Embouchure undercutting

[Loren]

You guys are cracking me up!

So if one wants to (repeatably) cut an embouchure at 7 degrees, or ones favorite angle, how does one do it? If a degree makes a real difference, I wouldn't think freehand would do it, and I haven't seen too many CNC machines in flute shops. Is there a hardened steel template with angled edges, or a 7 degree mill or something?

Charlie, your (vH) flute's embouchure was made the old fashioned way - By hand, eye, and ear, no fancy gimmicks, I assure you. I suppose it helps that the person doing the work had a good 45 years experience or so (at the time your flute was made), and got his start working at Vern Q. Powell.

I imagine more than one maker has fashioned some tooling to get them to whatever angles they want, however I suspect even the top Boehm makers are still doing the final voicing of embouchure holes by hand.



Loren

[GaryKelly]

I was listening to The Today programme on Radio 4 this morning when stipe me, they had a news piece about undercutting! And Bird Flu! And touring flutes!!

Apparently, some scientist had postulated a link between the spread of bird flu and a touring flute. They'd allegedly matched the progress of a Patrick McNotChud all the way through Asia, across into Europe, around the continent and over the channel to the UK. I was fecking gobsmacked, I can tell you! They were talking about how the virus might be lurking where nutrient flob and olive oil had accumulated in the undercutting of the low C# and C tone holes in the footjoint of a McNotChud's Ambassador Roman D model (apparently turned from a batch of well-preserved pila Paddy found in a peat bog) but just as it got really interesting I woke up to find meself in a conference call with some bloke wittering on about Q2 financials. Oh and I busted the egg-slicer last night. Not on the Hall though, but on an onion (that'll teach me to try to save time).

[Cathy Wilde]

I have a lovely set of bolt cutters you can borrow for your cross-sections. For culinary use, however, I recommend tree loppers.

[Cathy Wilde]

Oh, and as far as the Hall goes ... a simple mallet should do the trick.

[treeshark]

I notice that Mary Bergin has finally given in and has agreed to co-star in Mr Flatley's latest extravaganza "Whistles of Flame"

[Jon C.]

I was listening to The Today programme on Radio 4 this morning when stipe me, they had a news piece about undercutting! And Bird Flu! And touring flutes!!

The bird flu came to England about the same time as my traveling flute! I wonder if there is any bird flu in Scotland now... Then it will spread to Spain.

[Jack Bradshaw]

I notice that Mary Bergin has finally given in and has agreed to co-star in Mr Flatley's latest extravaganza "Whistles of Flame"

Nooo....that's the real Cathy...as anyone who has sat next to her will testify!

Edit: HA! I didn't even notice that was a whistle....I was laughing so hard!

[Sylvester]

The bird flu came to England about the same time as my traveling flute! I wonder if there is any bird flu in Scotland now... Then it will spread to Spain.

Fantastic, there aren't flu cases detected in Spain so far. In my odd times I sex chickens. When I get the touring flute, I'll play it in front of a selected audience of thousands farm chickens ready to be exported and spread viruses all over the world

Here, a picture of my distinguished audience

http://whyfiles.org/195bird_flu/images/chicken_farm.jpg

...Not always easy to please

P.S. Attendance was free...

P.S. At least, they didn't throw me eggs at the end of the show...

[GaryKelly]

Cool!! Are those Jenny's Chickens?

In your odd times you sex chickens? That's, uhm, interesting.

[Sylvester]

...sexing chickens can be ...so...exciting. Formerly I used to do some sports, reading, travelling, cinema, theatre. I quitted it all. There's no other like sexing chickens!

And yes, those are Jenny's chickens, we took the picture the day after we played for the cockles (unfortunately I couldn't sex them). This is one of my most successful but somehow exhausting tours...

[Jayhawk]

This thread must be just about the most surreal thread ever found on this board...congratulations to all who participated!

[SoTX]

You seem to have odder moments than many, Sylvester.

For those still interested in technical information:

1. To measure an embouchure, put a stick up the headjoint (0.75" dowel works here) and stuff some warm beeswax into the embouchure. Remove stick. Push beeswax blob into the inside and tilt to remove at the socket. Now measure.

2. To get a 7 degree angle (or whatever else works) drill the hole straight in but undersize. Now Dremel or file, testing with a completed flute body, until you like the effect. Alternatively get an x-y table for the drill press table, set up to drill straight down, and move the flute a bit to the side. To figure out how much, do some trig. But you'll still file until you like it, so why bother?

-- Don

[GaryKelly]

Why would anyone want to do 1) ??? And how to go about the "Now Measure" instruction if one did do 1)? I can only imagine the difficulty of measuring an angle on a plug-shaped lump of beeswax not much bigger'n a frozen pea. And is the 7 degrees of Undercut measured from the vertical normal (ie the plane of drilling) or what?

Somehow, sexing chickens sounds easier and lot more fun (although noisier, I suspect).

re 2). Mmmm.... Dremel.... is there anything 30,000 rpm can't do?

Some interesting and apropos piccies on Terry McGee's site, by the way: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Flute%20Transplant.htm

[Loren]

2). Mmmm.... Dremel.... is there anything 30,000 rpm can't do?

Have a look at the thread in the Traditional String Forum titled "Why do people who aren't handy, always think they are?"


Loren

[GaryKelly]