Easy fix for a really cracked whistle

[sverretheflute]

I bought a bamboo like low whistle from my hairdresser today. Because I loved the sound of it:
https://soundcloud.com/sverremac/filipi ... -test-mono

But after some hours in my dry climate living room it cracked with a loud sound, from top to bottom. The crack is 2-3 mm at the widest, and goes along the whistle at the opposite side of the finger holes.

I am NOT prepared to use a lot of effort and money to fix it. I've used duct tape on another one before, and that will probably be the case here too. The challenge will be to get the crack together again before using the tape. I plan to use a twine, and turn a little stick or something around the twine to tighten it. In this way I hope to force the crack together.

Then I will mistreat the whistle with the duct tape, and add bee wax were it is needed. I will remove the twine after I have placed duct tape around the whistle at bottom, waist, and top.

The reason for duct tape is that it is both strong to keep the whistle stable, and keep leakage away.

But when the whistle is so damaged, maybe the good sound has left it anyway...

Any advice or shout outs?

Thanks.

sverretheflute

[MTGuru]

A shame, Sverre. So sorry that happened.

But if you are adept with twine and bee's wax (and maybe glue), maybe you could omit the duct tape? If four strategically-placed wrappings could seal it without interfering with the fingering or the fipple. That could actually look quite nice, too.

[Kypfer]

I am NOT prepared to use a lot of effort and money to fix it.

Beeswax is good, that's what I've used, put some in the crack before tying it up and let the surplus squeeze out, but my binding material is 20lb (9kg) braided fishing line ... fine enough to be inconspicuous but plenty strong enough for the job and does not stretch at all.

I suggest doing preliminary bindings in the "wrong place" to hold the crack together, then take the opportunity of not having to struggle to get a really neat repair, with all the turns of the binding nice and even, before removing the original temporary bindings. If you can be bothered, cutting/filing a shallow groove around the whistle to take the final binding can assist in preventing the repair slipping.

As MTGuru suggested, the resultant repair can actually look like it was meant to be there!

As always with this kind of thing, YMMV, but good luck

[Feadoggie]

I hate it when that happens. I don't know if it is worse to hear it happens or to pick up the flute after the incident to find it has cracked. Bad news either way.

I'd also suggest skipping the duct tape - although it is the handyman's secret weapon.

The beeswax is a good idea.

Take a look at this video on binding a bamboo flute. It may give you some additional helpful ideas. The video uses clear nail polish to set the binding. I've used CA glue in place of that myself. YMMV And there are also a few videos out there on repairing cracks in bamboo/cane flutes you might want to check out as well. Here's one. Might provide some methods on how to approach things.

Feadoggie

[sverretheflute]

Thank you guys for a lot of helpful suggestions! This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENvxuTkJVwA come close to what I think would be needed in strength. But I'm sceptic, because it seems to need some experience to be done. And the process can't be undone.

And my whistle is really bad cracked up, it is open daylight all the way through it..., it seems to need much to be kept together. The crack also goes right along the left side of the sound hole (which is underneath the whistle).

I consider colorless plastic strips in combination with bee wax. They can be tightened good, and taken off if it is not a success. One problem is that the end of the whistle is conic, it's not easy to bet a grip for plastic strips there.

Another challenge is how to apply bee wax the whole distance of at almost 50 cm in a proper way. I wonder if too much of too cold wax would disturb the rejoining of the whistle? The tightening won't be done in a minute. If I use plastic strips, I will need at least four or five of them.

Do you guys think I will get the magic sound back if I get the whistle tight together?

sverretheflute

[Feadoggie]

Do you guys think I will get the magic sound back if I get the whistle tight together?

No way to know until the repair is complete. With a proper repair it should sound much the same as before.

Best of luck.

Feadoggie

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

I'd just like to chip in and say i'd use cobblers wax instead. Used it on uilleann drone reeds and the stickiness of the wax on the slippery cane (bamboo) really helps getting a nice tight winding.

[brewerpaul]

A small hose clamp or two might close the crack, but I"m thinking that it would open up again eventually. OTOH, if you place them strategically you could leave them on the whistle for a sort of steampunk look.

[Mack.Hoover]

I like rubber bands for pulling it together
(slow steady constant pressure,
It make take a few days),
Sewing thread wrapped neatly at strategic places,
Super thin super glue to seal crack and thread
(applied last after removing the rubber bands).
Nail polish will seal the thread but not the crack.
You can rub the wax into the crack and
Scrape off the excess for the final touch.

[AlexD]

If you were looking to keep it as original in appearance as possible one thing you may try is using epoxy glue as bamboo is a fairly porous material. You would likely need a relatively snug fitting piece of dowel or rod of some sort for the bore wrapped with a bit of PFTE plumbers teflon tape (since epoxy wont stick to the teflon) and then apply the glue to the break areas and clamp it together from the outside. The clamping process can similary be using the same tape to cover the seam area to prevent it from sticking onto whatever binding or method you use to hold it taught. Afterwards it will just need a bit of sanding when it's fully cured and should more or less be good as (or better) than new with that repair joint as well as having a certain amount of flexibility for changes in environment (which can't be said of most formulations of cyanoacrylate superglues).

All that being said it might not hurt to check with the purpose you bought it from to see if they had any better advice or repairwork/exchanges that could be done (seems a little short term duration for a newly bought instrument to bite the bullet).

[OBrien]

If I could put in my two øre worth, have you considered not forcing the crack closed, but filling it with epoxy putty or something similar? Forcing it closed will put the wood back under the strain it had before it cracked and it will likely crack again. Filling it will leave the wood in the relaxed position it has found for itself. You could also try to shape a long thin piece of wood to glue into the crack. Binding with thread would still be a good idea.

[sverretheflute]

Thank you for a lot of good advice, guys! Here are some answers, and at the bottom, my scary plan.

All that being said it might not hurt to check with the purpose you bought it from to see if they had any better advice or repairwork/exchanges that could be done (seems a little short term duration for a newly bought instrument to bite the bullet).

Alex, I bought it from my hairdresser… He bought it from a friend. I have no clue of the history of the whistle. I will ask for discount on my next haircut, or my next whistle…

If I could put in my two øre worth, have you considered not forcing the crack closed, but filling it with epoxy putty or something similar? Forcing it closed will put the wood back under the strain it had before it cracked and it will likely crack again. Filling it will leave the wood in the relaxed position it has found for itself. You could also try to shape a long thin piece of wood to glue into the crack. Binding with thread would still be a good idea.

Really a good thought, O'Brien! The trouble is that the crack is also through the edge of the sound hole, and through the mouth piece. This need to be tight as it was to get the sound back. Maybe it would be an idea to keep the rest of the whistle partly open, by filling in as you say. But I have a kind of idea of getting the wood together as it was, to get the sound as it was... I really loved the sound of it.

How would it be to oil this seemingly dry whistle now to prevent more cracks? After the repair? Before? Some has suggested almond oil earlier in this forum, is that the good thing to use?

I like rubber bands for pulling it together
(slow steady constant pressure,
It make take a few days),
Sewing thread wrapped neatly at strategic places,
Super thin super glue to seal crack and thread
(applied last after removing the rubber bands).
Nail polish will seal the thread but not the crack.
You can rub the wax into the crack and
Scrape off the excess for the final touch.

Mack, you seem to have experience in how to tight it good together. You seem to say that the wood need time to settle together. I hope that my plans with strips and wax can do the same if I go after and tight it more later.

I’m not sure if I will go for the sewing part, I’m afraid that my lack of experience will make a bad repair, with no way back. I will avoid any advanced way that gives risk of not hearing the sound of my whistle again…



MY PLANS NOW ARE: (please give me warnings…)

-To heat up bee wax. Place the bee wax on each side of the crack in a thin layer.
-Cramp the whistle together with plastic strips 4-6 places.
-Have glue under the plastic strips at places where the whistle is slightly conical and the strip can lose position.
-Go after with bee wax on the surface of the cracks and tighten the strips more after some time.
-Maybe have some thread or ribbon to cover the plastic strips.

The idea is that the strips will keep the whistle enough together. And that the elastic texture of the wax will do the rest to block leakage.

I am a bit concerned that bee wax spill will disturb the air flow and sound.
I am a bit concerned that I won’t get the mouth peace and the sound hole proper together.


sverretheflute

[sverretheflute]

Started with bee wax only, and filled the crack which goes along the whole whistle. It worked well for some minutes, the magic sound was back. But the wax did not keep its volume.

Then I removed all the wax to prevent it from falling into the whistle, except from in the mouth piece. Then I had duct tape over the crack instead. The sound disappeared. It seems to be important to keep the crack filled, even under a surface sealing.

I need to use a material that keeps it shape, or to cramp the whistle together with some plumber cramps. To seal it seems to be better than to cramp it, because of the tension in the whistle. What about wood plastic? It needs to be elastic, and to stick to the wood in the whistle.

[kkrell]

I think you've already been given the best answer, which is to bind with thread wrapping. Then force in wax (or perhaps hot or cold melt glue?) or waterproof glue, or Cyanolate (Super Glue). You can force glue into the crack using a syringe, or suction cup, then clean up any excess. For the inside, you can probably sand down the excess with sandpaper on a wooden dowel.

[trill]

Duct tape is good for rapid-response. It's strong + quick.

But, the glue ozzes and makes a mess.

Could you post a photo of the crack ?