Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hi Jeff,

jeff jones wrote:

Hi

  I'm not sure of a better place to put this so I guess I'll put it hear. I have a 60 or 70 year old Myoan flute that has a little of the urushi chipped off by the utaguchi on the inside about an 1/8th inch around. It's a pretty small patch and seems silly to send it out to have someone do it (if I can avoid it), so I was wondering if anyone can suggest a quick fix or an at home remedy, maybe something that might stop further chipping? Any ideas would be very helpful, thanks.

Jeff

If there is no Ji in the bore, a simple solution would be to seal it with a lacquer so that breath moisture doesn't seep in, which could cause it to peel up. Revlon makes red lacquer in many shades!

fouw wrote:

You could do a touch-up yourself with urushi. It's very much nicer to work with than glues and fillers. For a fine flute it's really the only option in my opinion. (or just leave it as it is if sound is OK)
All you need is a fine paintbrush and patience, since curing is slow.

I agree with Kees. If it's a fine flute, I would use urushi. But know that urushi magnifies any surface imperfections.  If you do not fine sand the chip, the urushi will make the lines around the chip look pronounced.

In terms of "all you need", I would add to that list good ventilation, dust free environment, protective clothing and a humid box of some sort for curing (Warning, the urshiol gas can get on the cloths and you can expose it to others, if you hug someone for example).


Good luck! Perry

Hey Jeff,

Where did you get your flute?

Hey Guys,

edosan wrote:

jeff jones wrote:

Hi Kees and Perry
Perry, when you say Revlon are you saying what I think your saying? Like, finger nail polish Revlon? or am I missing something? If that's the case can it be thinned with water or something? The flute has a thin wash of urushi, and no ji paste.

Yes, Perry is referring to nail polish, and NO it can't be thinned with water. I doubt you'd need to thin it at all; just practice applying it (with the handy supplied brush) until you get the hang of it. Note that the nail polish will shrink a bit as it cures, so if you apply it a bit proud of the surface, it'll likely end up close to level with it. You can also apply multiple very thin coats (just put very little on the brush each time).

If you really DO think you need to thin it, some lacquer thinner will do it, but I suggest practicing applying small dabs withouth thinning and see what happens when it's cured.

Again, practice will show you how.

eB

As Edosan suggested, it's a good idea to do a practice run on. I always have bamboo scraps around to do a practice run before I actually do anything. Especially in the case of fast drying stuff. Fingernail polish remover is a thinner but as Ed pointed out, you won't need it. Nail polish will dry thiner than when it was first applied.  As I wrote, it's a simple fix for your "second" 1.8. It should last very very long, unless you have an utaguchi biting habit... (as in fingernail biting) .

All the best, Perry

jeff jones wrote:

Thanks Perry and edosan for the tips, should be intersting to see how it comes out.

BTW: If the supplied brush seems to be too big (it IS for fingernails, after all) you can pick up a drop on the tip of a toothpick and place it where it needs to go. After practicing, of course...

eB