Pewter plug care?

[sturob]

Hey!

Wow, it's been like a bamillion bajillion years since I posted anything. How's tricks, people?

Is there anything special I'm supposed to be doing with pewter footjoint plugs, as far as care goes? Little bit of oil to help them seal if they need it? Take them off and clean the hole/plate every so often?

How much/how little?

I ask because I was browsing around and saw that Grinter Bb blackwood/silver for sale, and the seller had posted that he'd taken the plugs off for a cleaning, and I've never done that.

Thanks,

Stuart

[Rob Sharer]

Welcome back!

Some will claim that plugs should need no oil, but I find that even fresh-made ones by a master of the trade still respond better with a dab of 3-in-1.

Meanwhile, I'm going to go out on a limb and say "taken them off for a cleaning" is code for "can't be bothered with the bloody things"!

Bepoq?

Cheers,

Rob

[jemtheflute]

If you oil them, (which some prefer) the oil will gradually gather dust etc. and go gungy and sticky, so you'll need to wipe it off all surfaces and renew at reasonably frequent intervals. If you don't oil, over longer time there may be some minor metal tarnish/patination/corrosion which a gentle polish (with e.g. metal wadding) will remove and restore the smoothness of the contact surfaces to ensure a good seal and no sticking. That's regarding the actual pewters and their contact plates.... but I think the Grinter owner in question may have meant that he took them off to polish the silver keys themselves rather than the pewter plugs (though it's kinda hard not to do the whole caboodle!) - 'cos of course, silver tarnishes. I polish all the silver on my R&R at intervals. It is much easier and safer to take the keys off to do that, though not the rings!

[Rob Sharer]

Just as a single data point, I just went and had a look at the plugs on my Wylde. They get a regular drop of oil; otherwise, the lifestyle of this flute includes being left out on a table most of the time, dusted over with sanding detritus when I'm a'working at that table, occasionally banged into a sock for transport, and of course drooled upon and manipulated by yours truly.

The net result? The plugs look clean as a whistle. They have gently oxidised all over, having started life the bright silver of freshly-turned pewter, which process the oil seems neither to have impeded nor hastened along. There is no residue of any sort on the plugs, even though you might well expect to find some given the facts of its scattered little life.

I'd have to do some research to be sure, but I'm thinking that machine oil of the type I use on my plugs isn't going to go sticky on me in my natural lifespan.


Rob

[Cubitt]

I have no opinion on this, but I've had my flute for many years and have never done anything to the plugs. C# and C play as easily as any other note.

[treeshark]

I find my pewters seal fine and I don't mess with them except when I take all the keys off and polish 'em once a year.
I was told that oil was some times good to make them quieter if I wished by the maker... but I like the clatter.

[sturob]

Yeah, I haven't oiled them that I can remember and they play well, and I do enjoy the clackety clack.

I just thought maybe I should be doing something more. Meh.

How do you take the pins out, do you have rubber-shod needle-nosed pliers? I need me a set of them. I ought to take the keys off several instruments to clean them up a bit. My hands are kinda big and putting the pins back in scares me.

Stuart

[jemtheflute]

You need a pair of parallel pliers, Stuart - and you can round off the sharp corners of the "nose" to avoid/minimise and marking of the wood.

[sturob]

Who's Steve?

Stuart

[s1m0n]

Fibre.

[Jon C.]

Yeah, I haven't oiled them that I can remember and they play well, and I do enjoy the clackety clack.

I just thought maybe I should be doing something more. Meh.

How do you take the pins out, do you have rubber-shod needle-nosed pliers? I need me a set of them. I ought to take the keys off several instruments to clean them up a bit. My hands are kinda big and putting the pins back in scares me.

Stuart

Hey Stu, just get some needle nose plyers for removing the pins, I sometimes just pull them with my fingers... (or are you changing your name to Steve?)

[treeshark]

Putting the pins back in can be fiddly. I put the spoon end exactly over its seat then keeping a finger on that use another digit to push the key down into its fully depressed position. Then the pin should slide home easily. Mostly this works fine but there are a couple on my Rudall that have me muttering as you have to release the key a tiny fraction.