Copper/Brass/Aluminum/Nickel

NicoMoreno · Post by **NicoMoreno** » Wed Jun 27, 2001 8:08 am

What is the best metal for making whistles?
Price?
Softness?
Effect on tools?

Thanks
Nico A Budding Whistle Smith

Post by **rich** » Wed Jun 27, 2001 8:21 am

On 2001-06-27 10:08, NicoMoreno wrote:
What is the best metal for making whistles?
Price?
Softness?
Effect on tools?

Dunno about any of those, but copper has to be high in the "available at local hardware store" scale, and PVC in the "nonpoisonous without having to be coated" scale. I'd think PVC would do well in your three categories too.

-Rich (boy, new boards sure make it hard to get work done

)

claudine · Post by **claudine** » Wed Jun 27, 2001 12:47 pm

I wonder if copper would give a more warm and mellow sound. Some brass-instrument-makers use red copper for the bell to get this kind of sound. Are there any whistles made of copper?

ErikT · Post by **ErikT** » Wed Jun 27, 2001 2:48 pm

Several... Parkhurst, McHaffie, Elfsong...

The only copper one that I have is the Parkhurst. It has a nice sound to it. Put up against some of my other whistles people often choose it as the nicest sounding. I don't think that it has much to do with the material, though. At the thickness used in whistles, there really is not 'ring' to the metal.

Peace,
Erik

NicoMoreno · Post by **NicoMoreno** » Thu Jun 28, 2001 8:20 am

All of my whistles are copper!

(I am learning quite a bit about how heavy something really is!!)

I like the tone, but I find that it has a lot to do with the fipple as well as the thickness of the metal!

Nico

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 12:36 am

I find that copper has a pretty warm sound to it, regardless of how I work it. Silver can actually be even warmer, quite milky in tone. Copper is supposedly a bear to work, but is also the cheapest and most easily available material....what takes forever is developing a fipple/blade shape that can reproduce the sound you want without hours of futzing on one whistle. The purest tone can be achieved using plastic, and this is because you can make the inner bore and air surfaces so incredibly smooth. P.S.: thank you for the positive input on my whistles....

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Sun Jul 01, 2001 4:59 pm

If copper is a "bear" to work with. 7/8" OD Brass is a tiger. Nickel-Silver same diameter pretty similar to brass mistakes are a greater pain in the wallet.

Brass likes to grab your tools from your hands - you need very stabile drill press with a vee block that has holddown clamps.
It's prettier than regular copper and Nickel-Silver is plain beautiful.

I've also found that End Mills drill very nice on round surfaces.

Bryan Poe · Post by **Bryan Poe** » Thu Jul 05, 2001 1:56 pm

Daniel, May I ask where you get your nickel silver stock?

Bryan