Strange thing... :( help!!

AlonE · Post by **AlonE** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:50 am

hello!

when I touch my Mellow Dog for a long time, the sweat of my hands melts some plastic species or greenish glue in the tube (body), is like a film of glue or something thus, being enough spoiled whistle. that I can make to avoid this?

thanks to all!!!

King Friday · Post by **King Friday** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:56 am

This happens with Waltons whistles. If the appearance doesn't bother you, your fine, it wont have any negative effect on the whistle. On one Waltons I had I used nail polish remover to take off all the coating when it started to come off.

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:02 am

I strip the coating as soon as I get them with green washing pad. I then polish them to a high shine but only once, thereafter I let them develop a patina.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:58 am

You'll experience this with most brands of brass cheapies with the exception of Feadogs... it just means that you're showing your whistle some love

As Adrian said, the easiest fix is just to use some acetone (nail polish remover) to remove the finish... I actually wouldn't use a brillow pad on my whistles but that's a personal preference. Acetone and a paper towel works just fine. I usually leave a small band of the coating on around the whistle makers logo, I kinda like the way it looks. Make sure that you've got something to swab out the inside of the whistle when you're done because when you strip off the finish it tends to get into the tone holes. I just use a recorder swab and pipe cleaners to ensure clean and clear tone holes and bore.

Anglorfin · Post by **Anglorfin** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:41 pm

Avoid soaking your whistle for any length of time. At the very least don't put the entire whistle into a solution because it could mess with the glue that holds the fipple in place.

Speaking of patina. Straycat do you play your whistle backwards?

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:07 pm

I do, but don't ask me why

I am indeed right handed but when I first started playing (a Clarke Original many years ago) I had no instruction, very little knowledge of Irish music outside of the Pogues and no C&F community so I just did what felt comfortable, and my dominant hand decided to take top bunk! I'm flirting with the idea of flute now so that'll make buying a used one a bit more difficult. My cousin, Eric (Key_of_D) did the very same thing with his hands... he's learning pipes now so that made things quite interesting for him too!

As for the finish remover, I never soak my whistles in anything, I should've been more detailed about my process. Usually I just put a small amount acetone on a folded paper towel in the palm of my hand, wrap the whistle in it and twist the whistle in and out of it.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:55 pm

A Dremel tool with a polishing pad and jeweler's rouge is what I use, then I buff with a piece of chamois leather.

The whistles have a golden glow when first done, then they get that "well played" patina around the finger holes.

My friend Matt McNeely learned whistle left handed, so he had to buy left handed uilleann pipes, even though he is right handed.

I am left handed, so right handed sets seem more "natural" to me since my left arm does the work.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:58 pm

Funny how those things work out, eh?