Well, I'm having trouble with my flute and one of the keys coming back up. For (very) annoying reasons , I cannot take it in to get fixed. I was wondering if there were some way I could do it myself.
My problem is the last key on the body joint (middle joint) and it's buddy that also goes down with it (third key to the left) don't like to come back up once they go down.
It's a closed hole flute and a Yamaha. I got it fixed in late April and I've had it for four years. I've also been told one of the keys is slightly flat (the second from last on the body joint, I think). I believe it was a rental flute before I bought it from Dietz (a music store).
Look at all the springs and how they are seated to the keys. You might not be able to get the spring reseated unless you have a special tool
If you have a music store with a lot of friendly people you should just walk in with your flute. If there is someone there who knows how to repair instruments, he/she might pop it back in place for no charge. It takes about a second.
There are a variety of reasons why a key may not come back up after being pressed. Here's a few of the more common causes (in no particular order):
1 - The spring has come off of it's saddle on the rod
2 - The oil is old and gummy or dried-up
3 - The spring is too weak
4 - The key rod could be binding because it is very slightly bent
Flute repair requires a bit of mechanical skill. If you are not experienced with flute repair, you need to proceed very cautiously. It's possible to make the problem worse or to do more damage.
With that warning, I'll suggest a few things you can try to see if the problem is with one of the first 2 reasons - if it's #3 or #4, you definitely need to seek out a skilled flute repair technician. If you are not mechanically inclined or if you don't understand the instructions below, DON"T DO ANYTHING - SEE A FLUTE TECHNICIAN!!!
1 - Spring off - look under the rod near the key that is staying down. Each key has a related spring that pushes the key back up. The base of the spring is in a post and the other end hooks into a saddle on the key rod. If it has become unhooked from the saddle, you may be able to put the end of it back into the saddle. If you find a spring that is unhooked, take a very small wooden stick (something like a toothpick) with a flat end and very gently and carefully push the spring so that it hooks back into the saddle.
2 - Old oil - For this you need some penetrating oil (something like WD-40) . DO NOT SPRAY THE FLUTE WITH OIL! Take a small plastic bottle cap and spray a bit of the WD-40 into the bottle cap. Then dip the end of a large needle or toothpick into the oil so that you get a small drop of oil on the toothpick. Touch the toothpick to the end of the rod where it joins the post (looks sort of like a ball on top) nearest the sticky key. BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET OIL ON THE PADS! Also, between each key there is a very small gap in the rod - it's almost invisible, but you can feel it with your fingernail. Use the needle or toothpick to apply a little oil at the gap on each end of the sticky key. You may need to do this 2-3 times to get a little bit of oil to get into the mechanism. Keep a paper towel handy. If the oil drops in the wrong place or runs near a pad, use the paper towel to remove the excess.
"Never give a flute player a screwdriver."
--anonymous--
Thanks for all the advice.
However, my mom decided she could fix my flute.
*horror theme*
She took a small screwdriver and tightened one of the screws. Then she "undid" it. Although, I don't believe she fully "undid" it.
It was the screw closest to the key.
...
How bad of an effect could it have?
I also looked at the spring thing. Although it's kinda wiggly, I didn't do much to it. I thought by moving it into the spot where it looks as though it belong would help, but it didn't do anything noticable.
Perhaps I should expand my signature to also state:
"Never give a flute player (or their mom or dad) a screwdriver"
It's never a good idea to start tightening/loosening screws on a flute unless the person knows precisely what they are doing. Some screws are not designed to be "tight".
Was it a pivot screw at the end of a key shaft (parallel to the body) or was it an adjustment screw in the middle (perpendicular to the body)?
If it was an adjustment screw, it may cause a certain key pads to not close completely or to close too soon which can prevent another key from closing. You may find that certain notes no longer play or become very difficult or stuffy. Moving the screws should not cause any permanent damage, but it might require a visit to the repair shop to get things corrected.
"Never give a flute player a screwdriver."
--anonymous--
, I cannot take it in to get fixed. I was wondering if there were some way I could do it myself.
