I am a repair tech and can fix most everything flute related. One thing that I have never done or learned is to replace a flute lip plate. Anyone out there that can give me a rundown, or at least tell me where I can find the instruction, on removing and replacing a lip plate? thank you.
john
replacing a flute lip plate
Moderators: Classitar, pied_piper, Phineas
Re: replacing a flute lip plate
You can't remove just the lip plate, You have to replace both the lip plate and riser. It's just soft soldered to the tube, Heat it up like normal soldering and it will come off. Soldering back on requires a few extra steps.repair tech wrote:I am a repair tech and can fix most everything flute related. One thing that I have never done or learned is to replace a flute lip plate. Anyone out there that can give me a rundown, or at least tell me where I can find the instruction, on removing and replacing a lip plate? thank you.
john
Why are you replacing it? Depending on your answer, they're probably other things you should know.
Joe B
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repair tech
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Re: replacing a flute lip plate
there is a deep dent in the plate in an area that I cant seem to reach using conventional methods. I am not sure that I can pop out the dent without further damaging the plate or headjoint. I am open to suggestions.
Re: replacing a flute lip plate
Student or Pro Flute?
Taking it off is not so much the problem. Putting it back on exactly is. A student head is not a big deal. You can do that and re-solder it back on. The issue is that you most likely will not get it back exactly as it was before.
I am overstating that quite a bit, but on a pro flute a player may or may not be satisfied and in other cases it may be an improvement.
If it is silver plated, heat control will be crucial since you don't want that to run at all, also your choice of solder can help with that. Don't use a 60/40 or 70/30 alloy. Use a 50/50 alloy since there is a "plastic" state which will allow you to maneuver the lip plate without solder running. It's just much easier. (That being said, I've used 60/40 before but you do need to be more conscious of your temp and heat control.) You could also use a 96/4 alloy which is double the strength and a slightly higher temperature, but it is not really necessary unless you want to go with a lead free alloy and go straight tin/silver alloy instead of the usual tin/lead alloy. If it's a plated head, I would stick with the 50/50 just so you minimize any potential plating destruction.
I use a simple gravity approach. Place the Headjoint tenon end on a dowel in your vice or jig or whatever you are using to hold the dowel. (you don;t want it to extend down the tube, just enough to support the tube is sufficient). I clean and then tin the bottom side of the riser with clean solder. (tube side has already been cleaned.) I balance the lip plate with gravity where it should sit on the tube and after a little flux, Apply heat from the top down onto the riser. When you reach the plastic temp state, you will see the lip plate settle and can make those fine adjustments to line it up with the existing hole. Be careful here, you don't want to have it slip and fall on the floor.
If you got it right you only have to do a little clean up and polish. If not, you can adjust it again and if necessary you may need a headjoint scraper to touch up the undercutting by hand. Don't forget to polish the riser after soldering.
That's it basically.
If you get stuck with any part, just holler..
Taking it off is not so much the problem. Putting it back on exactly is. A student head is not a big deal. You can do that and re-solder it back on. The issue is that you most likely will not get it back exactly as it was before.
I am overstating that quite a bit, but on a pro flute a player may or may not be satisfied and in other cases it may be an improvement.
If it is silver plated, heat control will be crucial since you don't want that to run at all, also your choice of solder can help with that. Don't use a 60/40 or 70/30 alloy. Use a 50/50 alloy since there is a "plastic" state which will allow you to maneuver the lip plate without solder running. It's just much easier. (That being said, I've used 60/40 before but you do need to be more conscious of your temp and heat control.) You could also use a 96/4 alloy which is double the strength and a slightly higher temperature, but it is not really necessary unless you want to go with a lead free alloy and go straight tin/silver alloy instead of the usual tin/lead alloy. If it's a plated head, I would stick with the 50/50 just so you minimize any potential plating destruction.
I use a simple gravity approach. Place the Headjoint tenon end on a dowel in your vice or jig or whatever you are using to hold the dowel. (you don;t want it to extend down the tube, just enough to support the tube is sufficient). I clean and then tin the bottom side of the riser with clean solder. (tube side has already been cleaned.) I balance the lip plate with gravity where it should sit on the tube and after a little flux, Apply heat from the top down onto the riser. When you reach the plastic temp state, you will see the lip plate settle and can make those fine adjustments to line it up with the existing hole. Be careful here, you don't want to have it slip and fall on the floor.
If you got it right you only have to do a little clean up and polish. If not, you can adjust it again and if necessary you may need a headjoint scraper to touch up the undercutting by hand. Don't forget to polish the riser after soldering.
That's it basically.
If you get stuck with any part, just holler..
Joe B