Jerry Freeman wrote:What I do with C and F Generation whistleheads is a little drastic, but you could do the same thing if you're ambitious.
A few drops of acetone in the joint between the whistlehead and tube will soften the plastic enough to pull it off. It will also crack the whistlehead.
After removing the whistlehead, which is easy with the help of the acetone, I let it dry and then replace it on the tube. You will notice that the crack is open somewhat. This is because the whistlehead was too tight before, and the crack has made the whistlehead able to enlarge a little by opening the crack, to better fit the tube.
With the cracked whistlehead back on the tube, I then carefully wrap with a layer of strong thread, the round part of the whistlehead, where it goes on the tube. I wrap as much of the length of this part of the whistlehead as I can, leaving about 1/16 inch of plastic at each side of the wrapping. Then I mix some epoxy and soak the thread with it, spreading the epoxy with a cut piece of thin plastic packaging material or the like.
Once the epoxy has set, the whistlehead will have been restored to strength, and it will now be slightly larger inside the socket, so it should be a snug fit, but loose enough to easily remove and replace for tweaking and move up and down on the tube for tuning.
If the cracking has extended beyond the socket of the whistlehead, you can put a drop of liquid superglue on the crack. The superglue will spread in the crack by capillary action and bond it back together.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Ack!
That's a little beyond me.
any other methods? I'm almost desperate, and I know that if I try the above suggested, I"ll ruin it.
There are other ways to get a C Gen head off, but let me ask you first: Why exactly do you want to do this? What tweaks will you perform once you have the head off? I don't think it will be worth the bother for the blu-tac tweak.
You don't need to remove the head for dulling the blade. You can reduce the windway and replace the blade w/o removing the head. Is it tunability?
I've tried lots of variations on hot and cold, but none that work predictably.
One thing I like about the acetone technique is, it automatically adjusts the socket so it's just the right amount of tightness for being able to tune the whistle or remove the whistlehead for whatever reason comfortably after it's done. I don't like having to sand/bore the inside of the socket to get it so it's not too tight again when I put it back on. I actually prefer cracking the socket for that reason. Plus, it's very fast and easy, even though the wrapping can be a little tedious the first time or two.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Last edited by Jerry Freeman on Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Here's the method I use for wrapping the outside of the whistlehead socket. It's the same as used for "whipping" the ends of a rope to prevent fraying:
In case the third picture isn't obvious, to finish you pull the right end of the thread (B) to draw the loop and capture the other end (A) under the wraps of thread. You can trim the ends closer than shown so they disappear completely.
Once you get the head off a Gen style whistle some Susato joint grease on the tube can make it just a fraction easier to move the head up and down or remove it again if you need to.
Feadog Cs can be as tight as the Gens, so every one I get off gets the joint grease put on the tube before the head goes back on.
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
[quote="Bloomfield"]There are other ways to get a C Gen head off, but let me ask you first: Why exactly do you want to do this? What tweaks will you perform once you have the head off? I don't think it will be worth the bother for the blu-tac tweak.
You don't need to remove the head for dulling the blade. You can reduce the windway and replace the blade w/o removing the head. Is it tunability?[/quote]
BTW-you don't actually have to take the head off for the blu-tac tweak either.You can use a dowel or the like through the tube to squish the blu-tac into place.
Amar, I have been trying to put all that behind me.
Do not try my patience again.
Oh Crom!!!!!!!! Thou have returned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember, mortal, I do not respond favorably to prayer. The only gifts you can expect come at birth - a bold heart and a nimble fingers upon your whistle.
Annoy me with insolent petitions, and I shall send a horde of Cimmerians with bodhrans to Basel, and you shall be cast forever into the hell of the rhythm-challenged.
DCrom wrote:
Amar, I have been trying to put all that behind me.
Do not try my patience again.
Oh Crom!!!!!!!! Thou have returned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember, mortal, I do not respond favorably to prayer. The only gifts you can expect come at birth - a bold heart and a nimble fingers upon your whistle.
Annoy me with insolent petitions, and I shall send a horde of Cimmerians with bodhrans to Basel, and you shall be cast forever into the hell of the rhythm-challenged.
I am not worthy to receive such wise words from you, my lord.
The reason I want to tweak my whistle is Because I want to be able to tune it, and Id like to improve the sound.
Again, I really don't want to do the acetone thing...
Bloomfield - what methods do you employ?
I recently played a D whistle of my friend's. It was also Generation, but it sounded much clearer, much....smoother. She has not done any tweaking to it, yet the effect if far better than my own C. Is this simply because C whistles in general don't sound as nice, or is it a problem with my individual whistle?
For clarity's sake, I think we should sort out which of the clips were played on pre-1980's Generations and which were played on current design Generations.
Of the three clips you've provided, the Micho Russell clip, I would expect was done with a pre-1980's Generation (please correct me if I'm mistaken). What about Brid Donahoe's clip and yours?
The reason I mention this is that the voicing of pre-1980's Generations is slightly purer/sweeter than that of Generation whistles being made today. Current Generations are slightly huskier voiced than pre-1980's ones.
This isn't to dispute Peter's point that untweaked Generations can be played beautifully. He's proven that to me many times over.
Mine I bought in 1971 or so, the Brid clip was recorded in 1985 but she would, and does, sound exactly the same on an off the shelf one now. I recorded Micho during the mid 80's, may have been either. Nevertheless, hatever you think of the D's or C's, it's hard to beat one of their e flats.
Ack! 
