What's in the Drawer, Part II - Steels, Etc.

Last week, we visited the repair shop and were mesmerized by the terrific multi-drawer organizing unit our repair technician, Rachel Baker, has for many of her supplies.  We wanted to know what else might be in there, and what all the supplies are used for -- so we picked another drawer this week to investigate...

We found a drawer full of steels and cork assembly parts (washers and nuts, specifically).  What are all these for?  Well, it turns out that they have many uses and have been collected over time.  The steels may be used to replace steels on older flutes, because new steels would not fit.  As the steels wear with use inside the mechanism tubing, the tubing can expand slightly, so steels that are made to fit today's flutes are (in general) too small to fit in an older flute.  Steels certainly can wear down over time, so the ones in this drawer will become new steels for older flutes.  These new steels will help the mechanism feel better and have less "play" (excess motion).  Steels in older flutes may also need to be replaced because they are susceptible to corrosion (since they were not made from stainless steel).  Finally, the steels in the drawer may also be used to fit keys on older flutes -- especially keys that are bent.  If the key is bent and the existing steel does not need to be replaced, the steels in the drawer are particularly handy for the process (because you don't want to bend the existing steel in the mechanism).

The cork assembly nuts and washers came from cork assemblies with cork stem plates that could not be used.  The cork stem plate is what you see when you look down into your headjoint.  It is usually very shiny -- sometimes so shiny that you can see the reflection of your eye looking back at you!  So, when these plates come in, Rachel will try to polish them.  But, if they are simply too worn to be polished, or if they have some sort or mark of visible solder point, she will removed the washer and nut from the top of the assembly and keep them.  Those washers and nuts are what you see in the drawer.  Why keep these?  Again, they might become replacement parts to fit cork assemblies on older flutes.  Also, she tells us that sometimes, people simply lose parts.  In these cases, it is very helpful to have a stash of extra parts that will fit!

Close-up on the drawer.

Close-up and comparison of one cork stem place that is too old to be shined up like the one above it.

Visible solder mark in the middle of this (older) plate.

Nut and washer can be salvaged!

Multiple cork assemblies from older flutes.

Mechanism Wear

We recently had an artist ask our repair technician if a mechanism can "wear out."  We thought that was an excellent question, so we decided to find out more...

Our technician, Rachel Baker, told us that a mechanism doesn't "wear out," but it does "wear" over time.  The mechanism tubes are constantly rotating on the posts and the inner steels, which causes the mechanism to wear.  Specifically, as the mechanism becomes worn, it becomes somewhat loose.  This loosening creates extra side-to-side and radial "play" in the mechanism.  The side-to-side play comes from the mechanism tubing moving against the the post, and the radial play comes from the movement of the mechanism tubing against the inner steel.  You can read more about "play" in a previous post here at http://www.repairmyflute.com/2012/08/play-in-mechanism.html.

As the mechanism wears, a couple of issues arise -- noisy keys, unstable adjustments, and unstable pad seating.  All of these problems can easily be solved by the repair technician.  In fact, worn mechanisms are always adjusted when a flute is sent to Powell for an ovehaul.  During an overhaul, the mechanism will be tightened and the keys fitted to restore proper function.

When do flute mechanisms begin to wear?  Well, it all depends on the amount of usage over time.  If a flute is twenty years old, but has been sitting in a closet untouched, there may be very little wear on the instrument's mechanism.  If you have a new flute and practice regularly for several hours each day, the mechanism may become worn faster.  The more use a flute gets, the more it will wear -- just like many things (tires, shoes, and the list goes on...).  There is no need to worry, though.  It is all part of the instrument's life cycle.  Plus, as mentioned above, a worn flute mechanism can be easily adjusted by an authorized repair technician.

Flute on the far left was made in the 1940s and has its original mechanism, which has just been adjust in an overhaul.  Two flutes to the right are Conservatories, which were both made after 2002.

Close-up on the body mechanisms of the three flutes.

Close-up on the footjoint mechanisms.

Wooden Flute COA

We stopped by the repair shop and found our repair technician, Rachel, working on something a little different -- a Handmade Custom Grenadilla flute.  Not that a grenadilla flute is that unusual, but we see her repairing and adjusting metal flutes most frequently.  This particular grenadilla flute was in for a C.O.A.

So, are there many differences between a C.O.A. on a wooden flute and a metal flute?  Well, not really.  As for mechanics, wooden flutes are currently available only with an offset G and would not have a C# trill -- but those are really the only differences with the mechanism.  Additional adjustments that would be performed with the wooden flute is that the bore is oiled, and the tenon cork is replaced as needed.  When we stopped in to see Rachel, she was in the midst of some small adjustments, including replacing felts and adjusting spring tension.  She had already replaced the tenon cork and was now making minor adjustments to the cork's width.  To do this, she placed the flute on a mandrel, cut a small strip of fine grit sandpaper, and sanded the cork.  Other than tenon corks and bore oil, there really aren't many differences to steps performed in a C.O.A. on a wooden flute.  However, because the body of the flute is wooden, Rachel did mention that it is less likely to come in to the shop with damage to the body -- like small dents and dings that may happen to the body of a metal flute.  That being said, you still want to make sure to protect your wooden flute, even if it's body material is denser and more "ding resistant."  In terms of frequency, you would send in a wooden flute just as regularly as a metal one for a C.O.A, and you should be able to enjoy many happy years with your well-adjusted grenadilla flute!

Replacing a felt.  Same felt that is used on metal flutes.

Trimming the felt.

Checking spring tension.

Making sure to check everything thoroughly.

Making minor adjustments to tension with a spring hook.

Checking newly adjusted springs.

Sandpaper will be used for tenon cork.

Small strip of sandpaper has been cut.

Sanding the tenon cork.

Greasing the cork with some Chapstick.

Cleaning inside the top of the footjoint.

New cork fits perfectly.

"Play" In Mechanism

Have you ever heard the term "play" when speaking with your repair technician?  They may have mentioned that the mechanism had a little "play" in it -- which actually is not always a bad thing.  But, what exactly does this mean?  Flute finisher Karl Kornfeld discussed this term with us as it applies to flute repair.  He explained that play usually refers to lateral movement of keys within a section or of an entire section (of the mechanism).  Depending on which key or section, a small amount of play may be necessary for proper function.  Play can be caused by normal wear and tear, loose or poorly-fit screws, or damaged posts.  Different flute types (for example - pinned or pinless) have different rules regarding how much and where play is acceptable.  Excessive play -- especially to the point of rattling -- is definitely not good.  If you think there might be excessive play in your flute's mechanism, make sure to take it to your technician for proper evaluation.

Arrows indicate the lateral motion of "play"

Another area on the mechanism where "play" may occur

Binding Issues

If you've ever taken your flute in for adjustment because of the mechanism not feeling resistant or just not "quite right," you may have been told that the keys were "binding."  What exactly does that mean?  Well, in simple terms, it means that something is preventing the keys from moving freely.  Binding happens when things are interfering with each other that should normally not be in contact.  Often times, two pieces of metal are rubbing against each other, which would cause the key mechanism to bind.  This could happen if the posts are misaligned or if the steel inside the mech tube is somehow bent.  Posts and other parts of the mechanisms where pieces of metal come together are areas that are susceptible to problems that could cause key binding.  The photos below identify a few of these areas on the footjoint.

Another culprit of binding keys is simply dirt, grime, or corrosion.  Key mechanisms need to be cleaned out properly, so make sure to take your flute to a qualified repair technician for regular maintenance.  You and your flute will be happy you did!  

Very Fine Adjustments

You've probably sent your flute in for an overhaul or COA and heard your repair tech talk about "adjustments."  Adjustments are made to key mechanisms so that the keys work together properly.  If the keys are not working together properly, you will definitely notice -- because you will not get the correct notes out!

Powell flutes have different adjustment features depending on the model.  Powell Signature flutes have adjustment screws.  However, Powell Handmade Conservatory and Handmade Custom flutes do not have adjustment screws.  In fact, it may be difficult to see, but the Handmade Conservatory and Handmade Custom flutes have paper that is affixed to the metal with shellac.  Your Powell technician uses extremely fine-grade sandpaper (1200) to make changes to the thickness of the paper when s/he is adjusting the mechanism.  Adjustment screws are definitely more common that paper, because it takes less time to work with adjustment screws than it does to work with paper.  However, paper is much more stable and allows the technician to really "fine tune" the mechanism.  If your flute has adjustment screws or adjustment papers, never fear -- your technician knows what to do to make sure your flute is in tip-top shape!

Handmade Conservatory and Custom Flutes use adjustment papers.  You'll see a very small black paper just above the open hole key pad in this photo.

Signature Flutes use adjustment screws as you can see from the mechanism on the left.

Comparison of the different mechanisms.  (Top of photo): mechanism with adjust paper.  (Bottom of photo): mechanism with adjust screw.