I recently bought an 8 key Murray. The flute plays great but the b flat pad has torn in half and is stuck on the hole. The lower C keys work, but need new pads as well, they don’t seat reliably.I think I can do the job myself but m not sure what to use. The pads seem to be made of some sort of foam rubber, not like the pads on my other flutes.
I have been reading past posts on the subject and also read McGees article. I don’t think these are clarinet pads and I was wondering if someone knows what Sam Murray uses and or if clarinet pads can be made to work.
Not sure what Sam Murray uses but I have re padded flutes and piccolo’s with the tan clarinet pads and never had any problems.
never seen a foam pad but have used clear silicone sealant when i was stuck once.
I use synthetic felt and hot glue - works well for me! You fill the cup with hot glue and place the circular pad on it and put it back on the flute while the hot glue is still warm. Seems to form-fit quite well and is very easy to remove (in case you screw it up the first time). Very non-traditional and really cheap, but I’ve used this technique on everything from antiques to my one true love, a John Gallagher Pratten.
Pat
[EDIT] @Bob (below): What I’m calling “synthetic felt” is the same stuff you’re calling “closed cell” below, I’m pretty sure. I do the same thing you do, but use hot glue.
I often use closed cell sheet for crafts, by Darice. It comes in various colors, and thicknesses. I generally stick to fairly conservative colors like beige or light brown The thicknesses can be bought in various gauges. . .2,3,4, 5 mm and maybe thicker.. I fit a length of hobby tubing into the cup of the key that will just barely fit, or possibly just larger. I use wet n dry sandpaper to dress an edge onto one end of the tube, then press and rotate the tubing into the foam on a hard surface. Sometimes I use a urethane mallet to tap it through the foam and get a clean circle. (A telephone book (remember those?) would do as well). You can use sealing wax, shellac, or contact cement to fasten the circle to the cup. Barge cement is excellent. In a little while the foam conforms to the pad seat and makes an excellent seal (actually this has been suggested by Hammy Hamilton!). You can buy the foam at Michael’s, or Joanne’s Fabric, or I suppose Hobby Lobby.
G’luck
I’ve used neoprene or closed-cell foam on my Murray’s pads, and stuck it on with shellac.
I thought Rod Cameron had a basic flute-repair document floating around out there somewhere, but I didn’t come across it. I did find a helpful little bit from Terry McGee, though. http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/repad.html
He tells you how to do a much neater job than mine turned out to be! But the keys work and don’t leak, and that’s the most important thing.
I went to Jo-anns and picked up the foam. I wanted to get sealing wax but they did not have it. I ended up using hot glue.
The pad does not look the greatest but it works great now! In the future I want to try doing a better job with clarinet pads and wax, but the foam and hot glue did the trick.
Thank you all for the help.
You can get premium carded leather clarinet pads from Farrees, size the pad to just under the cup diameter, always use shellac to attach pads, not hot melt. Sometimes it is necassary to take the pad apart and shave the felt some to get thinner pad.
I have had to clean all kinds of junk out of key cups over the years! Then there is the brilliant idea of filling the key cups with CA glue, and using foam, like a couple of well known makers do, try digging that stuff out when installing purse pads…
Don’t mind me, I am a purist!
I guess it would work, I like the shellac as you can float the pad in position, by heating up the key cup, but I guess the same is true with hot melt…
The white ‘decorators caulk’ they sell in the UK looks like it might work for fixing closed cell foam if allowed to set for a while the way one might do with silicone sealant.
That would be silicone caulk not latex. That was the craz for a while, using silicone as the pad itself, by forming it to the key seat, with some sort of release… If you just want backing for foam, that would work.
Thanks Jon. The flute in question has just such silicone pads.
The white stuff I have is cheaper than the sort that says silicone on thetube and smells better in use than that or latex compounds. But I guess it may have silicone or latex in it. I will give it a try it.
My part used tube of silicone seem to have become a rubbery lump whilst I have been thinking about using it for the pads.
The stuff gets wonky when it is old like that. You can shape silicone using saliva, just spit on your finger and it will glide over the surface of the silicone. I would shape an let it set up tell it is gummy then lightly press into the seat. I guess something like plastic film could be put on the seat to keep it from sticking…
The other option is hand sewing purse pads form goat skin…
My thought was to go the closed-cell foam route, as I already have some, but to use the caulk or silicone as an adhesive that could be wedge shaped if needed. The existing silcone pads need a dusting of french chalk now and again when they stick - and the open-standing ones ones on the foot don’t seal.
Having done this talking I must get on and do it !
Not talking down some of the replies on here but to me simple is best,
Mesure your cup, buy a leather 3mm pad to suit and use a soft white plyable glue (Prit stick is good), insert into cup press down and remove over spill with sharp knife to clean.
Done it this way for years with no problems, thats my simple take on it anyway, works for me .
If it were only that simple… The thickness of the pad is important, 3 mm is often to think, then you have to start bending keys, then whan you go to far, they snap… Best to match the sme thickness of the existing pad. The shellac stick or hot melt, it you want to go that route, are the best because you may often need to adjust the pad later, if the angle is not right, or the pad is misaligned. Using a non-melting glue will not cut it. I have spent hours trying to get pads to seat… You don’t want to press the pad in the cup, better to float it on the melted shellac, then when it is in place, you may have to heat up the key cup to realign the pad. This is why people take a short cut, by using closed cell foam or silicone, the pads seat right away. Also, keep in mind, that you may need to tie off the pads so the leather can compress into the key seat.
The bottom line, you can do it your own way and it might work, or you may be frustrated trying to get the flute to seal.
Good luck!
Forgot to mention how I size the pads… I simply press the cup into the foam material, which leaves an impression, and then carefully cut the pad out of the sheet. If you mess it up, just make another, although the first try is usually good enough.
The thicknesses can be bought in various gauges. . .2,3,4, 5 mm and maybe thicker.. I fit a length of hobby tubing into the cup of the key that will just barely fit, or possibly just larger. I use wet n dry sandpaper to dress an edge onto one end of the tube, then press and rotate the tubing into the foam on a hard surface. Sometimes I use a urethane mallet to tap it through the foam and get a clean circle. (A telephone book (remember those?) would do as well). You can use sealing wax, shellac, or contact cement to fasten the circle to the cup. Barge cement is excellent. In a little while the foam conforms to the pad seat and makes an excellent seal (actually this has been suggested by Hammy Hamilton!). You can buy the foam at Michael’s, or Joanne’s Fabric, or I suppose Hobby Lobby.
.