Hi - I’m looking for some technical advice I guess - My new2me Copeland 4 key has a 1-piece body (corps?) that seems to me to be leaking - I noticed that although the flute has a pretty good low d, I really had to hit a passing low d just right to get it to sound acceptably. So I did a suck test and it seems to me that it does have a slight leak.
Before I try and find someone to work on the flute and maybe change the pads, I wonder if there is a better way to validate if it has a leak?
All I did was take a sandwich baggie and rubber band it around the bottom to seal it, and then cover the holes with my fingers, and when I sucked on it I could feel my lungs getting a slight bit of air. Fiddling with the keys by covering the keyhole with tape actually seemed to make the leak worse, so instead I tried to seal the keys tighter by holding them down tighter with tape. But it seemed inconclusive. I was hoping to determine which key(s) are leaking - or eliminate the keys as a source.
So - tonight I’m wondering if I should just find someone who can solve this puzzle for me or hopefully get some advice to make a better diagnosis.
Remove all keys and plug the keyed holes and the end of the flute with blue tac or similar. Try the suction test again , this will eliminate faults in the wood. If your flute has metal tenon tips be aware that you can get a false result due to air seeping between the metal and the wood. Keyless body should hold a vacuum for a few seconds (I was taught 8 seconds) it should even suck onto your lip.
Once you’ve established that the wood it’self is air tight , put the keys back on one at a time, if a pad is good you should notice little or no difference in the time that the vacuum lasts when the suctiuon test is applied.
You may find that your problems are down to just one pad.
It’s been pointed out to me that some people might be intimidated by the idea of removing keys so…
The paper test: take a cigarette paper (the thinner tha better) avoiding the gummed edge cut a triangle using a razor blade.
About 1 1/2" (30mm)long less than 1/2" (15mm)at the base . Open a key and insert the tip of the paper triangle under the pad then let the key close trapping the paper. Pull out the paper make a mental note of the level of resistance as you pull.
it should be almost even all the way round (test in about eight places , four on smaller pads) I prefer it slightly tighter at the front (the point furthest from the pivot)
Suspect any pads where there is a spot where the resistance is markedly lighter than the rest of the pad. In severe cases you may even find areas where the paper isn’t trapped at all - that’ll be where your leak is.
