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strathspey
(29 points)
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Hi! I just bought a used Armstrong flute. I played the flute for band for a couple years, but really I would consider myself a beginner. I don't know anything about restoring a flute, does anyone have any advice...?
1)The pads are sticky, and I'm not sure how to clean them properly.
2)Can anyone recommend a good cleaning fluid?
3)The flute has tiny, black dots all over it, and I am not sure if it is scratches or a kind of rust...?
4)How could I fix scratches anyway?
Basically the instrument needs A LOT of work. Thanks so much for any suggestions!
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Kara
(2852 points)
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Taking it into a professional repair tech would be what I would advice. It is not a wise choice for you to work on your flute unless you really know what you are doing.
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strathspey
(29 points)
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OK, thank you! Is there anyway I could clean the pads, though, without taking it in for professional work?
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Kara
(2852 points)
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You would have to take the flute apart to properly clean the pads. You can order a special cleaner for them, but if the pads are frayed or torn in anyway then you should not be using anything on them. You can also buy pad paper for sticky pads.
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Tibbiecow
(293 points)
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Kara's right, if the pads are torn there is no way to fix the problem (the key will leak air out the hole, so it won't seal and it won't play one or more notes) unless the whole pad is replaced. And then the technician will need to 'level' the pad so the key seals nicely. And sometimes, now the whole flute might need its keys adjusted, because one key might close another- and if the first one is changed, the second key might not close now, creating more problems with the flute playing a particular note or notes.
When the flute is taken apart for re-padding or an overhaul, they can get all that tarnish off really easily. The problem with doing it yourself, with anything other than a clean soft cloth, is that metal polish or any other 'goo' to clean off the tarnish can ruin the pads. So it's really best to have the whole thing nicely polished and buffed while the flute is in for its pads.
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Alieannie
(714 points)
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If you are into this project because you want to learn instrument repair, there are courses and schools just for that thing. A lot of them seem to be in Minnesota or something; I'm not sure where you're from or your exact age. I've seen summer programs too.
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suzie
(372 points)
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I agree with the other posts above mine. If the pads are older and you attempt to clean them, any sort of pressure with and without the conjunction of a liquid, there's a good chance that the skin(s) of the pads is old and brittle and can just split!
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Micron
(1349 points)
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If the stickiness is from sugary stuff, you could try water.
If it is grease or oil, (say from the atmosphere in a kitchen), or tar (from a smoker's breath?) then naphtha (lighter fluid) is probably best.
If it is a gummy deposit, then possibly alcohol, or better, acetone.
If it is some semi-polymerised oil, then probably nothing will remove it. A delicate rub with talcum powder or Teflon powder (or Yamaha powder paper) may serve as a band-aid.
But any rubbing very easily wrecks the membrane over flute pads.
Any good silver polish should deal with the black spots on the body.
If you want to overhaul a flute, you are almost certainly way, way out of your depth. First get a decent book on instrument repairs:
1. THE COMPLETE WOODWIND REPAIR MANUAL - by Reg Thorp, available from http://www.napbirt.org/
&/or
2. Saska's "A Guide to Woodwind Repair". (Amazon.com)
There is also a wealth of information in the searchable repair section of saxontheweb.net bulletin board, and technicians that kindly and readily answer questions.
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strathspey
(29 points)
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No, I don't want to learn flute repair. I am thinking about going into further depth in studying flute-playing, or at least more than I learned in band . I wanted to get the flute I have cleaned up, and was wondering if there were any simple ways to clean up certain parts of the instrument without taking it in to a professional. Right now I'm trying to spend as little money as possible on cleaning up the flute, because I am looking for a new violin, and need to save as much as possible for that because violin is my primary instrument. I was thinking about putting off the flute for a while, but it seemed horrid to neglect the poor thing, and so I was trying to find maybe a simple method for cleaning pads, etc. Do you know if it is very expensive to have a flute restored? Or does it just depend on the condition of it? Thank you
<Added>
I'm only 15, so I don't think I would get in to instrument repair school:)
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Micron
(1349 points)
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If you are talking about dark circles opn the pads, where they weal, then that probably will not clean off. It is probably silver tarnish - silver sulphide.
You can't do much cleaning of a flute without taking it part and later assembling it.
If you have no experience of doing this, then you are quite likely to break a spring, puncture a pad, knock key corks off, or bend something out of adjustmnet in the process. So cleaning a flute is really a job for a proffessional.
The cost of overhaul depends on just what is needed, whether the flue has adjusting screws, whether the tone holes are level, how conscientiously the job is done, hence how much time is involved, what the particular technician charges, and hw much he is inclined to be charitable or rip you off.
<Added>
Sorry. Forgot to typo-check... first sentence should read
"If you are talking about dark circles on the pads, where they seal, then that probably will not clean off"
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leighthesim
(215 points)
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for the sticky pads you can get pad paper and if you close the key onto in it should help the stickyness, and as for the black dots you could try giving it a good polish with a silver polishing cloth(you can get these from most supermarkets).
that might help with them but the others i can't help with
<Added>
EDIT: on ebay you can this silver restorer stuff which shoould also help with the black dots, just put the tiniest bi on the coth and polish it but make sure you don' get any on te tenons or pads.
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