Hi All,

I'm really new at this, so I hope I'm not stepping "out of bounds" with this question.

Is it ok to alter a flute? By alter, I mean doing something to the flute like hand-painting the fetish, or spraying a laquer finish on to make it shiny?

I realize that altering the finish might somehow alter the tone of the flute, but as I look at various maker's flutes, some have shiny finishes and some have matte or flat finishes.

I have a funny feeling that my altering a flute might be some kind of disrespect to the maker?

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.

Safe travels,
Bob

Re-finishing a flute should not change its sound unless you change the size of the playing holes or most critically the True Sound Hole or make any change to the sound mechanism if which the bird is part. So it is wise to be careful around those critical areas.

I would recomend that if the flute really needs to be refinished, consider sending it back to the maker to insure that the job is done right. If the finish has dulled slightly, wax it. A little Bees Wax can do wonders. I'm sure the maker would be happy to make a recomendation for a good wax/polish that is compatable with the finish.

Bottom line is it is your flute though. If you want to personalize it a little, go for it.

troutdogz- Look under the General Discussion section of the forum and then at topic Personalizing your flute. There has recently been a fair amount of input on this very topic.

Thanks, I'll check that out!

Bob

Thanks, good advice. I did rub some beeswax on one of my flutes, but it made it kind of sticky, so I wasn't sure if I did it correctly. I just rubbed it on directly from a hunk of beeswax I bought.

I see your point on not messing with the size of the sound holes, for sure.

Bob

If you picked up a chunk of Beeswax it is very hard and usually takes a heat (generated by buffing) to spread it out and make it shine.

See if you can find a "Beeswax paste, cream or polish". Just check the lable to make sure that it has no Petrolem products added (mineral oil is ok). Best if it says "organic".

Here is a link to a product that I use:

http://www.ruelle.com/en/beeswax/products.php

I use a paste made from walnut oil and bees wax. Put a little walnut oil in a pan and warm it slowly next add a small aount of beeswax to the warm oil. It will melt and mix. Let this cool thoroughly (put it in your refridg. to cool fast) You may have to experiment with the amount of oil/wax to get a shoe polish consistency. I
I apply it to the flute in sections and use the palm of my hand to rub it in. Make sure to clean excess paste out of sound mechanism and finger holes.

[quote name='troutdogz' date='Aug 21 2008, 11:52 AM' post='7581']
Hi All,

Is it ok to alter a flute?
I have a funny feeling that my altering a flute might be some kind of disrespect to the maker?

Greetings and Yes, making a slight change with leather straps and possibly changing out a block that is absolutley suitable for a particular flute is something that I do every now and then!

I never mean any disrespect to a flute maker, but sometimes simply changing the color of the straps/ties really makes the wood jump out. Otherwise, sometimes less is more, especially if the wood itself is simply outstanding!

However, I did make a rather risky alteration on my ever so cool Kuzin Bruce Drone that I think turned out really good! This wood on this bloodwood drone was so beautiful that I did not wish to distract from it in any way, so I made my change on the Osage Orange large block! The good news is, that I have the tools and the supplies for such an alteration and I do not believe that Kuz would mind at all, but I have not had a chance to send him this PIC.

Peace, Marsha

Nice Marsha. It fits perfectly.
Ed

I reckon you could actually just buy a flute unfinished that you intend to alter to begin with, which I have done. Best part about that, is if you mess up, you have less invested in it.

Very nice mod Marsha. Kuz will be proud when he sees the pic.
dd

You gotta send him that pic! He might even hire you to do more! Then you could get paid in flutes!!!

I sent Kuz the photo right after I posted it here and he wrote back tonight to tell me that he thinks it looks great with the colors of the Red Heart and Yellow Heart drone!
Opps, I made a mistake on the type of woods, but hey, I was close, . . . sorta!

Peace, Marsha