Simple Flute Maintenance
Sean Tan is a woodwind repair specialist at WindWorks. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Nanyang Technological University and a specialist diploma in Band Instrument Repair Technology from Renton Technical College (USA). He is also certified by factories of Buffet Crampon Clarinets in Paris (France), Verne Q.Powell flutes in Boston (USA), Muramatsu Flutes in Tokorozawa (Japan).
Over the years, he has performed several emergency repairs under extremely critical situations: minutes before entering SYF central judging, during WMC, during intermission of a concert etc. Sean says that instruments will always want to breakdown when the technician is around.
Cleaning of Storage Case
Something which many flutists overlook is the cleaning of their flute storage case. The flute is carefully wiped down and polished after every practise, but the case is speckled with dust and lint from the cleaning or polishing cloth.
REMEDY: Vacuum the case with household vacuum cleaner. Use bits of masking tape, say 20 to 30cm long, stick it to the velvet interior of the case, remove tape and repeat the process several time to remove dust and lint. An alternative is to use a piece of Blu-tack and blotch it on the velvet.
Remove the flute, open the case lid and place under the Sun for an hour. That minimise any musky odour and dampness in the case. Put a few drops of key oil on the locking latch and the hinge of the case lid.
Cleaning of Embouchure Hole
Unbelievable amounts of grime (a mixture of dust, oil, grease, sweat & oxide layer etc) accumulate at the edge where the embouchure riser meets the headjoint tubing. When this happened, tone production and the response of the instrument will be affected.
REMEDY: Using a cotton bud with a drop of rubbing alcohol (purchase from Pharmacy), clean the inside of the embouchure hole where it meet the inner tubing, using some facial cotton, also clean the lip plate with some alcohol.
Tuning Line
Over time, the headjoint tuning cork deteriorates and becomes loose. Sometimes, it gets pushed out of position with a cleaning rod. Check if the tuning line is in the middle of the embouchure hole using the end part of the cleaning rod.
REMEDY: Always consult your flute teacher, repair technician or band director. Do not attempt to adjust the headjoint tuning cork on your own.
Stiff Joints
Sometimes, the tenon joint between the headjoint and main body or between the main body and footjoint becomes stiff. One reason is the build up of grime on these joints.
REMEDY: Wipe both the interior socket and exterior of the joints with rubbing alcohol and paper towel or a clean lint-free cloth. After that, take a piece of candle (paraffin wax) and rub a thin layer on the exterior surface of the joint. Wipe off all wax with a piece of clean rag. Test fit the joint to see if it becomes smoother. Repeat again if necessary. If the problem persists, seek assistance from a repair technician.
NOTE: NEVER USE CORK GREASE ON FLUTE JOINTS.
Sticky Pads
The sticky problem bugs many flutists. Over time, the surfaces of the tone hole and the pad are coated with a layer of oxide, sulphide, and grime (powder from powdered paper!). Also, the surface of old pads becomes wrinkled or “hairy” due to “sandpapering” effect from dragging cigarette/cleaning paper over the pads. The damage on the pads surface attracts more moisture and grime.
REMEDY: Bent a new pipe cleaner into U shape and pour a few drops of Zippo Lighter Fluid (purchase from hardware store). Gently bring it (the inverted U) over both the pad and tone hole surface. You can also pour a few drops of lighter fluid on a piece of cigarette paper and pressed it gently between the tone hole and the pad.
Note that lighter fluid is highly flammable, so be very careful not to put it near to any naked flame. Minimise usage of powdered paper as it only act as a temporary relief. Also, do not drag cigarette/cleaning paper over tightly pressed key pads.
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