Tuning Barrel
Wondering what collective experience people have had with tuning barrels?
Bit of a leading question.
I’m having trouble with a cracked barrel.
Luckily interchangeable with barrels from other flutes.
A bit astonished at the differences.
Hi Jimbaab.
Is this a modern flute or an original 19th century flute? If a modern flute, the maker might be a good source of advice on how to fix it.
And do we suspect the barrel cracked due to low humidity? If the crack is leaking badly, it probably is due to low humidity. The wood has shrunk onto the tuning slide liner, which resists the shrinkage. The wood continues to shrink, and finally something has to give. As I’ve commented here before, dense wood is great in terms of compressive strength, think railway sleepers (ties). But not good in terms of splitting strength, think firewood.
Reason I ask, is that if the barrel has cracked, the head is also at risk of cracking, as both are probably metal lined (by the tuning slides). So, good to consider what steps you can take to make sure the head doesn’t follow the barrel and crack also. Humidification? Storing the flute in an unheated part of the house?
And when you say “A bit astonished at the differences”, do you mean you are surprised at the impact of the crack in the barrel? Even the tiniest amount of leakage around the middle of the flute really impacts on the performance, especially of the lowest notes. If you can imagine strumming the open strings of a guitar, and then even lightly laying a hand across the middle of the strings, that’s the equivalent of a leak in the middle of a flute.
Hi Terry
I’d read past posts regarding tuning barrels with interest.
Mine is a Boosey an Co purchased in February.
The changeable playability I’d put on me and a different embouchure to my Williams with Olwell head. My contorted face often ached after some difficult playing.
One morning, no note would come. Till I gripped the tuning barrel in my right hand.
Noticed the glued crack then.
Flute plays well with the Olwell barrel.
Better yet with the barrel off a Delrin Boosey Eb.
Wound insulating tape around the original Boosey barrel but it’s still fluffy and, looking along the length of the flute the head is squint. Not so with the other barrels.
It’s a great flute tho. Especially with the Delrin barrel. The Cocus head can make a great bark on the lower notes and sweet up high. I’m horrified at the notion of that head splitting.
Horrified.
Dumfries shire’s not a known hot spot (yet) and the house is remarkably cool in the summer.
The head is lined.
Would keeping the flute away from temperature extremes lessen any chance of splitting?
Don’t want to wrap the flute in cotton wool tho. It’s too good for that.
Sorry for the slow response. Absolutely overloaded with stuff! Can’t blame it all on flutes. Some is better characterised as “emergency gardening”! It’s been a very long, very hot and muggy summer and autumn (fall) has at last brought relief, but has decimated my excuses! But getting back to flutes…
Interesting to try a “suck test” on the original barrel. Detach it from the flute, close one end with the palm of your hand, and suck at the other end. Can you draw and hold a good vacuum? You need to be able to - any leakage in the middle of a flute has to be dealt with. We can talk about options once you confirm.
And you seem to suggest that the original barrel is not in line with the head. Is it possible that when the crack was repaired, somehow the tuning slide was glued back in “at an angle”? Is it annoyingly wrong, or just noticeably wrong? Worth dealing with? Might be tricky…
The biggest challenge for head and barrels is not so much temperature as low humidity. If it’s likely that the head will have to endure really low humidity it may be worth taking steps to avoid it. I imagine your low humidity risk might be mid winter, when you have central or other heating going full time?
On a cheerful note, the fact that the barrel had cracked but the head hadn’t might suggest it has a bigger safety margin. It’s had around 200 years to crack so far, but hasn’t bothered.
Interestingly, I recently had to deal with a relatively late Boosey that had the unusual and opposite issue from cracking - leakage in the head around the slide! After you’ve done the barrel suck test, try it on the head too:
Remove the cap and suck at that end of the head to test how tight the stopper is.
If it passes the suck test, put the cap back on. If not, push the cork out and cover that end with the palm of your hand.
Now cover the open end of the tuning slide and suck at the embouchure hole (or vice versa). Good vacuum?
Terry
Hi Terry.
Thanks for getting back to me.
Sounds like tough gardening conditions where you are. I hear Australians value tap water greatly.
This is an interesting learning experience for me and I’m glad to have it.
There’s a fair bit of “data” here by dint o my having several lovely flutes. Albeit one is fluffy. So here goes…
Barrels Vacuum.
Original Boosey barrel now wrapped in insulating tape.
Gone in 5 Seconds.
Eb Boosey Barrel. Holds.
Olwell. Holds.
Head plus various barrels vacuum.
Original. No vacuum held
Eb. 6 seconds.
Olwell. 2 seconds
The Olwell barrel slide is maybe 1 or 2 micron larger diameter than the Booseys.
The Olwell head slide is large going into the Boosey Barrels.
Goes, with care, but obviously tight.
Squint
The buckle was noticeable is all Terry. I’m sure I’ve seen flute players with quite buckled looking bits of wood and playing fine.
Since wrapping the barrel in insulating tape it seems ok and straight today. Starting to doubt my eyes.
The head Vacuum holds tight.
Happily, robust, is my word to describe the physical condition of the head.
It delivers great sound, with a good barrel. Can hardly believe my luck at having such an array of barrels.
I’d say that’s a fair bit for anyone to digest so I’ll leave it there.
Off to play the flute. Woohoo!
Cheers th noo.
James.