A wooden flute maintenance question

[Conical bore]

Usually I can only manage just one practice session a day, if that, but occasionally I can manage one practice in the morning, and another that same evening. So here's the question:

If I'm doing a morning practice and another in the evening, is it okay to leave a wooden flute assembled in the meantime, and just swab it out after the evening session? Or should it be disassembled and swabbed out after each practice session (i.e. twice a day)?

The flute in question is a keyless blackwood Windward. I've been religiously swabbing it out after each practice session, and oiling it 3 or 4 times a year at the change of seasons. So far no problems at all with this flute. I'm wondering though, about the wear and tear on the threaded tenons with that much disassembly and re-assembly when I'm able to do two practice sessions in the morning and evening. FWIW, I do blow out the flute with a strong puff of air, which gets rid of the large blobs of condensation.

So, which is better for the flute? Dis-assembling and swabbing it after both practice sessions in one day? Or reducing the tenon wear, and just swabbing it out at the end of the day?

[jim stone]

I don't know the answer to which is better, but I will suggest that, if you do leave it assembled, you stand it in a corner a let it drain for a good while. Gravity comes in handy and seems to work well. Also this prevents moisture from pooling anywhere in the flute.

[jim stone]

Another issue is stress to tenons in leaving the flute assembled all day. Martin Doyle recommends dissambling his flute when not playing it, for this reason. On the other hand, if the tenon isn't particularly tight I suspect there is no problem. I've never had one, anyhow, and often leave a flute assembled all day.

[Nanohedron]

I err on the side of caution.

I'm wondering though, about the wear and tear on the threaded tenons with that much disassembly and re-assembly when I'm able to do two practice sessions in the morning and evening.

There's the space between the socket base and tenon end, where moisture is likely to collect, to consider. The extent of time between morning and evening is, to my thinking, ample reason to disassemble and swab; but an hour - I'd probably not. As for wear and tear on the threading: I've re-threaded flutes a few times. I just figure it goes with the territory.

[busterbill]

Decades ago I had a very nice Dave Wiiliams flute I foolishly left assembled for days on a regular basis. It ended up needing a tenon repair. Since then I don't leave a flute assembled for more than 15 minutes if I'm not playing it, figuring more than 15 minutes puts me into distraction territory. Also a flute left out for hours on a desk or table could inadvertently get exposed to direct sunlight or forced air heating or air conditioning which could cause cracks... Others may have different experiences. But I got pretty careful and have avoided any problems. After I have broken in a flute I seldom swab it though, so putting it away involves a shake and popping it in its case and into its cupboard out of direct sunlight. This sounds complicated, but it is all set up so I don't really have to get up from my desk. And If I'm not a home I keep my flute in its case in an insulated bag.

[bradhurley]

I agree with those erring on the side of caution. Damp wood and damp threads tend to swell, which puts pressure on the tenons and sockets.

I wouldn't worry about wear and tear on the threads; I've never had to rethread a flute. My oldest flute is about 15 years old now and has never needed rethreading (although I've added and subtracted a few fine threads in maintaining the fit).

[ScottMaurer]

I would echo what everyone here has said and would not leave a wood flute assembled all day routinely. Additionally, it's important if you have cork lapping on a synthetic instrument. Leaving a cork lapped tenon assembled causes the cork to compress prematurely requiring service much sooner.

[Steve Bliven]

Does the disassembly recommendation extend to the foot joint? I regularly see photos of flutes in cases with the foot joint attached. Good or bad?

Best wishes.

Steve

[LewisC]

I see recommendations to always pull the foot joint out just a little from the RH section when the two are stored together in a case built that way. Yes there might be a tight fit in some cases that force the two closer, but I always put at least 1/4" gap in there.
L

[Nanohedron]

Does the disassembly recommendation extend to the foot joint? I regularly see photos of flutes in cases with the foot joint attached. Good or bad?

My practice has been to fully disassemble anything with lapping, so that includes the foot. I just don't like second-guessing these things when dealing with wood and moisture.

[MKE_Chris]

I bought a second-hand McGee that was shipped assembled in a poster tube. Nothing bad happened to it at all, and it must have been assembled for days. (I don't recommend this, however...)

Still, I tend to just disassemble a flute and set it on my desk if I'm going to be away from it for a period of time, just because I'd rather be safe than sorry. Who knows, we could get a sudden heat wave in the middle of the day that swells the tenons or something. Very probably not, but again, I'm not for taking chances.

[hpinson]

Terry's flute wood is quite a bit better seasoned than some makers and is very stable. I don't think I would carry across the parallel that because Terry's flute did not crack, another would not either, if left assembled.

[MKE_Chris]

Terry's flute wood is quite a bit better seasoned than some makers and is very stable. I don't think I would carry across the parallel that because Terry's flute did not crack, another would not either, if left assembled.

True, I also have a Murray that is a fair bit thinner and more prone to dryness than the McGee (which is doing fine with just a bit of bore oil). That one would almost certainly have issues if given the same treatment (and in fact, already had to have a very tiny crack arrested via repair due to the harsh winters of the northern midwest).

[Conical bore]

Thanks, everyone! It looks like the consensus is to take the flute apart and swab it out between practice sessions on the same day.

That's easy enough, and I guess I shouldn't worry that much about tenon wear. I've had this flute for almost four years now (not that you'd know from my playing). I haven't had to add or remove threads to get an airtight fit that's still easy to take apart and re-assemble. Just adding a little wax when the threads seem dry to the touch. I'm out here in the Pacific Northwest, where the house temperature and humidity doesn't vary much during the year, which probably helps keep the tenons stable.

[bradhurley]

I bought a second-hand McGee that was shipped assembled in a poster tube. Nothing bad happened to it at all, and it must have been assembled for days. (I don't recommend this, however...)

Shipping a dry, unplayed flute fully assembled is very different from playing a flute for 30 minutes or an hour and then leaving it assembled. The issue is the large amount of moisture that builds up from playing, and its swelling effect on the tenons and threads or cork.

If you think about it, museums that display wooden flutes leave them fully assembled for years, even decades. No problem: because they aren't being played. It's only when you play the flute that you have to start worrying about things like this.