Hi everyone,
I tweaked my Clarke D Originals weeks ago (black and natural). The surgery was a success. I was able to narrow the windway without causing the sides to bow outward. Recently, I held the whistles up to light - with the fipple end away from me. I looked in the other end and could see some light coming through between the wood and the tin.
On one whistle, there are only one or two spots of light visible. On the other, the seam between the wood and tin is more clearly delineated. So, neither whistle is air tight in this respect.
Do these seams need to be sealed more tightly? There is virtually no room in the seam on either whistle to stuff any wax - though I suppose I could just spread a light coating of melted wax over the seam.
Necessary to completely seal Clarke Original wood fipple?
- Darwin
- Posts: 2719
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:38 am
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Flower Mound, TX
- Contact:
Mine had fairly large gaps (1/64"-1/32") all around after tweaking (smashing, that is), so I dripped birthday candle wax into the gaps and all over the outside surface of the fipple. I kept the flame close to the wood, so it ended up with a nice, smooth surface that feels nice.
After tweaking, the fipple would slide around a bit while dry, so I was soaking it a bit before playing, but I finally found a setting I liked and used a dull nail to put dents on each side to hold it. However, it was still a bit loose, thus the wax.
I must say it's gone from my least-liked whistle to one of my favorites--and it was just $6.00 from the Whistle Shop "Garage Sale". It doesn't quite have the plaintive sound of the Burke DAN, but it's about as easy to play.
I'm finding that ease of play counts for a lot. I want to concentrate on the music, not on the whistle.
After tweaking, the fipple would slide around a bit while dry, so I was soaking it a bit before playing, but I finally found a setting I liked and used a dull nail to put dents on each side to hold it. However, it was still a bit loose, thus the wax.
I must say it's gone from my least-liked whistle to one of my favorites--and it was just $6.00 from the Whistle Shop "Garage Sale". It doesn't quite have the plaintive sound of the Burke DAN, but it's about as easy to play.
I'm finding that ease of play counts for a lot. I want to concentrate on the music, not on the whistle.
Mike Wright
"When an idea is wanting, a word can always be found to take its place."
--Goethe
"When an idea is wanting, a word can always be found to take its place."
--Goethe
-
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 12:28 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Contact:
Well, my solution was to use Chap-Aid from Walgreens:
This Chap-Stick lookalike has a high Carnauba Wax content - second only to Camphor in the ingredients list. Chap-Aid was soft enough to "seep" into the cracks between the fipple and the tin and sealed the tin-wood seam.
Did it make a difference? I honestly can't say. But emotionally, I feel better knowing that the seam is sealed.
This Chap-Stick lookalike has a high Carnauba Wax content - second only to Camphor in the ingredients list. Chap-Aid was soft enough to "seep" into the cracks between the fipple and the tin and sealed the tin-wood seam.
Did it make a difference? I honestly can't say. But emotionally, I feel better knowing that the seam is sealed.
-
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 12:28 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Contact:
I wanted to say that I could not determine if sealing the fipple made a difference because I ended up tweaking the Clarke some more after the ChapAid. I can say that the Clarke (natural) is now less temperamental during warm-up, but I don't know whether to attribute this to the ChapAid or tweaking.
BTW, for owners of Clarke whistles in the natural finish, I highly recommend polishing the whistle with NuFinish car polish. This polish has no wax and leaves a protective coating. Before I started using NuFinish, the tin would discolor and lose its luster within a few days of handling. With NuFinish, the discoloring is much slower and the whistle keeps its shine much longer.
BTW, for owners of Clarke whistles in the natural finish, I highly recommend polishing the whistle with NuFinish car polish. This polish has no wax and leaves a protective coating. Before I started using NuFinish, the tin would discolor and lose its luster within a few days of handling. With NuFinish, the discoloring is much slower and the whistle keeps its shine much longer.