....) come with a little bottle of clear liquid with an eye-dropper. You are supposed to put this into the mouthpiece, let it dry and voila....less clogging. It can be bought at any good photo suppy store and is used on camera lens' to prevent fogging...creates a sheeting action much like soap. I never bothered with it myself, but some professional players I know use it!
Sue

ndjr · Post by **ndjr** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 9:18 am

Somewhere in the Chiff & Fipple web pages is a suggestion to use a compound intended for automotive use to keep the rain from beading up on your windshield -- RainX, I believe it is called. I never tried it, but I have been using "Jet-Dry Sparkle" for a while now. It's used in the dishwasher to lower the surface tension of the rinse water and keep your glasses from spotting. One of the things that attracted me to it is this part of the emergency instructions: "If swallowed, drink some water to dilute." The other part is "keep out of reach of children." I rather like the idea of using something non-toxic on my whistles.

I have not found it necessary to treat the entire windway, which is fortunate because I thereby avoid the bad taste in the mouth. I just put a swab moistened with "Sparkle" through the window and coat the bevel at the exit to the windway. That does it. Capillary action takes enough of it within the windway when I play to take care of the problem.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Jul 12, 2001 3:57 pm

It can be helpful to occasionally
suck suddenly (a quick, short--not deep--
inhalation) on the mouthpiece while playing,
thereby clearing it. I've seen professional
whistle players playing copeland ds do it
and I find it works.