The Ultrasonic Cleaner

How do Powell flutes get so shiny?  Well, one thing that certainly helps is the ultrasonic cleaner.  Repair Technician Rachel Baker says she uses the ultrasonic cleaner for C.O.As, overhauls, headjoint cleaning, and tool cleaning.  In addition to flutes in the shop for repair, new flutes are put through the ultrasonic cleaner as well.  The ultrasonic cleaner is used with new flutes after they are polished, to get the polishing dust off.  Rachel says the ultrasonic cleaner is "an absolutely fabulous degreaser" and is very versatile. 

So, just how does it work?  Well, there is a gentle solution inside the cleaner.  Ultrasonic waves are sent through the solution to clean the flutes.  There is also a bit of heat produced inside the cleaner, which helps to disinfect.  Obviously, wooden flute and piccolo headjoints and bodies are not put through the ultrasonic cleaner.  However, at Powell, metal flutes, headjoints, and keys can be cleaned this way.  The keys are placed in a basket, and softer plastic separates the keys so they don't bump up against each other.  Flute bodies are placed on long, cotton-covered rods with a hook on the end that attaches to the side of the machine.  This allows the flutes to be "suspended" in the machine so that nothing touches them.

A huge benefit of the ultrasonic cleaner is that it takes the place of harsh chemicals, which were used long ago to clean flutes.  The ultrasonic cleaner is very safe -- no harsh cleaning agents are used at all.  Also, the ultrasonic cleaner does not weaken the solder of the flute joints, so the flute joints will not come apart.  The key to the ultrasonic cleaner is sound -- sound waves that keep new flutes and older flutes terrifically clean!

It might not look like much, but this ultrasonic cleaner is amazing.

Footjoints at the repair office.  The middle footjoint has been polished and cleaned -- and we can see our reflection in the pinky keys!

A closer look... We still see a reflection.

Polished and cleaned truly to a mirror shine.

Pre-Loved Powells

We recently stopped by the repair shop to check in with Rachel, our Repair Tech, who was busy working on a few overhauls.  It was interesting to see some examples of the "before and after" of overhauling "pre-owned" Powell flutes -- or what she fondly refers to as "pre-loved Powells."  Rachel holds the pre-loved Powells in the highest regard.  She has seen so many come through the shop, and even in the most trying states of condition, she is able not only to restore them but also to appreciate that there is much more to the overhaul than just mechanics...

2100 awaiting an overhaul

After Rachel notified one of the customers that his flute had arrived safely, she received the following e-mail:

Hello Rachel,

Thank you for the update. I'm looking forward to having the Powell fully restored. Take good care of it. Life has asked little from it, but given it lots of abuse.

Rachel receives many communications from people looking to buy and sell older flutes.  Of course, we are always very happy to help our customers pinpoint the exact new Powell of their choice, build it, and then ship it to them -- completely untouched.  So, why would one consider a pre-loved Powell? There could be a couple of reasons. Rachel mentioned that a pre-loved instrument could make a good, quality back-up flute. She says, "People may be hesitant to look at an older instrument because they think it may have problems.  Plus, everyone likes new, shiny things...  But, everything can be fixed and repaired on a flute -- and made shiny again!" She added that you can also try these pre-loved Powells to see if you like them.

Looking beyond the outside of an older Powell, Rachel shared with us a few more reasons that you might consider these pre-loved flutes. Recalling the exact words of the e-mail above, she expanded on the sentiment: "They each have a different character about them.  Plus, if you think about it, you realize that you are giving them a chance to have a new life, and that's what they were meant to do.  They were meant to be played, not left in a closet all alone.  If you choose one, you can help it fulfill its purpose in life."

So, if you discover an older instrument that looks a bit faded and worn, rest assured that it can begin a new life with a little help from your repair technician...

Might not look very shiny -- yet.

Certainly different looking than something brand new.

Has seen some wear, but...

It can begin a new life after an overhaul!

The overhauled 2100 on the left, a Conservatory in for a COA on the right.

Looks pretty shiny now!

Very shiny!

Tools of the Trade

Snapshot of alcohol lamp and a variety of tools.

On this repair blog, we usually see photos of our repair technician, Rachel Baker, at her bench with many tools around.  We've discussed so many different repair topics with her, too.  So, we thought it might be time to take a closer look at some of the tools she uses in her work.  When we first asked Rachel which tools she uses the most, she replied with "My fingers!  Fingers are the most important part -- I use them the most."  Okay, well, we can certainly understand that, and we agree.  But, what about all the other interesting things?  Especially that big metal thing at the end of the bench...

Well, Rachel explained that she has a motor at the end of the bench -- a "bench motor."  She has several attachments that go into the the motor to help her in her work.  She often times uses the motor to straighten bent rods, fit pivot screws, and touch up (polish) keys (by adding various sized wheels).  When we stopped in today, she was using the motor to shorter a mechanism tube rod.

Other tools we see Rachel use quite a bit include some "common" tools and something every repair tech has -- an alcohol lamp.  She uses the alcohol lamp to float pads --- both putting them in the key cups and getting them out.  She also uses the lamp to solder spuds and heat up rods that are stuck.  We usually see her using screwdrivers to get rods out of mechanism tubes and for pad washer screws.  The screwdriver is often followed by pliers, which she uses to grab and pull things -- especially key mechanism rods.  Because everything is so small when it comes to flutes and piccolos, Rachel also uses tweezers quite a bit (she says "for everything!").  Tweezers help her grab shims and pick up very small parts.  When it comes to checking for proper pad seating, which she does numerous times throughout her day, she uses a feeler gauge.  Finally, although it may look like a small crocheting needle, she uses a "spring hook" to attach springs and also to add or remove tension in them once they are in place.

So, that -- in a nutshell -- is a glimpse of the common toolbox of our flute repair tech, Rachel!

Hands are important for checking the "feel" of the mechanism -- and for so many other things!

The bench motor

Close-up on the bench motor

Rachel placed a mechanism rod in the tip of the motor and is now filing it to shorten it.

Removing a key rod with the screwdriver.

Pulling out the rod with pliers.

Checking pad seating with the feeler gauge.

Un-hooking springs with the spring hook.

After using all those tools, the flutes often look like this -- and then everything is put back together using the tools again!

A Fallen Flute

It may be your worst nightmare -- your flute rolls off your lap and falls to the floor, or is knocked off a stand, or...  There are a number of circumstances that may result in your flute dropping to the floor, and it certainly makes every flute player panic!  We had two "fallen flutes" come into the repair shop this week and had a chance to catch up with Repair Tech, Rachel Baker, to find out what could be done.

Rachel showed us the flute that had the most visible damage.  There was one bent rib, one end of a rib that had come unsoldered, and a very loose mechanism tube.  So, how exactly will she she repair the instrument?  Well, there are a couple of steps:

1) For the bent rib, Rachel will put the flute body on a mandrel and hammer out the bend with a small hammer.  She will not hammer directly onto the rib, but rather hold a small piece of wood against the rib and hammer the piece of wood -- which in turn will press against the rib to straighten it out.  The rib is straightened because it is pressed against the hard, solid surface of the mandrel--as opposed to pressing against a hollow tube (the flute alone).  The straightened rib will then be resoldered to the body.

2) For the rib that has come unsoldered, Rachel will solder it back down onto the body of the flute.

3) Once everything is soldered back into place, Rachel will align the posts.  The mechanism tube that is loose has become that way because the posts which it lies between are misaligned from the fall.  Once the posts are properly aligned, the mechanism tube will fit  back tightly in the proper position between the posts.

The bent rib lifting off the body.

Rib that has come unsoldered.

Mechanism tubing is loose and not flush against the post.

Other end of the loose mechanism tubing.

Removing a Stuck Swab

Swabs get stuck when they become "bunched up."

This week's reader's choice question for the Repair My Flute blog comes to us from Teddy Chik.  Teddy asks, "Does getting a swab stuck in the piccolo damage it, and how do you suggest getting it out?  We checked in with Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, for this one.  Rachel tells us that getting a swab stuck in your piccolo can definitely cause damage.  However, the damage occurs when you try to remove it.  She says that the swab gets stuck because it is too tight -- there is too much material and not enough bore.  Trying to get the stuck swab out from either end could cause it to get "bunched up" even more and make the situation worse, potentially causing more damage.

So, what is the solution?  Rachel sternly told us, "Do not force it.  Bring it to a repair technician.  Even I brought my oboe in to a repair tech early in my career when the swab was stuck."  Whew.  This is obviously a serious issue with the potential to cause serious damage to your instrument if you try to remedy this yourself -- so don't chance it!  Also, try to make sure, ALWAYS, that you are swabbing your piccolo correctly.  Need some additional instructions?  Check out an earlier post on this blog where Rachel shows us how to properly swab at piccolo: http://www.repairmyflute.com/2012/05/stuck-swab.html.

Scratches

If you've been to the Powell booth at a show or visited our shop in Massachusetts to try flutes, you may have noticed a small sign asking you to remove your rings before testing instruments.  Removing rings helps us to avoid scratching flutes accidentally.  But, there are other sources of scratches -- including clothing or even your own fingers!  We started to wonder how scratches affect a flute and what could be done about them, so we stopped in to the repair shop to see Rachel, our Repair Technician.

Rachel tells us that deep scratches are problematic, because you don't want to take off too much material when trying to remove the scratch. However, she assured us that surface scratches are not really an issue because they are merely cosmetic and really do not affect anything. Most of the scratches Rachel sees are surface scratches, and she is able to polish them out.  She says light polishing is done on a flute sent in for a C.O.A.  So, if you happen to have a light scratch on your flute, it's okay -- it really is harmless and purely aesthetic.  It's always best to be careful to avoid scratching your flute, but if you do ultimately have some surface scratches, they can be polished out when you send it in for regular maintenance.

Sign to remove rings and a ring stand are seen in the top left corner of this photo taken in our testing room.

A better view of the sign at the Powell display at a trade show.

Crowns

10K Gold Crown

Every part of a headjoint has an effect on the character of that headjoint.  The headjoint crown is no exception.  The weight and shape of the crown, as well as what it is made of, all contribute to the sound of the headjoint.  

In most cases, a heavier crown will give a headjoint a dark, rich tone.  Many players prefer a heavy crown made of 19.5K gold for this reason. A player might find, however, that a headjoint with a heavy crown reacts a little slower than the same headjoint with a lighter crown.  

The shape of the crown also affects the way a headjoint sounds.  A crown that is straight and hollow where the cork assembly attaches tends to allow a headjoint to vibrate more than a crown with a rounded, solid bottom.  Some players prefer a crown that is solid and rounded where the cork assembly attaches as headjoints with these crowns tend to have a more clear, smooth sound.  

There is no one perfect crown.  Like choosing a headjoint, it is a matter of personal preference. Trying crowns can be very interesting, and rewarding if a great match is found.

Left to Right: 19.5K, 14K, and 10K gold crowns.

Silver, 19.5K, 14K, and 10K crowns.