So my friend has returned home after being away for some 6+ years…when he left, he had my WW set with him..also a Susato low F…nice to have him back but he seems to have misplaced the head part for the set…so now all I have is three tubes…they do have the plumbing marks on them…my question is are these now worthless?..I’d imagine that someone could make the head piece?..it may show up some day but I’m doubtful…this was a pretty awesome set…I would also imagine that all the " value would be in the head part…any one have any thoughts?..thanks!
The value is in the complete whistle made by Glenn Schultz. I am sure a number of us could make replacement heads that would play well and fit the bodies well. But that would not be a Water Weasel. They are such good whistles. Most of the magic is in the head. Glenn had the touch.
In other cases I would suggest you just look to buy another Water Weasel second hand and utilize that head - you’d have a spare body too. But Glenn fitted his heads to each body. So the fit may not be the best. He likely made them in batches. While Glenn’s measurements hovered around a certain mark they did vary a bit, enough to effect the fit of the tuning slide. I have a number of Water Weasels here that bear that out. One head does not fit all bodies.. They were truly hand made whistles.
Part of my getting serious about whistle making was prompted by needing to replace a cracked mouthpiece ferrule on the head of a Water Weasel.
So what’s that “friend” have to say? Hard to replace such a “priceless” object.
Feadoggie
Thanks Feadoggie…good idea, I’ll look for another water weasel in D and hope for the best fit…anybody have one for sale?
whistle1000: If you decide to go the custom head route, here is information to help you on your way: You might contact Paul Busman, on the board. Paul builds superb whistles, and was a student of Glenn Shultz, years ago. If anyone can take your whistles and create a custom head for them in the style of the original, it is Paul. May I respectfully suggest any charges go to your friend. Heh. Heh.
Best.
Byll
I should have mentioned Paul Busman in my earlier post. Thanks Byll.
One thing that may be difficult to replicate is the fipple itself, the plug. One could be made from delrin, CPVC or other material that would replicate the shape of the original. But Glenn used an unusual material for his plugs, something he had experience with from his work in the automotive industry. I personally have never heard a definitive statement of what that material might be or how it could be sourced. If anybody does know what Glenn used it would be an interesting tidbit to share.
Feadoggie
Hmmmmmm let’s see now… it was definitively redmaterial. 
That narrows it down a lot.
Thanks for the input Byll…I’m sure Mr. Busman would do an awesome job!..I may have to go that route or just pass the 3 bodies on to someone that already has the D head…I’m pretty sure that the plug material for my head piece was some sort of wood…not red or any mystery material…just plain old wood…any of your’s have a wooden plug Feadoggie?..or anyone else?..thanks!
Most, if not all, of the Water Weasels I have seen, including my own, have the red plug material. Tommy seems have observed the same. My Thin Weasels have what I assume to be the same material but in a tan-ish color. It does resemble wood. It is actually grainy looking. Maybe Glenn used that color on some Water Weasels too. But that’s speculation on my part.
I’ve tried every polymer material I can get my hands on over the years (not looking to find the WW material, just experimenting on my own) At one point I thought the WW plugs might be made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), like Trex decking material. When the outer mouthpiece cracked on my low D Water Weasel it gave me an opportunity to get up close and personal with the “redmaterial” fipple. I bought some HDPE samples and it did not machine quite as nicely as what I see in the Water Weasels. It would be nice to hear what others have in their WW’s and TW’s.
Maybe it is a closely guarded industrial secret and the reason Glenn’s whistles play so well, sound so nice and can not be duplicated. Maybe Paul Busman knows. He would certainly know better than I would. My correspondence with Glenn was limited to ordering whistles.
Feadoggie
The fipple plug in my C Water Weasel is red - in my D Water Weasel, brown. They are the same material, and the brown looks like faux wood. Neither are wood.
Cheers.
Byll
The other thing that might help narrow it down is that if the red fipple came loose… ca glue would not adhere to it. But putting some ca on the cpvc and letting it dry creates a friction fit. Perhaps it is a grade of delrin.
I guess it wasn’t wood…mine certainly looked like wood but now that you mention it, it was tan and did look a bit grainy…I always assumed it was wood…it was rather loose inside the mouthpiece too…I was offered to buy one but we don’t know what a fair price would be…anybody have an idea what one should go for?..Thanks!
Well, if it was loose that might be a vote in favor of wood. Most plastics don’t shrink like wood can.
But Tommy raises an interesting thought on the suitability with adhesives. Glenn used “spacey glue” - CA, AFAIK. Some plastics don’t glue easily, no matter how spacey the adhesive. HDPE and CA don’t adhere well either if the HDPE is smooth. It flakes off fairly easily. Better than delrin but not a long haul bond. Trex is a mix of recycled polyethelene and wood products so I jumped to that kind of thought. Maybe I’ll try it again as a test.
My Thin Weasels are similar to what Byll describes in his WW hiigh D. So there you have it.
I am afraid that price is a market demand/supply type of thing at this point. There won’t be any more made. A single Water Weasel high whistle was selling for $84 before Glenn left us. Here’s the last price list I had.
Most sell for near double that now. A few WW whistles I have noticed sold for what I would call crazy money. Hopefully that has moderated by now.
Feadoggie
Feadoggie, Glenn told me the red fipple material was an inert wax. I had the ‘honor’ of being the only person to have a mild reaction to the material as far as Glenn knew. Wish I still had the email from him as it might have had a bit more info that has been forgotten. Perhaps his daughter would be willing to share his secret by now?
Judy
Before anyone contacts me on this, I’ve gotta regretfully refuse to do this. I’ve never made one of those heads and the R&D time it would take me to make one would be prohibitive. Sorry.
Someone who already has a D whistle might well be interested in buying the other two keys. Good luck finding a new one!
I somehow doubt that I will find a new one…but thanks for the well wishes…
A fellow chiffer has kindly offered to sell me one at a very fair price…thanks Dave!!..sorry Tommy, I would have sent you the bodies if I hadn’t been given such an opportunity…now to shake down my friend!!
A good outcome for all I trust. I hope you get a good fit between the old bodies and the new head.
Thank you, jkrazy52. Now we know. Machinable was actually another material I have investigated. Machinable wax is used for a lot of applications such as product prototyping, lost was casting, jewelry mold making, etc. It can be formulated a number of ways but most are a combination of polyethylene (generally old shopping bags or bottles) and paraffin. Other materials may be mixed in too. The type Glenn used was harder stuff than what I have worked with - less paraffin more plastic I suppose. You can cook it up at home in a double boiler if you are the crafty type.
Being a wax and a polyethylene composite machinable wax will not glue well. Here’s the basic type of wax if anyone cares. Glenn probably used a tougher compound.
Feadoggie
Thanks Feadoggie…I’m hoping for a good fit as well…if not, I’m hope that it’s on the looser side so I could add teflon or something…if not, I’ll be looking for someone to retro fit…barring that, I’ll have a good water weasel…I’m fondly remembering the WW’s now…they were my go to whistles before I got my Sindt’s…especially for studio work but I’ve always preferred a good brass whistle…they are well tuned and good and loud…I’ve had quite a few players ask about them and like their sound…I’m so glad to have found one available so soon…thanks again Dave!!
Edit: Feadoggie already said most of what is below, and more
note to self: make sure you have read the second page of the thread if you start a reply and then finish it 12 hours later!!!
Glenn told me the red fipple material was an inert wax
perhaps a “machinable wax”
I’ve never played with stuff so do not know how durable it is.
You can look up its hardness, just a little harder than a truck tire tread ( which is much harder than a car tire tread). But since machinable wax (which is in fact wax with plastic dissolved in it) is intended to confirm CNC setups, to create molds for lost wax casting, and used for teaching/practice machining not much is said about how well it might function as a fipple