I’m looking for info and pics to help me reconstitute a flute I picked up on EBay. Looked like a good no-name in the pictures…not so good when received. I was about to pitch it in the parts bin when I noticed faint lettering…J. PFAFF PHILA
These bring the date up past 1860 (the last picture)
This particular flute would seem to be later as the pad ends of the keys are different (more “modern”)
The ivory head (which has been “repaired”) is presently unlined. No cracks through the embrousure. The barrel is badly cracked (the body was “corked” but not properly tapered)
I’d like to see pictures of late model Pfaffs and find any info about the head (lined etc)
Jack
I’ve got some photos of an all-ivory Pfaff flute that I took while visiting the collection at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, S.D. last year (for their rudalls, of course).
Anyway, send me an email to the rudallrose(at)earthlink(dot)net address and I’ll send you the shots of what i still have (i believe three or four).
I took them because of the double-touch the flute used on the G# key, which I’d never seen before. Very interesting.
I’ve now gotten the pieces apart, having removed a lot of brittle white glue. The cork is still glued into the head however (got to be careful here)
Interesting points:
The bore (19mm) has a 3-stage taper and only the slightest flare at the bottom end. (“Pratten” style body)
The 8-key keywork is (cast ?) nickel alloy with nicely turned screw posts, screwed-in pins, brass springs. The keys differ from earlier Pfaffs in having “coolie hat” pad holders rather than flat ones.
Fingerholes are small (8mm on R2) and the T.McGee measure is 256mm.
Rings were all made of butted shaped ribbon.
On the back of the body there are two small (filled) holes. One, a screw hole, the other for a small pin. They are exactly in line and directly behind the tone holes. (alignment jig ??)
I’m trying at the moment to remove the old slide tube which has corroded into the barrel. Can’t get a mandrel behind it as its ID is matched to the wood…
As a matter of fact I have…still want to try the “glop” methods for the pads…you’ll like it ! Just hope it comes out in tune (otherwise it will need more drastic measures…get out the Tesla coils)
Frankenfiddle is still being base-barred…slowly
Meant to get there Sunday w/ the mother-in-law but just didnt make it…darn
Been working on the barrel, cracks are all filled, just a bit more scraping to go…really came out good, esp considering the number and size cracks. I havn’t figured out just what wood this is…somewhat fibrous, not real straight grain, but definitly hard.
Next step is to get the remnants of the tuning slide out of the barrel. I think I’m going to grind a groove down the inside of the old tube and try to crack it loose (dont want to grind the inside of the barrel) One problem will be getting another nickle alloy tube (might have to go silver…but thats a problem on the head end)
Don’t go grinding just yet. If the tuning slide is stuck, try using heat to separate it. I know, metal expands and it seems like it might not be the best thing but if the tubes are stuck together, heating the tuning slide can break the condensate free. I just did this on a ~100 yr old Kohlert flute and it took 3 tries but it worked.
Its really easy: use a blowtorch to heat some sort of metal rod and then place the rod in contact with the tuning slide. You may have to pull it out a few times and re-heat your heating rod. Feel the wood/ivory. Before I was successful mine got so hot that water/condensate was boiling out of the tuning slide, and the wooden socket outside the slide was too hot to touch without gloves. Once it is VERY hot, try pulling the two pieces apart with the typical twisting motion.
If this describes your problem, give this method a try before cutting. It can’t hurt and only takes a few minutes. Terry Mc-Gee has this described very well on his website.
Isn’t restoration fun? I love all the problem solving!
Good luck and post some before/after pictures when you near completion!
The barrel came out beautiful…fill the cracks, shave the cracks, repeat ad nausium…I’m not sure what wood this is, somewhat grainy, but it takes a beautiful oil finish…alas, I did have to resort to grinding out the remaining piece of stuck slide…what a pain !
Ok..on to the glued-in cork…came down from the cap end and slowly picked away at the ring of cork until I got it all out…then wiggled the screwshaft until it broke away around the edges. This left a few small pieces of wood still glued to the inside of the head. These I’ve chipped out and reglued to the screw. (you can still see a big blob of the “original” glue on the edge. I’ve got to carefully grind all that away back to wood without breaking the edge again.
The shaftscrew is a very interesting piece…there are two threaded sections with a neck in between. (something I DON’T want to break) The straight thread is for the usual cork adjustment and the other is a tapered thread which screws into a tapered hole in the cork. The end then flares out to the wall so that the face of the cork is actually hardwood. (never saw that before)
Obviously havn’t figured out how to post image yet ???
Miss ya at Boru’s
