Powell Sonaré Repair

Powell Sonaré 505BOF

When we stop in to see our repair technician, we usually see the whole range of Powell models -- Signature, Conservatory, Custom.  However, Powell Sonaré flutes rarely come in to the shop here.  Why is this?  Well, Powell Sonaré flutes are mostly serviced by repair technicians at the dealer location where the customer purchased the flute or by other local repair technicians in the customer's area.  There are numerous dealers across the country who sell and service Powell Sonaré flutes and many independent technicians.  For Powell models, there are fewer dealers in comparison.  Each Powell dealer must have a Straubinger-certified repair technician since Powell models use Straubinger pads.  Since there may not be a Powell dealer close to every customer, or Starubinger-certified independent technician, many customers send their flutes directly to Powell for repair.

Although Powell's repair tech, Rachel Baker, doesn't see many Powell Sonaré flutes on a regular basis, we were still curious about differences in repair between Powell and Powell Sonaré models.  She told us that essentially, the repairs she does are pretty much the same -- replacing pads and adjusting the mechanism.  These are the essentials which she does on all flutes.  The only difference, she tells us, is time.  She says that the time it takes to repair a Powell Sonaré is less than it would take on a Powell.  Why is this?  Well, there are a couple of differences.  The Powell Sonaré models have felt pads and a different mechanism.  Specifically, the tolerances on the Powell Sonaré and Powell models are different, and this is what accounts for the difference in repair time.  You may notice tolerance levels in the "feel" of the mechanism.  Since Powell Sonaré flutes are designed for younger players, the tolerance levels do not need to be as high as they would on the Powell models. Mechanisms with very high tolerance levels will take much longer to adjust.

You will find a complete list of Powell and Powell Sonaré dealers on the Powell website at https://powellflutes.com/dealer.  Powell repairs may be scheduled directly through the website at https://powellflutes.com/repair-doctor/schedule?destination=repair-doctor/schedule/repair.

Powell Sonaré 505BOF (far left) and other Powell models in the testing room

Depending on the Case...

We recently had a flute in the shop with a bent G key -- which, unfortunately, came from poor fitting in the case.  The fit of the flute in the case is critical, because as we have seen, the body and/or mechanism could get damaged.  So, what exactly is normal, and what should you look for?  We took a closer look to find out...

The parts of the flute (body, footjoint, headjoint) should all fit snuggly in the case and not move around.  Between the body of the flute and the headjoint, there is a small block in the case to support the G key.  This block should be secure and create enough space between the G key and headjoint to keep them from touching.  Also, if you see "wear" on the velvet in the case, that is normal.  Over time, this develops as the velvet comes in contact with the parts of the flute.  If the wear on the velvet becomes excessive, you have two options -- repair or replace.  Parts of the case can certainly be repaired (see previous post at http://www.repairmyflute.com/2012/09/if-case-fits.html).  However, depending on the amount of repair and the cost, one might choose simply to purchase a new case (we have flute, piccolo, and headjoint cases available at the VQP Shop).  When you send your flute in for a COA, you might also want to ask your repair technician to check the case fit.  Since the COA is a regular maintenance service for your flute, it's definitely a good time for a case "check-up" as well.

If you have a new case, you may notice that the case seems tight -- and it may even seem difficult to close.  This is also normal, because the case has been designed to hold the flute pieces securely.  Also, the interior of a brand new case has not been in contact with the flute over an extended period of time.  It has not gone through the "life cycles" of being opened and closed, and of having the flute taken out and put back in regularly.  The main thing to remember is that motion inside the case is not a good thing.  So, if you feel or hear parts moving when the case is closed, or if you see that parts have moved after you open the case, make sure to remedy the situation by having your case repaired or replaced as soon as you can!

Block under G key supports it and creates space between it and the headjoint.

Not a good fit here -- G key would hit the headjoint.

Areas of "wear" on velvet are normal.

Another photo of normal wear on case interior.

Brand new case -- no "wear" yet!

Another photo of new case interior.

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.

Cork Drawer

We stopped in to see Powell's Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, earlier this week.  As usual, she was working on COAs and overhauls, but we happened to see one very interesting drawer open in her supply organizer...  It was a drawer full of corks of all different shapes and sizes.  What are all these for?  We had to find out, so we asked her!

Rachel said that corks are used in different places and for different purposes on flutes and piccolos.  She went through five "categories" for us:

1) Tenon corks:  These are found on piccolos and wooden flutes.  A tenon cork is a strip of cork that surrounds the tenon completely.  It's used to hold joints together.

2) Bumper corks:  Bumper corks are found on the D# key and trill keys.  A bumper cork is a piece of cork under the key that keeps the key from hitting the body.

3) Adjustment corks:  Adjustment corks are very small, thin pieces of cork that are used to help the keys work together.  They are found more often on pinless flutes because of the way a pinless mechanism functions.

4) Piccolo tail corks:  Piccolo tail corks are small, narrow pieces of cork that are affixed to the key tails on piccolos.  They control key height and keep the tail from hitting the body.

5) Headjoint corks:  Probably the first cork that comes to mind when we think about flutes.  These are larger, cylindrical pieces of cork in the headjoint.  Their purpose is to seal the air, and their placement controls intonation between octaves.

The various corks mentioned above are actually all the same -- it's just that the cork is cut into different shapes and sizes depending on what the cork will be used for on the flute or piccolo.  Obviously, a sheet of cork is easiest to use when making corks for tenons, key tails, and adjustments, but it would not work well for a headjoint cork!  You can see the different shapes and sizes in the photos below.

Drawer of corks -- all different shapes and sizes.

Another drawer -- these are mostly used for piccolos.

Corks for different purposes.  Left to right: headjoint, piccolo tail, bumper, tenon, adjustment.

Large sheet of cork can be cut into smaller pieces for various uses.

Swedging

If you've ever heard the term "swedging" from your repair technician and wondered what that meant, we are here to answer that question!  We stopped in to see Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, and ask her about the process.

With normal wear and tear, mechanism tubing loosens.  Extra motion in the mechanism caused by this loosening is what is known as "play."  You can read more about "play" in a previous post here at http://www.repairmyflute.com/2012/08/play-in-mechanism.html.  When there is too much play, the mechanism can actually move from side to side.  To tighten the mechanism back up to where it should be, your repair technician will "swedge" the mechanism tubing.

Swedging requires a special "swedging tool."  Rachel uses a "vise" to hold the swedging tool as you will see in the photos below.  She begins by running a steel through the mechanism tubing and then places the tube (with the steel inside) in the swedging tool.  She says that it is important for the steel to have a snug fit through the tubing.  If a steel is too loose, the metal tubing will get crushed during the process.  The tip of the swedging tool is comprised of three parts that can contract when tightened and expand when loosened.  When you are swedging, the tip contracts down onto the tubing.  Rachel turns a handle on the back of the swedging tool to tighten the tip down onto the mechanism tubing.  She does not want it to be too tight, because she needs to be able to turn the keys on the mechanism tubing.  The pressure exerted onto the mechanism tubing from the swedging tool lengthens it (or "draws it out"), because, as Rachel says, "The metal has no place to go but out."  She then turns the key around the tubing to "burnish" it against the inner steel.  After this, the swedging tool is loosened to release the mechanism tubing and steel.  Rachel then puts the tubing back into place on the flute and checks the feel.  She says that the best way to swedge is to do "a little bit at a time," so the process takes a few cycles of swedging and then checking the fit.

One point that Rachel made is that mechanisms will always have a bit of play -- and that is normal.  However, if there is too much play, the tubing will move too much and will need to be swedged.

Rachel places the tubing and steel in the tip of the swedging tool (which is held by the blue vise).

Tightening the tip of the tool onto the tubing and steel.

Close up of the tubing and steel in the tip of the swedging tool.  The tubing is fairly short -- the steel running through it is much longer.

Even closer here -- you can see that the tip of the swedging tool is in parts (sections).

Rachel turning the key around the tubing to burnish it against the steel.

Placing the key section that was swedged back on to the mechanism.

Checking for movement in the section to tell if more swedging needs to be done.

Changing a Mechanism?

Last week's post on mechanism wear prompted another common question about mechanisms.  Many people ask if their mechanisms can be changed.  For instance, they may have a silver mechanism and are wondering if they can change their mechanism to one that is gold.  The answer is technically yes, but the recommendation is quite the opposite.  We sat down to chat with Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, to find out more.

Rachel helped shed some light on the situation.  She said that in order for a mechanism to be changed, you would have to completely retrofit a new mechanism to an existing flute body.  This can be extremely time consuming, complicated, and expensive.  Why is this?  Well, flute mechanism designs change, and flute bodies may as well.  Say you have an older Powell with a Traditional Powell scale -- or even a Powell with the Cooper scale.  The Modern Powell scale is currently used, and a new mechanism would be fitted to the current flute bodies (built with the Modern Powell Scale).  The positioning of the tone holes on the body is what determines the scale, so the positioning of the tone holes on a Powell with the Traditional or Cooper scales would be different that the current positioning.  This would mean that a new mechanism would need many modifications to fit the existing flute.

Very different mechanisms on 2100 and Conservatory.

In addition to the tone hole positioning, there may be other differences in the design and location of keys, posts, and ribs, which would also mean that the new mechanism would need to be modified to fit.  This can be a tremendous endeavor, which Rachel tells us is really not very cost effective.  She estimates that the cost for changing the mechanism is often more than half the cost of the flute, so you are better off purchasing a new flute.  Also, if you have a pinned or pinless mechanism, you cannot switch "back and forth."  So, if you have a pinned mechanism and want a pinless mechanism, it would not be possible to retrofit a pinless to a pinned body.  You can only go pinless to pinless or pinned to pinned.  But, again, probably best to look into a new flute altogether.

Finally, the question of changing a mechanism is probably related to a common misconception of flutes.  You may have heard other flutists say, "Yeah, I bought a silver flute with a silver mechanism, but I will upgrade to a gold mechanism later."  Well, that just may not be possible.  You can certainly upgrade to a different model, but swapping out the mechanism is not a guaranteed option!  Our best advice from the repair shop is that if you would like a new mechanism, you should pick a new flute that has it!

Another view of 2100 (left) and Conservatory (right) mechanisms.

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.