Tell us something.: I restore 19th century flutes, specializing in Rudall & Rose, and early American flutes. I occasionally make new flutes. Been at it for about 15 years.
Hi,
Just wanted to share with you-all my first step in cloning the foot keys for a original Pratten flute, that has missing keys.(there is a place where all the missing socks and foot keys are!)
The DNA is coming from another Pratten, so they will be genetically compatable ... wax keys, not very structural!
This is a photo of the original keys, that are being cloned
The next step is to cast the keys using the Lost wax process.
"I love the flute because it's the one instrument in the world where you can feel your own breath. I can feel my breath with my fingers. It's as if I'm speaking from my soul..."
Michael Flatley
Tell us something.: Mostly producer of the Wooden Flute Obsession 3-volume 6-CD 7-hour set of mostly player's choice of Irish tunes, played mostly solo, on mostly wooden flutes by approximately 120 different mostly highly-rated traditional flute players & are mostly...
Tell us something.: I restore 19th century flutes, specializing in Rudall & Rose, and early American flutes. I occasionally make new flutes. Been at it for about 15 years.
"I love the flute because it's the one instrument in the world where you can feel your own breath. I can feel my breath with my fingers. It's as if I'm speaking from my soul..."
Michael Flatley
Nelson wrote:Hi I.D.-10 T. There is slop in the knee joint of each one that probably takes care of expansion. I got the same thing after 40 years of soccer.
Nelson
I was mostly wondering about when the liquid metal cools and shrinks during the lost wax process. If the knee can compensate for that, great, but the long section of the key made me wonder how close it would be to the wax model.
"Be not deceived by the sweet words of proverbial philosophy. Sugar of lead is a poison."
Tell us something.: I restore 19th century flutes, specializing in Rudall & Rose, and early American flutes. I occasionally make new flutes. Been at it for about 15 years.
Nelson wrote:Hi I.D.-10 T. There is slop in the knee joint of each one that probably takes care of expansion. I got the same thing after 40 years of soccer.
Nelson
I was mostly wondering about when the liquid metal cools and shrinks during the lost wax process. If the knee can compensate for that, great, but the long section of the key made me wonder how close it would be to the wax model.
Hi,
As I understand it, when the metal cools in the casting process, additional metal flows into fill the void. That is why there is additional metal in the button at the top of the casting, to allow for the needed metal.
There can be shrinkage in the wax copy, I used special rubber for the mold, "No Shrink Pink" even after the warnings from our C&F Goldsmith (I like the challenge) it worked great. The pink was is low shrinkage also. But the true test will be the final casting, and I hope they are tighter then Nelson's knees!
"I love the flute because it's the one instrument in the world where you can feel your own breath. I can feel my breath with my fingers. It's as if I'm speaking from my soul..."
Michael Flatley
wax keys, not very structural!
Guess this means I should cancel my order for the fully keyed Pratten made of Purpleheart with Hot-Pink keywork! 
