How to stabilize a crack
How to stabilize a crack
And so it happened: I'm on the road with my family, and in the chaos of things my assembled flute takes a tumble. It's a blackwood Rudall type, and it cracked at the joint between the two hands. Fortunately, the joint is held together by a silver ring holds up just fine, but I can't attempt a repair while on the road and I'm wondering how to stabilize/protect the crack for a few weeks. Would it be safe for the wood to wrap the joint with electrical tape, possibly reinforced with a zip-tie? Or is the adhesive going to interact with the wood? Has anyone done this successfully?
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Jack Bradshaw
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Re: How to stabilize a crack
Not just any old electrical tape...you want the high-voltage stuff, quite stretchy, usually gray...it will sort of bond to itself and comes off cleanly....I have a flute w/ the same broken joint in my lap as I type this.......got to get around to fixing it sometime.......too easy just to keep playing w/ the tape on.....
Forgot to mention..there's no adhesive on this kind..it sticks to itself, not to the surface.....
Forgot to mention..there's no adhesive on this kind..it sticks to itself, not to the surface.....
603/329-7322
"I fail to see why doing the same thing over and over and getting the
same results every time is insanity: I've almost proved it isn't;
only a few more tests now and I'm sure results will differ this time ... "
"I fail to see why doing the same thing over and over and getting the
same results every time is insanity: I've almost proved it isn't;
only a few more tests now and I'm sure results will differ this time ... "
Re: How to stabilize a crack
I would whip it with string. You could use a bootlace.
There are lots of 'whippings'. About the most effective is the simplest; start with the flute in the middle of the string, tie half a reef knot (like the start of tying your shoelaces). Pull tight, taking both ends round the flute. Tie the same knot again where the ends cross. Make sure each turn round the flute lies parallel to previous turns and keep going until you've covered the area. Finish with a reef knot.
There are lots of 'whippings'. About the most effective is the simplest; start with the flute in the middle of the string, tie half a reef knot (like the start of tying your shoelaces). Pull tight, taking both ends round the flute. Tie the same knot again where the ends cross. Make sure each turn round the flute lies parallel to previous turns and keep going until you've covered the area. Finish with a reef knot.