Hamilton tuning slide

Grixxly · Post by **Grixxly** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 11:17 am

All,

I cleaned my tuning slide on my Hammy and used a dab of vaseline to lub it as per Hammy's website, and now the thing is slides really easily. Scarily easy actually. Is that normal? My Seery doesn't but it's made differently... Suggestions? Or am I just paranoid?

Thanks,
Tony

sturob · Post by **sturob** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 11:29 am

Too easy is bad, since the flute might just slide in and out while you're playing.

Whether or not to lube depends on the maker, and since you mention that Hammy's site gives instructions on how to lubricate the slide, then he's a luber. Olwell and Abell (and therefore perhaps all flutemakers whose names end in -ell) want the slides to be clean, no lube. Grinter and Byrne (and by extension, all makers with r's in their names) prefer graphite (because it also contains an R).

Personally, I like the action of slides which aren't lubricated better. They grip well, but can be moved with a small amount of force. I think if your Hamilton slide is too loose, you might have too much Vaseline on the slide.

Stuart

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 12:16 pm

When my Hamilton arrived, it had just the very lightest possible amount of grease on the slide.

Since then, I've neither added nor removed lubricant, but I figure the original is all but gone, and the slide works just fine.

I started out lubing slides but have since pretty much gone to dry slides on all my flutes...it seems to add to the ring of the sound a bit.

--James

Grixxly · Post by **Grixxly** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 12:36 pm

Mine was half used.

It was a used head, and body, but brand new slide and foot. So my Hammy is black and browned striped!

Anyway it looked like there was dust or something in the grease on the slide, that's why I cleaned it. Wish I hadn't now. I've only added a slight bit of grease and I don't know. It doesn't seem to move when I play but I had been tapping the foot on my knee to help get some moisture out and if I do that the head slams shut and it didn't do that before. Maybe I'm just paranoid...

Cheers,
Tony

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:22 pm

It's too loose.

sturob · Post by **sturob** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 2:12 pm

I'd probably take it apart and clean it off with paper towel (or something), and not put any more grease on the slide. You're not likely to be able to get all the grease off without using rubbing alcohol or acetone, so I think you'll probably be left with the right amount of hooey to make it the right amount of slippery.

Stuart

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 2:46 pm

sturob wrote:I'd probably take it apart and clean it off with paper towel (or something), and not put any more grease on the slide. You're not likely to be able to get all the grease off without using rubbing alcohol or acetone, so I think you'll probably be left with the right amount of hooey to make it the right amount of slippery.

Stuart

Yeah, what he said.

Loren

pmcallis · Post by **pmcallis** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:57 pm

Tony,
I have a suggestion for a slide lubricant to use that may solve your problem. It was given to me by a well known flute maker from Ireland who shall remain anonymous (although I am open to bribes). He uses U.S. made Bolwax for his slides. What is Bolwax you wonder?? It is the wax gasket that a toilet sits on to seal it. This gasket wax/lubricant is cheap, available at any plumbing or hardware store. It comes in only one shape - round - but has the best consistency of anything I have yet found to use on a flute slide.
I know, I know, there goes all the romance out of "designer labelled" slide lubricants. Now you know why the prominent maker will remain anonymous.
Paul

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:08 pm

:roll:

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:10 pm

<It was given to me by a well known flute maker from Ireland who <shall ,remain anonymous (although I am open to bribes). He uses <U.S. ,made Bolwax for his slides. What is Bolwax you wonder?? It is the <wax gasket that a toilet sits on to seal it. This gasket wax/lubricant is <cheap, available at any plumbing or hardware store

Paul - I think we all know who the Maker is, he also machines his flutes from PVC (and not Delrin) which is also used in the plumbing industry.
Am I close?

pmcallis · Post by **pmcallis** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 9:11 pm

Hi Eilam,
Don't you think Glauber is such an astute person!!??

Paul

The Sporting Pitchfork · Sun Mar 14, 2004 9:30 pm

My Hammy used to slide really easy too (hmm...don't take that out of context). While I was in Ireland, it got so bad that I couldn't play it as the flute was veering from C# up to around Eb over the course of a single tune.

I took it over to Cillian O Briain's workshop and had his little helper Maurice take a look at it. He stuck the headjoint in this weird doohickey and turned a handcrank a couple of times et voila! The tuning slide was much more snug.

Me: That's perfect, Maurice.

Maurice: No, no. I think it needs just a little bit more.

Me: Are you sure? It seems fine to me.

Maurice: No, just a bit more.

<Puts headjoint back in doohickey and turns crank two times then nearly has a hernia trying to squeeze the headjoint back into the barrel.>

Maurice: Hmm...

Anyway, it was a bit tight at first, but it's fine now.

domino · Post by **domino** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 10:57 pm

I use the bolwax stuff on my hammy as it slides too easy. Trouble is i'm running out and can't find it here in Scotland. But it does a great job.

Willie

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 11:27 pm

<Hi Eilam,
<Don't you think Glauber is such an astute person!!??
<Paul

Yes, Glauber is a cool guy.
Paul, I didn't know you had a Delrin/PVC flute as well?

claudine · Post by **claudine** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:17 am

Hammy told me to use a mix of beeswax and vaseline on the tuning slide. As my tuning slide still works well, I have not yet tried it however.