Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hey folks, long time no talk. I haven't been here for a while but it's good to see a lot of familiar "faces" still here. I've been keeping a watchful eye on the hygrometer in my flute case and it hasn't been a bad winter here in Pittsburgh so I haven't had to wet my little moisture cloth very often. I did it the other day, then the temps dropped way down on Friday and the gas heat has been really drying things out in here. When I looked again this morning the humidity in the case had suddenly dropped down below 60% where I like to keep it. No issues with the flute but just a reminder to check that sucker, especially if you're not playing on a daily basis.

In case anyone is wondering, this is my Watson 6-key, in a pistol case, inside a ProTech clarinet case. You know, like a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Always a good reminder. Here in NorCal, we don't get the frigid temps as you do in PA, though with low 30s at night, central heating indoors does drive RH down well below 40%, so my flutes are now kept in their plastic bin humidor containers for the winter.

...dropped down below 60% where I like to keep it.

Does that mean you normally keep the RH above 60%? I’ve always thought that >60% could lead to mold growth.

For further reading, Matthew O. just posted this on the Olwell Flutes blog:
https://www.olwellflutes.com/post/flutes-humidity

Put one of these in your instrument case and rest easy. One will keep your flute about 50%-60% for a couple of months. I've been using these for years with no problem with flutes cracking or warping.

They are available at Amazon for $8.85 for 10 so you'll be able to give some to your fluting pals. I have no financial incentive in recommending these.

Also available here https://mikescigars.com/water-pillow at 50¢/each for 12, plus postage.

At Amazon:
Water Humidification Pillows.
Portable Humidifiers for Cigar Humidification
4.5 out of 5 stars 400 ratings

$8.85 (- 10 Pack-) -- $0.89 / Count)

Cheers and stay warm and well.... Davy

stiofan wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:00 am Does that mean you normally keep the RH above 60%? I’ve always thought that >60% could lead to mold growth.

I try to keep it right at 60%. I've never had an issue with mold, but below 60% I have had some rings fall off and had to superglue them back on.

Julia Delaney wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:09 am Put one of these in your instrument case and rest easy. One will keep your flute about 50%-60% for a couple of months. I've been using these for years with no problem with flutes cracking or warping.

They are avaliable at Amazon for $8.85 for 10 so you'll be able to give some to your fluting pals. I have no financial incentive in recommending these.

https://www.amazon.com/Prestige-Group-P ... C99&sr=8-1

Thanks for the tip David! I'll have to give these a shot.

Thanks to David's advice, I've been using these for a couple of years now in the winter months. (I live near the ocean so summer holds no humidity problems.) No cracks, no rings dropping off, no mold from too much moisture. They've worked fine for me.

Best wishes,

Steve

Steve Bliven wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 5:04 pm Thanks to David's advice, I've been using these for a couple of years now in the winter months. (I live near the ocean so summer holds no humidity problems.) No cracks, no rings dropping off, no mold from too much moisture. They've worked fine for me.

Best wishes,

Steve

Thanks Steve, sounds like a good solution.

Kirk B wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:19 pm

stiofan wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:00 am Does that mean you normally keep the RH above 60%? I’ve always thought that >60% could lead to mold growth.

I try to keep it right at 60%. I've never had an issue with mold, but below 60% I have had some rings fall off and had to superglue them back on.

That makes sense to me, though I still find it challenging to keep the RH at a perfectly consistent level, so I aim for 50-60%. Maybe I’ll try the Water Pillow David and Steve mentioned instead of the standard sponge in a baggie method to see if it works better. I use something similar (made by Stretto) for my cello that works well. By the way, the care instructions by the Olwells have this to say about absolutely consistent humidity: “but since constant humidity is functionally impossible outside of a laboratory, it is important to protect the flute from rapid changes in humidity.” Also, in the blog post I linked above, M. Olwell points out that hygrometers can vary from one to another due to calibration consistency, so that’s something to consider as well.

Kirk B wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:19 pm I have had some rings fall off and had to superglue them back on.

For your consideration, new flute instructions from Solen LeSoeuf recommend , "The rings are not glued in place and they can and do come off sometimes. If a ring comes off superglue or epoxy is not the answer. It must be reinstalled tightly with cloth underneath it to fill the gap. Although this is a simple standard repair, it is best to see a woodwind repairer..."

Have other makers addressed this issue in their instructions?

Best wishes.

Steve

stiofan wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:43 pm By the way, the care instructions by the Olwells have this to say about absolutely consistent humidity: “but since constant humidity is functionally impossible outside of a laboratory, it is important to protect the flute from rapid changes in humidity.” Also, in the blog post I linked above, M. Olwell points out that hygrometers can vary from one to another due to calibration consistency, so that’s something to consider as well.

Yes, I'm sure there is definitely a bit of variance in different hygrometers and I didn't spend a ton of money on mine so who knows how accurate it really is. I've seen levels as high as 70% and as low as low 50% range, and have tried to keep it as close to 60% as I can on a consistent basis without wide sudden changes. I've never had an issue with mold so I think I'm OK on the high side. Just the few times that rings have come off when it got too low.

Steve Bliven wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 8:29 am

Kirk B wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:19 pm I have had some rings fall off and had to superglue them back on.

For your consideration, new flute instructions from Solen LeSoeuf recommend , "The rings are not glued in place and they can and do come off sometimes. If a ring comes off superglue or epoxy is not the answer. It must be reinstalled tightly with cloth underneath it to fill the gap. Although this is a simple standard repair, it is best to see a woodwind repairer..."

Have other makers addressed this issue in their instructions?

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve, yeah I've heard suggestions all over the map as far as what to do if a ring comes off. The superglue has worked ok for me but I've had to re-glue one of the rings after it came off a second time. I'm sure there's a better way. There's a very good music shop here in my area and with an exceptional woodwind tech. He's the only person I trust to work on my saxophones and he has worked on a lot of wooden flutes as well. He has re-corked my flute a few times and if I have issues with the rings again I'll probably defer to him for help.

Glueing metal to wood is not a good idea as wood shrinks and expands, metal doesn't.

Gromit wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 4:35 pm Glueing metal to wood is not a good idea as wood shrinks and expands, metal doesn't.

Very true. That’s why I’m thankful that I don’t have a metal lined head joint.

It's just occurred to me that in my carpentry days (I'm now retired) I used a glue for glueing wood flooring to a concrete surface which allowed the flooring to expand and contract. It may work in this situation, metal to wood, the down side is It usually comes in large tubs.