Evening all, I’ve just come into possession of an anonymous English 8-key flute in need of a little restoration, namely two of the silver rings surrounding the e and d tone holes. Has anyone used substitute materials for these rather than german silver which would have been the originals? I’d appreciate any hints, tips, or methods for replacing these. thanks.
You can buy nickel silver sheet in various thicknesses. If I were to replace these I’d estimate the thickness of the original material, order some nickel silver sheet, and then use a disc cutter to punch out the hole and circle size. Then I’d bend it to profile on a suitably sized ring mandrel, and glue it in place using epoxy. Finally, use a fine half round file to match the size of the hole to the size of the tone hole in the wood, and finish with some polishing.
Thanks for your suggestion, I’ll certainly give it some consideration. I might try using some metal or wood filler, as an interim measure, as it’s not a very “historic” flute! Thanks again.