Assembling the flute |
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It
is of vital importance that the mechanism and joints
are not subjected to any stress during these procedures.
These are delicate areas and can be expensive to repair.
Therefore, do not take the flute out of the case by
its mechanism.
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Hold
the body by the barrel (headjoint socket) and the headjoint
around the tubing below the lip plate.
Keeping the headjoint in line with the main body,
insert the headjoint in to the main body using a careful
rotary action. |
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Place
the footjoint in the palm of your hand, and hold the main
flute body around the headjoint socket.
Holding
the two parts in line, join the two sections together
with a careful rotary action. Should you need to get
a better grip on the footjoint, then place your thumb
on the low C and/or C# key cups.
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not hold any other footjoint touchpieces as they can easily
become damaged. |
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Disassembling your flute
Carefully reverse the above procedures.
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Cleaning Your flute
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INSIDE
: When you play your flute, condensation forms inside.
Before putting your flute away after playing it should
be thoroughly cleaned internally. Pads quickly absorb
moisture, which can cause them to swell. This swelling
may lead to the pads not covering the tone holes correctly.
The result is leaks, poor intonation and sound quality.
To ensure this is prevented , undertake the following
procedure;
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Take
a lint free cotton cloth and thread it through the eye
of your wooden (to prevent scratching) cleaning rod.
Wrap
the cloth around the tip and insert through all sections
of your instruments separately. Rotate the cleaning
rod and withdraw when all moisture has been absorbed.
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| OUTSIDE
: To ensure that silver plated and silver flutes do
not succumb to the effects of perspiration acids, which
can cause tarnishing and possibly plating problems, we
recommend that you regularly clean the outside of your
flute with a special Trevor James polishing cloth. |
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Carefully
polish all areas in regular contact with the skin, taking
extra care not to touch any pads. |
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Headcork Positioning |
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To
ensure that your headjoint is correctly positioned, carefully
insert the ringed end of the wooden cleaning rod in to
the headjoint. If the cork is in the correct position,
the ring should be visible at the centre of the embouchure
hole. If the headjoint mark is to the right or left of
centre it is recommended that you take your flute to a
local specialist who will be able to safely adjust the
headcork positioning without exerting any pressure.
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Padding |
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pads are very delicate and can easily be damaged, especially
when they are damp. Should the pads on your flute become
sticky then it is essential that you clean the inside
of your flute as detailed above. The utilisation of cigarette
papers has been a common route when sticky pads have occurred,
however studies have revealed that this course of action
can lead to the delicate skin of the pad being broken.
This results in leaking pads and major problems. The message
is simply 'DO NOT USE CIGARETTE PAPERS'. Ensuring that
you do not eat or drink during practice will assist you
in your efforts to reduce moisture on your pads. Should
sticky pads persist then contact your repairer. |
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Oiling |
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simple message is don't unless you have detailed technical
knowledge and experience. The oils used are of a specially
formulated type. If oiling is required, it is essential
that you contact your repairman who knows how much of
the correct oil to use. |
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Important |
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Never
apply grease or oil to the joints or sockets of
your flute. It attracts dirt which may become abrasive.
Grease is used on instruments with cork joint. Should
the joints become very tight, simply clean the socket
and tenon with a separate Trevor James lint free
cloth. If the problem persists, or the joints become
loose, contact your repairman. |
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Do
not use silk cloths to clean inside as they merely
redistribute the moisture. |
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Do not leave damp cloths or pad savers inside the
instrument case. |
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Never
use liquid metal polish, of any type. |
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Avoid
straining any mechanism during any care and maintenance
procedures. |
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