Hi, I have been given a very nice Butler 6-key flute, in good condition, apart from the head which has a full length crack going through the near side of the embouchure. I have removed the lining and I am wondering if it is possible to repair the crack, after squeezing together, and held with those exercise bands or hose clips and not use the lining, apart from inserting a bit to go into the tuning slide. Would this have an adverse effect on the tone and intonation?
I don't want to spend much money!
Any Ideas??
Thanks

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"is it about a bicycle"?

You may get an answer here but it may be worth your while posting this message on the facebook " flute history channel". There are a number of makers and restorers who lurk there who may give some wise advice.

Thank you, I've only just joined Facebook, so still navigating my way around it! But, great idea.
Harry

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"is it about a bicycle"?

I expect it would have a bad impact on the intonation, as the bore of the head would be generally larger than the maker intended. Remembering that the small contraction of 19 down to 17mm tapered over the length of a Boehm flute head is the equivalent of our entire body taper in conical bore flutes. So an increase from say 19mm to 19.6mm over 60mm or so would tend to flatten the upper octaves. (Interesting little modelling challenge there, Tunborough!) And you'd need to make your stopper cork bigger too!

So I'd do the gluing, clamping and making good, and then ream the head out to accept the full length of slide. Now, I know that some households don't run to a full set of flute reamers, hard to believe isn't it, so you could opt to sand out the bore, using a piece of dowel in your pistol drill, slotted to take a course strip of sand paper. No pistol drill? OK, this is going to take a bit longer....

You'd need to proceed carefully, as it would be easy to make some sections of bore larger than you need, although that would not be a tragedy. When you have the slide capable of being inserted and removed without risk to the glued crack, you are ready to glue it in. A few things to keep in mind:
- you really want to make sure to line up the embouchure holes in slide and wood, or you'll then have to file the metal through the hole,
- you only really need to glue around the hole to make sure it's airtight. That also makes it easier if the crack reopens in the future.
- you definitely need to avoid getting any glue down where the female slide from the barrel has to enter its cavity
- wise to use a glue that could be softened with heat if something goes wrong, now or later. It will need some gap filling properties.

Best of luck! And make haste slowly!

Thanks for that great advice Terry, I had had some other excellent advice from the Flute History group on Facebook too. I now feel well armed and prepared to take on the job!
I like the idea of the Grim Reaper, no, no sorry, The Drill Reamer!
Thanks
Harry

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"is it about a bicycle"?

I took the flute apart including the head lining and slide tube, closed the fissure in the head, slightly reamed the head and reassembled the whole thing. It doesn't look too pretty. I filled any cracks in the head and barrel with CA and wood dust, and It plays fine now, with very good intonation. The only problem is that the sound is a little "breathy" and not "hard" The hole in the head and the liner look quite well aligned, but there is some of the liner visible in the chimney.
How feasible is it to gently file away the visible brass on the far side of the embouchure, and also would this probably improve the sound?
I'd post some photos if I knew how.
Thanks,
Harry

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"is it about a bicycle"?