Changes in the Air

As the seasons change from summer to fall, there are many noticeable changes in the air.  Certainly, temperatures are lower now than they were in the summer months.  As the temperature falls, so does the humidity level – especially here in the Northeast.  That being said, we thought it might be the perfect time to talk about wooden flutes and humidifiers.

A wooden flute is something that is wonderful and somewhat mystical for those who are used to playing on a metal flute.  Obviously, the composition of the body will determine quite a few points in regard to maintenance.  Plus, let’s face it, wood can be a bit temperamental.  That point coupled with the price tag of a Handmade Custom grenadilla Powell can leave new wooden flute owners in a state of panic when it comes to caring for these beautiful instruments!

When we think about wooden instruments, one word comes to mind – the dreaded, five-letter word that starts with a “c” and ends with a “k.”  You’ve probably heard teachers say, “Don’t do that or your instrument will crack!”  What might you be doing that is dangerous?  And why is it dangerous?  Well, wooden instruments need to be kept in environments where there is consistency of temperature and humidity.  Rapid changes can hurt the wood for a variety of reasons and result in cracks.  Keeping the humidity level consistent is particularly important.  Our wood technician assures us that the best way maintain a wooden flute is to play it regularly.  If you play it for a while, leave it for several months (untouched), and then pick it up to play it, you will notice differences which may make playing the instrument difficult.  However, if it is played consistently, the wood will be acclimated to patterns of being played, swabbed out, placed in the case, and then played again.  The cycle continues, and the wood is happy!

As the humidity drops in the fall and winter months, it can become particularly stressful for your wooden flute.  As you play, air goes through the instrument and condenses into water.  You swab it out and put the flute back in its case.  The bore is probably still warm and a bit moist – leaving it in a state where it wants to expand.  Meanwhile, the outside of the flute is surrounded by air that is cooler and lacking moisture, so it wants to contract.  This is a difficult situation for the wood!  Keeping the air around the flute humidified while the flute is in its case will help keep the wood “happier” because it is not prone to opposing tendencies in terms of contraction and expansion.

So, how do you do this?  Well, it is certainly helpful to keep some type of humidifier in the case when you have a wooden flute.  This is especially important in dry, hot areas of the country, where players work very carefully at maintaining humidity levels in the case year-round.  There are a few ways to humidify your instrument.  One of the most commonly used items is a “dampit” humidifier, which is used regularly by string players.  It looks like a long, skinny green tube with a yellow sponge inside.  You’ll want to use the smallest one for your flute (usually a violin dampit).  You can place it in the case on the space between the body and joints (headjoint or footjoint) – but never place it inside the body, headjoint, or footjoint.   How moist should it be?  Well, if you press the dampit and feel water coming out of the holes, the sponge inside is too damp.  If the dampit is lacking “flexibility,” the sponge is too dry.  A nice, middle-of-the road moistness if perfect.  If you are looking for something less expensive, you could use orange peels instead of a dampit.  They work well – and it’s simple enough to get hold of an orange!

Finally, remember to treat your wooden flute very carefully when you take it from place to place.  Don’t set it down next to a radiator after you’ve come in from the cold.  Likewise, don’t place it in a cold, drafty area, either.  If you are out and about – maybe having dinner after a concert – take the flute with you inside the restaurant.  No one will laugh at you for taking the time to make your flute as comfortable as you would be! 

Changing the Oil

You've probably sent your flute in regularly for a C.O.A. and have heard that you should not oil the flute mechanism yourself -- but why is this?  Well, we had a chance to catch up with Powell's Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, to find out more about why you should leave the oiling to a professional.

When we stopped into the shop, Rachel was in the midst of completing a C.O.A. on a silver Conservatory flute, so we though it would be the perfect opportunity to find out more about key oiling.  Rachel told us that you should really leave the oiling to your repair tech for a couple of reasons -- mostly centered around proper procedure and the properties of oil.  She said that when people try to oil the mechanism themselves, they oil from the outside.  Oiling from the outside usually results in oil getting all over the flute body, causing the adjustments to fall off.  When your repair technician oils the mechanism, s/he takes the mechanism apart to oil it -- oiling from the inside instead of the outside.

Adding oil to the outside of the mechanism is not correct!

Also, having your key mechanism oiled is essentially like having the oil changed in your car.  When you take your car in for an oil change, oil is not simply added.  First, the old oil is removed.  When it comes to oiling your flute mechanism, the same holds true.  You have to remove all the old oil before adding the new.  There are a couple of reasons why this is important as well.  You see, not all oils mix well -- some are more synthetic, and others are more natural.  Also, oil is "hygroscopic," meaning it attracts moisture.  However, oil and water do not mix well, either.  Moisture, in turn, is generally not good for the mechanism because it is not good for metal.  Moisture in the mechanism can cause sluggishness, lead to corrosion, and cause the mechanism to not function properly overall. 

Applying oil to the inside of the mechanism after old oil has been removed is correct!

So, in order to fully restore proper functioning in the key mechanism, all the old oil is removed.  Then, the mechanism is oiled and will be back to functioning properly so that all the rest of the steps in the C.O.A. process can be completed.  As Rachel says, "I can't seat pads and make adjustments without the mechanism functioning properly," and as we have read, that proper function stems from proper oiling -- which certainly is best to leave to your repair technician!

Packing It Up

So the time has come to ship your flute for repair, and...  Well, what happens next?  How will you ship it so that it doesn't move around in the box?  What kind of box do you use?  What other materials do you need to pack the box?  These questions may arise, and they often do right before you are ready to box up the flute and send it on its way.  We met with Powell's Shipping and Receiving Administrator, Chris Lavoie, to find out exactly what shipping materials are needed and how to properly pack the flute.  There are a couple of different options as you'll see below. 

One of the ways to secure your flute in the box is with packing peanuts.  You'll want to cover the entire bottom of the shipping box with the peanuts, then put the flute on top.

Next, you'll need to add more peanuts around each side of the flute box.  Final step is to add a layer of peanuts all across the top, and then you are ready to close and seal.

Another great way to secure you flute is by using foam inserts.  You can find foam at most fabric and craft stores. You'll want to cut each foam piece to size.  With this packing option, you'll start by placing one piece of foam at the bottom of the shipping box.

Next, place the flute inside the shipping box, on top of the bottom layer of foam.  You'll want to add foam pieces around each side of the flute box and a small piece inside next to the flute.

Flute is secured with foam inside the flute box.  Flute box is secured with foam inside the shipping box.  Ready for the final step.

Take one more layer of foam (same size as the one on the bottom of the box), and place it on top of the flute box.  Close and seal the shipping box, and you're ready to go.  Note -- you can buy a shipping box with pre-cut foam inserts on the Powell website at https://powellflutes.com/vqpshop/shipping-supplies/flute-shipping-box-foam-inserts.  Add coupon code SHIP2ME for a 10% discount on the shipping materials!

 A third option for securing the flute is bubble wrap.  You can usually find bubble wrap at shipping supply stores or even larger stores like Target.  You'll want to start by covering the bottom of the box with about two layers of bubble wrap.

 

Place the flute inside the shipping box.

Add layers of bubble wrap around the sides and over the top of the flute box.  Close and seal.

If you don't have the flute box, it's okay.  You can use peanuts, bubble wrap, or foam and follow the same procedures as you would if the flute were in a box.  We use foam (as you can see).  You will probably need to add extra padding around one or more sides of the flute.

Cover with a top layer of foam, close box, and seal.

Shipping a piccolo follows the same procedure as shipping a flute.  Below, we see two shipping boxes: one for the flute (21 x 10 x 6) and one for the piccolo (14 x 8 x 6).  (Box measurements are in inches).

Piccolo almost all packed up.  Just one more foam layer on top, and it will be ready to seal.

Here at Powell, the shipping box for piccolos is also used for headjoints.  A little extra foam on the side might be needed if you have only one headjoint.

And you can always ship more than one!

 As always, foam layer on top before closing and sealing.

Shipping crowns?  We start with a small box that is 9 x 6 x 4 inches.

Jewelry boxes are great for protecting crowns.  Place the crown in the jewelry box and close the lid.  Place the jewelry box inside the shipping box.  Same padding principles apply, so make sure to properly pad the bottom, sides and top.

So, that is it!  As you can see, there are many options for securing your flute for shipping.  As mentioned before, we do have shipping boxes with pre-cut foam available in the VQP Shop online at https://powellflutes.com/vqpshop/shipping-supplies/flute-shipping-box-foam-inserts.  Don't forget the SHIP2ME coupon code at checkout for the 10% discount!  It's fairly quick and simple to pack your flute, too.  In fact, we have a video below with Chris to demonstrate. You'll see that it took him just over one minute to pack the box, and that is "slow time!"

A Case of the Gurgles

The 2013 NFA Convention has come and gone, so we thought it would be great to check in with Powell Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, and see what types of questions she answered at the conference.  However, she told us that there really were not many people with repair issues -- except one person.  Rachel shared that one customer came to the booth with an interesting issue.  The customer was having trouble getting low notes out, and there was a strange yet very noticeable "gurgling" noise when she played.  So, what could it be?  A pad leaking?  A loose part of the mechanism?

Well, it was actually very simple to diagnose the problem.  Rachel knew exactly where to look when the customer mentioned the "gurgling."  Rachel took a peek inside the embouchure hole of the headjoint, and there was a buildup of some material on the undercutting of the headjoint.  How did this happen?  Well, we all know that as air travels through the flute, it contains microscopic particles -- no matter how many times we brush our teeth and try to keep everything clean.  Particles had accumulated on the undercutting over time, and it is likely that this buildup was not removed in the swabbing process.  Rachel told us that sometimes, a thinner silk swab might not get everything, and that could be the case in this situation.

So, how did she solve problem?  Well, it was easy.  She took a dry Q-tip and wiped it around the undercutting to remove the buildup.  It was that simple!  She handed the flute back to the customer, and the gurgling noise disappeared.  The customer also had no trouble getting out the low notes.  As we can see, a seemingly large issue can be traced to something that is quick and easy to remedy.  Make sure that you check periodically for buildup, and take a dry Q-tip to clean the undercutting, just as Rachel did.  One small swipe can make a world of difference in a case like this!

Arrow points to buildup on undercutting.

Cleaning the undercutting with a dry Q-tip.

Gunk came off on the Q-tip.

Undercutting is clean!

Surprise "Under the Crown"

Let's face it, we all have a bit of curiosity about ways to enhance our sound.  Some of you may have experimented with your flutes -- tweaking things just a little to see if a difference could be made...  Our Customer Service Manager admits that even she had experimented in the past.  This week, she was working on a headjoint that came in, and when she took the crown off, she was really surprised...  Boom!  A bunch of lentils came out, spilling all over the floor of her office.  But, not all the lentils came out -- some were stuck on the cork assembly.  The lentils had absorbed moisture, so they softened, expanded, and really made it difficult to remove the cork.

So, you may be wondering why someone would try this experiment.  Well, our Customer Service Manager is understanding.  She knows that people may experiment with different objects under the crown for various reasons.  They may be looking to enhance their sound by adding weight or objects that they feel will increase vibration.  Whatever the case, we know it is a temptation to try a homemade "enhancement."  In this case, the objects in the headjoint between the cork and crown were organic material that naturally expands with moisture.  Headjoint corks wear out and need to be replaced from time to time, so at some point, moisture can accumulate from air getting into the area between the cork assembly and crown.  With something like lentils, if they were put in the headjoint to increase vibration, they certainly didn't move much when they started to absorb moisture -- and they surely did not make the cork replacement procedure very easy!

So, if curiosity gets the best of you, and you are inclined to try some "enhancement," you have to be very careful.  Before you try anything, think about what you are considering.  Ask yourself how the material will react if it gets wet.  You do not want to harm your flute -- and you certainly do not want to turn your headjoint into a cooking appliance!

If You Can't Take the Heat...

We're in the thick of the summer months now, and we had a question on our Facebook page asking about piccolos and heat.  When the temperature is high, they may seem to "misbehave" or be rather "uncooperative."  Why is this?  Well, the major component to keep in mind is that wooden piccolos have bodies made of a natural material that expands and contracts with temperature changes.  Granted, you will feel the most drastic changes when the temperatures are in the extremes.  For instance, imagine that you are at home, and the temperature outside is well into the upper 90s (Fahrenheit) or above.  You sit down to practice in an area that is not air conditioned, and your piccolo and headjoint will not go together.  What should you do?

If you find that it is so hot that you cannot get the headjoint on your piccolo, don't force it.  It's simply a case of the wood swelling (or expanding) slightly because of the high temperature.  Give it some time and try to let the piccolo "cool down" a bit before you play it.  Once the air around the piccolo is cool enough, the wood of the piccolo will contract, and you will be able to play it.  Also, keep in mind that you do not want to expose the instrument to an extreme temperature change.  If you are outside performing in the heat, you would not want to come into an air conditioned room and start practicing immediately.

Maintaining even temperature (and humidity) is important for wooden instruments.  In fact, it is key!  The swelling and contracting of wooden piccolos can happen with wooden flutes as well.  So, if you have a wooden instrument, treat it with care, and don't take it to extremes in terms of temperature changes.  It will thrive in comfortable and consistent temperatures and humidity.

Repair on the Road

Repair Technician Rachel Baker (far right) at 2012 NFA Convention

We've been busy getting ready for the NFA Convention, so we thought it would be a great time to stop in and chat with Powell's Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, to ask about her role in the show.  Rachel attends with a group of Powell's sales and marketing team and works at the booth, speaking with customers, showing flutes, and...

Repairing flutes?  How would this be possible off site?  Does she repair the flutes at the booth throughout the show?  We wondered about all these questions, so we thought we would ask her.  Essentially, when it comes to repair at the NFA, there are two areas she addresses -- customer repairs and booth inventory.

When it comes to customers, Rachel often times gets requests to do repairs at the show.  People are there from all over the country, so it seems like a good time/place for repair.  However, since Rachel is out of her shop at Powell, her repair resources are limited.  Her basic rule of thumb when it comes to what is possible at a show is "anything within reason -- nothing drastic."  So, with a limited "travel toolbox," Rachel is able to make a couple of adjustments to flutes.  She can replace a pad, fix one major adjustment issue, adjust loose springs and spring tension.  She could also replace a missing key tail cork or tail felt.  Essentially, she can do "little bits" that would be part of a COA, but definitely not a complete COA or overhaul.  She also brings a mandrel and burnisher to fit headjoints.  So, if a customer buys a new headjoint and needs to have it fit, that is possible.  She can also fix any headjoint fitting issues with their current flute and headjoint.  Rachel brings a couple of headjoint corks as well, so if someone needs theirs replaced, that can be done!

So, the show goes on for several days, and the flutes and piccolos are played again and again...  Does Rachel get bogged down making adjustments to these?  The answer to this question is no.  As Rachel says, "That's why I spend so much time before the convention getting everything ready -- so I can pay attention to customers as opposed to instruments."  That certainly made us smile!  She says that sometimes, people will come to the booth and want her to take a look at their flute to see if it needs an overhaul or repair.  But, in general, her time is devoted to any customer visiting the booth.  She truly does spend an incredible amount of time prepping the inventory so that it is adjusted, ready to go, and (most importantly) securely set to function properly and without any issues throughout the show.  We thank Rachel for her meticulous and diligent work.  If you are coming to the convention to try Powell flutes at the booth, rest assured that they are ready for you!

The flutes are in tip-top shape so that Rachel can attend to customers!