David Parkhurst wrote:It works well, trust me. I made and sold many copper whistles in keys from C to G. You can deform the top end of the body by placing a metal dowel inside and pounding on it to expand it, then use a female-female copper joiner to create a tuning slide to join to the head. Helps to have a lathe, although copper doesn't turn as well as silver or brass. You'll need to decide whether you want to try making a flush fipple blade, or a flattened or rounded (Copeland style) depressed blade (which requires a mandrel press and a willingness to make your own dies). Don't bother with coating/painting it, it's going to get a patina no matter what and it will look very "old school". Get some 1/2" copper plumbing from your local hardware store and go for it. I used hardwood, Delrin and a very hard 3M modeling foam for fipples, all with reasonably good results. Feel free to PM me if you have questions, I don't have any secrets I hoarde.
Cheers,
David Parkhurst
I think the new tbird v4 has that rounded labia.....Is that copeland style?
Aaronhall1980 wrote:I just finished a low D whistle. Sounds good. Copper is great and I sand with 1500 wet sanding paper so automotive clear will stick (I tried mirror buff but clear wont stick but brass lacquer will but expensive and wont ship to Alaska). If anyone wants one let me know. I can make D4 or D5(A 440Hz). I am willing to tour one of the low D to get advice on improvement. Cool thing about copper is I can also etch ANY design you want with acid!https://aaronhall1980.tumblr.com/post/1 ... er-whistle
I read with interest. I have also been really surprised how clear a note you get using copper.
I wanted to make a modular whistle that I could adjust/modify over time ... I just wanted a single whistle that I could modify at will to test fipple dynamics and hole configurations. I decided to use simple copper tube and did not regret it. It works well and has a really nice weight and clarity.
I finish with fine wire wool and clear car lacquer.
Thats what I did. Make the body with a female female coupler soldered to one end (silver solder or tin not lead)and then you can try different fipples on it.
Tell us something.: Woodwind and brass player. Interested in jazz and folk music. I'm here for the flute discussions. I really can't think of anything else to report and I have to pad this out to at least 1000 characters.
Did Vincent Broderick not win the 1953 All Ireland flute title using a piece of copper pipe he fashioned into a flute? (The question mark is there because I read it somewhere but cannot for the life of me find it - I think it was in Fintan Vallely's flute tutor but I was searching in vain this morning).
