flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of stains

Taking care of your instrument

Moderators: Classitar, pied_piper, Phineas

User avatar

flutego12
Posts: 554
Joined: Monday Apr 02, 2022 2:51 am
Location: Southern Hemisphere, Earth

flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of stains

Beingness a compulsive flute cleaner, polisher et cetera et cetera, I accept of late come across several challenges which I am hoping, the forum can provide some insight into -
~ STAIN REMOVAL FROM A SILVER-PLATED FLUTE ~ (Yamaha 221)

:idea: I thing I've tried (experimenting with) west.r.t. general patina removal which works wonders for general flute cleaning is using gentle generic toothpaste (non-gel blazon) & water - on a fully disassembled flute. Sounds ridiculous merely it works and one would similar to recall information technology'south "organic" way sans chemicals. :idea: Are there any fierce objections to this practise? :?: Open to alternative suggestions. Would dear to try the ultra sonic cleaning device 1 day.

Problem one: I've recently encountered several droplets of translucent floating stains which has a wet-look (similar oil on blotting paper, or like a beige layer of floating scotch tape) which I'm guessing perhaps is an onetime oil spillage on the flute, I don't know. I'm baffled. Gentle polishing with silvery fabric hasn't helped, a flute bath (above) have not helped. See Photograph three - oil stain ?

Trouble two: Dark grey marks or welts - broader than usual surface scratches that wait and experience like zinc - I looks and feels like the silver layer has been taken off exposing the metal below but isn't the YFL221 nickel silvery and is that not shiny besides - below the plating? Photo 2 - How does ane remove this? :|

Problem 3: Normal scratches - how can one polish these off? OR should one even try to smooth these off? Photo 1.

Terminal edited by flutego12 on Wed May 29, 2022 one:sixteen am, edited iv times in total.

flutist with a screwdriver

fluteguy18
Posts: 2311
Joined: Lord's day Jul 16, 2006 three:eleven pm

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of st

Post by fluteguy18 »

I'thousand not certain about the bottom two photos just the top one looks virtually like the copper flashing is starting to testify through.

If a flute is plated it isn't recommended that you try to polish/vitrify out scratch marks considering the plating is thin. Fifty-fifty though nickel silvery is relatively close in color it oxidizes to a much darker colour than silver and has a matte terminate at that point. Ordinarily however a plated flute is covered in a layer of copper before the silverish because it covers all of the blemish marks from machining and provides a uniform and even surface for the silver to adhere. A lot of lower end solid silvery flutes (non-pro/non-handmade) have copper flashing and then a silvery plate cease as well even though the base material and the exterior textile are the same.

But.... I may be incorrect on this i.

mirwa
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2022 6:36 pm
Location: Australia - Perth
Contact:

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of st

Post by mirwa »

flutego12 wrote: :idea: One thing I've tried (experimenting with) w.r.t. general patina removal which works wonders for general flute cleaning is using gentle generic toothpaste (non-gel type) or baking soda & water - on a fully disassembled flute. Sounds ridiculous just it works and one would like to think it'due south "organic" fashion sans chemicals. :idea: Are there any tearing objections to this practice? :?: Open to alternative suggestions. Would dearest to try the ultra sonic cleaning device one solar day.

Practise non use toothpaste, it is an abrasive, and so it removes tarnish via a mechanical scratching action, if you take a close expect you will see a multitude at present of small scratches

Exercise not use bankroll soda its the same situation actually its more annoying.

Ultra sonic cleaning will nor remove tarnish, you take to empathize why the tarnish is forming showtime to effectively remove it

fluteguy18
Posts: 2311
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 three:eleven pm

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of st

Post by fluteguy18 »

mirwa wrote:

flutego12 wrote: :idea: One thing I've tried (experimenting with) w.r.t. full general patina removal which works wonders for general flute cleaning is using gentle generic toothpaste (non-gel type) or baking soda & water - on a fully disassembled flute. Sounds ridiculous only it works and 1 would like to remember it'southward "organic" way sans chemicals. :idea: Are in that location whatever vehement objections to this exercise? :?: Open to alternative suggestions. Would beloved to try the ultra sonic cleaning device 1 twenty-four hour period.

Do not use toothpaste, it is an abrasive, so it removes tarnish via a mechanical scratching action, if you have a close look you will encounter a multitude at present of small scratches

Do not utilise backing soda its the same situation actually its more abrasive.

Ultra sonic cleaning will nor remove tarnish, you have to understand why the tarnish is forming showtime to finer remove it

When used as a paste I empathize baking soda beingness abrasive. I have however seen people clean argent jewelry by style of a chemical reaction betwixt silver and aluminum when put in the aforementioned container and and so filled with hot h2o with baking soda dissolved in it. You can run across earlier and after that the silver (tarnished when yous begin) is at present clean and the aluminum foil is then tarnished instead.

Thoughts?

mirwa
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2022 6:36 pm
Location: Australia - Perth
Contact:

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the diverse types of st

Post by mirwa »

My thoughts are its the worst thing you could mayhap do to your flute. Yes Ive seen information technology done , yes Ive even experimented to confirm my thoughts with junker draw flutes and show others.

A flute is silver plated, normally the plating is approx 0.0005 m thick, sometimes it's down to two/10'000 of an inch thick.

The baking soda solution really pits the surface of the plating, yes it initially removes the tarnish simply also makes the flute wait frosty, you can wipe the frosty'ness away, simply up close you volition see fine pitting all over the surface, the pitted holes now equal a greater surface area to tarnish and the resultant situation is the flute surface tarnishes far quicker now than earlier.

And so IMO no its non a good idea to practice

evrmre
Posts: 99
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2022 ii:22 am

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of st

Post by evrmre »

So only curious... is there a 'right' way to clean a flute? Not so much for home users, but more like when you send a flute for a service. Or is information technology a case of once tarnished, e'er tarnished?

Not that I have any plans to attempt such things, just I've wondered how information technology is dealt with since I learnt of all the things you shouldn't do to clean them...

mirwa
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2022 6:36 pm
Location: Australia - Perth
Contact:

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the diverse types of st

Post by mirwa »

Yep there are various ways to remove tarnish.

If the instrument is in good condition with light tarnish, warm water / detergent / and a soft material will remove

The next level again is warm h2o / detergent and a baby's toothbrush

The next level is a jewellery polishing textile

From here upwards to remove tarnish becomes more ambitious to even a dip in a mild sulphuric acid, but I would never go to the phase of brasso / silvo or blistering soda

mirwa
Posts: 271
Joined: Friday Dec xiv, 2022 6:36 pm
Location: Australia - Perth
Contact:
mirwa
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri December 14, 2022 6:36 pm
Location: Australia - Perth
Contact:

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of st

Post by mirwa »

To replate is not a small job, you need to remove all pads, remove all springs. strip the old plating off, buff to perfection and then replate / repad / respring.

You can practice some small-scale brush plating in small areas with kits from places like caswell but the plating is extremely thin and nearly times meet through

wuffeeflaute
Posts: 14
Joined: Dominicus Jun 02, 2022 two:17 am

Re: flute laundry -cleaning tips for the various types of st

Mail past wuffeeflaute »

mirwa wrote:To replate is not a small chore, you demand to remove all pads, remove all springs. strip the one-time plating off, vitrify to perfection and then replate / repad / respring.

Y'all can do some small brush plating in small areas with kits from places similar caswell but the plating is extremely thin and near times come across through

cheers, homo.