Hi!

I have removed many headjoint corks, but the case I am dealing with today is unique and new to me. Maybe some experienced repair person or flutist can help me here!

I need to remove the cork to insert the head mandrel for a dent job.

The whole cork structure seams to be glued in there. It looks to me like somebody wanted to stop an older dry cork from slipping around and added glue to it. I tried so hard to remove it but I fear if I use any more force I will damage the headjoint. (it is solid silver)

Are there any chemicals that I can use to dissolve the glue or cork? Any tricks? Please help, any advice will be appreciated!

thank you

Dominique

So far I tried dipping the headjoint in the following fluids:

WD-40
Glue solvent (Jet-Magic from Ferrees)
lighter fuel

Nothing is moving, not even a notch.

Should I put in Drano? Acid? Light it in fire? Nuke it?

Dominique

<Added>

Finally, the cork moved out after having an extra hour with Jet-Magic poored inside the tube soaking the cork area.(thank, Ferrees!).

Hope this helps others.

And dear flutist, if you feel your cork leaks and you can't change it (no time, no material or tech around), please don't glue it in. Take a porrous non bleached paper (like unprinted newspaper) and wrap the cork tighlty with it (one layer should do). This will make it tight and will save you temporarily until you change it.

Dominique

I assume you've tried inserting a wooden dowel in the end of the headjoint & tapping the dowel gently with a wooden mallet or equivalent, & that you are trying to remove the cork in the correct direction.

If so, nuke it.

I'd bore the cork out, starting with a small hole & working up to where you can break the cork away from the headjoint. Acetone may help if the cork is indeed glued to the headjoint.

Bildio

How would you bore the cork out if it hidden between the two metal disks (also glued tightly to cork)?

By the way... now I took the dent out and the mandrel is stuck in the headjoint (this not a joke!). It is just not my day...

Dominique

my advice? give the headjoint back to the owner and tell them the following: "youre screwed, man!" proceed to laugh hysterically at their expense.

:-)

Good question. Wrong type flute. I had a simple system flute in mind where there is just the cork. So, my suggestion is not valid in this case.

As for the mandrel, I'd try WD-40 & running hot water over the headjoint. Maybe the headjoint will expand faster than the mandrel.

By the way... now I took the dent out and the mandrel is stuck in the headjoint (this not a joke!). It is just not my day...

What type of madrel are you using? It should not get stuck like that unless the bore of the headjoint is extremely small.
Try taking a wooden dowell and inserting it in the end where it is stuck and tap on the dowell to force it out the end of the headjoint. Of course the end where the tennon is.

Hi Kara

This is a head mandrel sold by Ferrees. It is tapered as is the headjoint and is fully inserted in it. There is no space left between headjoint wall and mandrel to insert a dowell. Actually, it is so tight that the dent popped out all by itself when I pushed the mandrel in. Maybe I pushed it in too far; both flute and mandrel are one now!! What a nightmare...

By the way, this flute is mine, not somebody else's. If anything I might need to tear out the headjoint to save the mandrel.

I am not sure I understand? Okay, saying that the mandrel was placed from the tennon end going up and it got jammed that way. Correct so far? What I mean, is for you to take a wooden dowel of lesser diameter then the inner diameter of the crown end, place it against the end of the jammed madrel and tap the top of the dowell to loosen. You may find it easier to put the end of the flute madrell that is sticking out of the tenon end of the headjoint on a bench vise and hold onto the headjoint, then tap on the dowel for a more secure approach.

<Added>

What I have found best to use for a quick temporary fix to a loose headjoint is masking tape. Of cource, I just replace the whole cork when needed because cork is so cheap.

Sounds like way too much work for stuck cork.

You need at least a couple tools. One is a wood dowel (say 8" long)with a hole drilled in the end lengthwise. When you remove the crown, this goes over the threaded rod so the dowel sits on the plate and not the threaded rod. Secondly, you need a CLEAN heat source. Alcohol lamps are just about right.

Rotate the tube over the flame of an alcohol lamp. You only need to heat the area where the cork is. Hold the dowel and the headjoint tube (NOT THE LIP PLATE) and slam the dowel end down on the table by holding the tube. You have to hold things carefully and go straight so you don't hit the table sideways. You need to go straight down.

You can also use a mallet to tap the dowel to push the cork assembly out the tenon end also if you're more comfortable with that..

The mandrel goes in and dents are best removed with a roller or burnisher. If it gets a little stuck when you are done tap the steel out by holding the head tube again and banging the steel down on the table. Use the right amount of force so that the tube doesn't "let go" and let's the end of your headjoint hit the table..You shouldn't get the mandrel that stuck though...

It's easy to do and sooooo long to explain.. I need a YouTube account...

Joe B

If it gets a little stuck when you are done tap the steel out by holding the head tube again and banging the steel down on the table.

It would be great if you could demonstrate this on youtube because when I first read this, I took it the wrong way and thought you meant to band the madrel by the butt end and lodging it further into the flute, but now I see that you meant to tap the madrel on the SIDE.

<Added>

Not "band" but "banG"

The Steel mandrel will stick out of the head tube on both ends. Holding the tube with the tenon side up, I mean smacking the steel down on the table forcing it out of the tube. Not on the side, but on it's very end.

Joe B

I tried all of this. It even soaked all night in WD-40. This morning I tapped (smacked!) it and still, mandrel won't move out.

Maybe there was microscopic glue residue from that glued cork, and friction caused it to seal the two metals together. This is how it feels.

I fear I have lost both mandrel and headjoint (its only a student silver Gemeinhardt, but still...).

Dominique

Dominique, Can you send me the headjoint and mandrel? I'll get it out for you if you want..PM me if you want to do that.

Joe B

Joe,

I sent you a message.

Dominique