Repurposing some Clarinet Wood into Flute Wood

[Casey Burns]

Here is a big delivery of wood that I received yesterday from American Science and Surplus. It seems they ended up with a large pile of turned but otherwise unfinished blackwood clarinet bodies from LeBlanc, from the factory in Kenosha Wisconsin that shut down in 2008. These were intended for their entry level Professional-grade Sonata clarinets. The wood, well aged and cured, is excellent and pretty much defect-free. It would have to be at this stage of manufacture - just before keys and tone holes were to be added. Fortunately, no tone holes have been cut - they are just tubes at this point. I tested a few pieces and found that there is enough wood on these both inside and outside to render them into middle and lower joints for my popular Folk Flute models. Since the wood is already selected for high quality, rounded, and pilot bored, it will save me considerable manufacturing time, and reduce wait time. I like the concept of repurposing this wood into flutes.



Casey

[kmag]

That looks like a good score!

[dubrosa22]

I need to find someone who'll sell me half a dozen of each kind because American Science & Surplus won't ship to Australia

Vaughan

[Will Woodson]

Seems pretty ideal. Would you mind letting us know the dimensions that the pieces come in if you feel so inclined? How big of a pilot bore are we looking at? I might be after snatching up a few for myself, if you're not already planning on raiding the rest of their stock. Thanks!

[ericgrey]

Here you go
https://www.sciplus.com/p/2BUMP-CLARINET-TUBES_57138

[Casey Burns]

pilot bore around 13.75mm. Max OD is around 32mm. Lengthwise I can cut the 205mm I need, though sometimes this includes the tenons on one end. Fortunately these are larger than the ones I use so it all gets turned down. At this point, I have enough of these pieces to last my career and am not planning on purchasing any more. They still have a considerable quantity in stock.

[dubrosa22]

Any US members buying a largeish quantity I could tag onto? 6 or a dozen of each joint and a few bells? I would pay a percent on top and obviously the extra shipping.

I'm currently making ren. flutes and chalameaus for fun and would love to work with some nice blackwood.

Without an International (Australia) shipping option I need to beg for some help!!!

Vaughan

[paddler]

I bought a few of the 3-bump clarinet tubes. They just arrived. They are pre-bored with a 14 mm pilot hole. The outside diameter is tapered from 32 mm down to 29 mm. Some have a tenon and/or socket cut, and some do not. The socket is probably too large for use in a flute, so you lose some length there, but there is 210 to 230 mm useable length (depending on whether the socket is cut or not ... which it was on about half the tubes I got).

So in terms of a D Irish flute with a two part body and a conventional Rudall or Pratten style bore, these tubes have enough material for head joints and upper body sections, but the pilot hole is just slightly too large to allow them to be used for lower body or foot sections (because those sections generally have a minimum bore diameter less than 14 mm). I have not seen any of the 2-bump clarinet tubes, but my understanding is that Clarinets have a cylindrical bore, so the pilot hole in those sections is also likely to be the same 14mm size as the 3-bump tubes. Can anyone verify this?

Still, for $2.95 per tube this is a killer deal! Thanks for bringing it to our attention Casey!

[dubrosa22]

Thanks to an extremely helpful US C&F member for coming to this Antipodean's aid and forwarding to me a good supply of these 'bumpy' Blackwood tubes and bells.

SciPlus seem to report that they are now out of stock (temporarily?).

Looking forward to working with this fine wood

Vaughan

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Yes, I actually bought the last pieces they had in stock. Initially I got about seventy-five of them, then when I saw them I got another hundred. Then after contemplating that such a deal may never come again, I went back a third time and got the last seventy-four pieces they had in stock. Having worked with them and seen the quality I regret not breaking open the piggy bank and doing what Casey did and get a pallet full of them! That was wise. Pre-seasoned, pre-settled, pre-bored, pre-turned, pre-inspected and totally solid. For less than $3 each? You simply can't beat that deal. I hope they get more, but it does seem like a one-time-thing. If they do, I'd certainly stretch to get a hold of more of these babies.

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Here is a piece of the clarinet wood repurposed into a head joint for a Boehm flute...

[dubrosa22]

Beautiful work Geoffrey. Your flutes are stunning to behold.

Vaughan

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Beautiful work Geoffrey. Your flutes are stunning to behold.

Vaughan

Thank you, Vaughan! Much appreciated

[pancelticpiper]

Yes beautiful stuff there Geoffrey.

Offtopic, but will you be attending The National Flute Association Convention in San Diego?

(August 11-14.)

I plan to be there on Friday.

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Yes beautiful stuff there Geoffrey.

Offtopic, but will you be attending The National Flute Association Convention in San Diego?

(August 11-14.)

I plan to be there on Friday.

Thanks, Richard Yes, I will have a booth (#325) at the NFA convention--come by and say hello!