Clean, oil and adjust
The body and mechanism of the instrument are inspected, the key work is completely disassembled and all bearing surfaces are cleaned and lubricated. Body and key work are lightly hand- polished to remove superficial tarnish. The key pads are inspected for wear and are levelled and adjusted.
Repad
If a flute or piccolo is in good mechanical condition, a different set of pads is installed in order to enhance the resonance of the instrument and resolve reliability issues.
Overhaul
After a number of years, depending on their history of servicing, flutes and piccolo mechanisms wear and it can be very challenging to adjust them to the degree of precision necessary for optimal performance.
An overhaul at Sharpkeys will restore the functionality of an instrument to a like- new condition. If the instrument is more than ten years old, it will likely be brought to a better than new condition.
Typically, all keys are refitted in the mechanism and alignment or interference issues are resolved. All sealing surfaces are trued. New pads are installed to the highest modern standards of precision. All adjustments and silencers are renewed. The foot joint is refitted to the body and a new head cork is installed as necessary. Body and key work are hand polished. A deep mechanical polishing of the mechanism and body is available upon request, however it is advisable that such extensive polishing occur only rarely in the life of the instrument. It is important to preserve the thickness of the tubing and the crispness of the bevelling of the keys for as long as possible.
