E100 Flute Arm Set
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     E100 Flute Key Arm Bending Set

                                      

Complete with 10 - pad cup dies, 2 - formed drivers, 1 - brass jaw with one Teflon face and 1 - 2" X 2" patch of Teflon to make small cushion pads for the drivers, just like Butky's.

     I've known Joe Butkevicius, owner of Michael Lange Music in Thomaston, CT for several years, and he's always involved in something.  He had been playing with this set for a time and finally said, "Why don't you take this and see if you can do something with it."
     After several calls, several discussions and Curtis' prototypes, here we are.  Joe even said he liked these better.  Quite a compliment from "Butky" himself.  Thanks, Joe.
     Now YOU can bend or re-bend flute keys to give the proper attack angle to a tone hole WITHOUT distorting the pad cup in the process.  By using this key arm bending set, you can 'dial in' the proper angle for the pad to be perfectly level with the tonehole without using a big stack of washers or making the pad too high out of the cup than the rest on the pads on the instrument.  This tool set works with either Plateau or French model instruments.  It doesn't take much power to do.  Use just a slight tap with a rawhide or canvas mallet to 'tunk' the arm, using the supplied driver of choice.
     With this complete set of dies, 15.5mm thru 20mm,  you can, at last, correct factory or previous repair miscues by setting the pad projection to your standard and have the pad hit the tone hole in level fashion.  Especially handy for installing some of those "special pad and base washer combo's" that some people are experimenting with now.
     The two special drivers, (one, a blunt chisel for forged keys and the other a split fork for the French style sculpted keys) fit the pad cup key arm profiles.  The special made brass jaw is coated on one side with a Teflon pad so that the pad cup doesn't get scratched.  The Teflon patch is provided so that you may cut small cushions for the drivers to give some help in protecting a sterling key or a brand new plated one.  You decide.

            This set of tools is just $107.50 +s/h


     This tool was "road tested" by Joe B. himself as well as Dennis Lawson and Shelly Marolf of Denny's Instrument Repair in Davenport, IA.  They all said, "This tool definitely works!"

Here are some instructions:

                                 

     Take the key you wish to bend.  Install the proper fitting brass die (Pt.1) into the pad cup.  Place the protective brass angle with the Teflon shield toward the key cup top (Pt. 2) onto the jaw vise.  Place the key, with the die in place, in the vise, as pictured.
     Tighten the vise to hold the key.  Now, place the drift in position A or position B, as necessary, to bend the pad cup in relation to the tone hole that you need to.
     (Ex.) If the pad hits the tone hole light in the back (most common malady), even with several shims, you need to bend the key from position A.  This will, in effect, lower the back of the cup in relationship to the hinge tube.  Once the drift is positioned the way you want it, strike a quick, firm shot to set the key in position.  You may have to try this more than once.
     DO NOT TRY TO DO THIS ALL AT ONCE, YOU MAY GO TO FAR!
     If you have to bend the back of the cup up (not usual) hit from position B.
If the flute has sculpted keys, use the forked drift to help protect the shape.

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              Last modified: March 14, 2008