Recommendations: Whistle Fipple Replacement

[littlejohngael]

So, my first low whistle -- a bazillion years ago -- was a Kerry Low D, the one Kerry Whistles no longer makes (see pic below). KW no longer makes the fipple for this whistle, but it's past its prime and leaks air like nobody's business. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any success with a fipple replacement for this particular whistle. Seems a shame to let it go to waste.



Regards,

Little John
//a.k.a. LittleJohnGael

*edited to remove extraneous code

[Narzog]

I've seen people interchange whistle heads and bodies before if they are the right size. so it may be possible to find another head that fits. But normally that means buying another whistle to get the head, which at that point you dont really need the old body. But if you could find a whistle with removable head that fit you could get it in a different key and then when you want pull the head off and put it on your Kerry d body.

It could also be possible to repair this head if you wanted to save it. Depending on the issue. But theres 'non toxic when cured' epoxy's you can fix any cracks with, and you could use teflon tape or other things to fix and air leaking where it connects to the body.

[fatmac]

As above, many ways to cure air leaks, where does yours?

[TxWhistler]

It could also be possible to repair this head if you wanted to save it. Depending on the issue. But theres 'non toxic when cured' epoxy's you can fix any cracks with, and you could use teflon tape or other things to fix and air leaking where it connects to the body.

I agree with Narzog's suggestion. Where is it leaking the air? A crack in the head, loose fit between the body and the head, or both?

[pancelticpiper]

Another question is, is that top worth saving?

I ask because I had that same whistle many years ago and the 2nd octave was very flat.

[Sedi]

I think that is a standard size alloy tube. I switched the head of my Kerry Optima F for the head of a low D "Qwistle" but I think that Donald Lindsay, the maker of the Qwistle, is still on sabbatical from whistle making. A real shame IMO as his whistles are amazing.

[rykirk]

If the leak is just the fit between the head and the tube I'd just hit it with a few wraps of plumbers tape. If the head itself is cracked, I'd get some quick cure two part epoxy glue and fill the crack with that. Not sure what else could go wrong on it besides those two things.

[littlejohngael]

Thank you all for your input. I've used plumber's tape and even some putty to seal it, but then the air comes out from the blowing end of the fipple. I've tried to seal that as well, but it never stays sealed long.