Artist will make a whistle

Whistle
1

A woodturning artist who has pieces on display at the same gallery that represents me is going to make a whistle.
We were talking today and the subject turned to wooden musical instruments. He was telling me how much he admired the craftmanship in some wooden flutes that he saw done by another artist, and how he would like to try his hand at an instrument.
I asked him if he knew anything about Irish tinwhistles. He indicated he never heard of them. Still this isn’t a bad thing because he is a construction engineer who travels worldwide to consult on the bulding of steel mills, so he has the ability to learn the technical aspect of the whistle.
What is going to make this unique is that his artistic side is amazing! His woodturnings actually get people to stand there with their mouths open wondering how something so fantastic can be made out of a piece of wood. I can’t describe his work adequately with words. Some of the pieces are so thin they look like they are as fragile as delicate crystal, but are more beautiful because of the nature of the wood (He is going to make a giant lampshade out of maple. The shade will be so thin that the light will pass through).
I told him how the whistle has to play and sound as well as it looks. I was explaining how it should stay in tune under varying conditions, be able to go through two octaves in tune, not need any acrobatics in breath control, have a rich satisfying tone through all the notes, etc.
He said he is up to the challenge. I suggested making a Low D for the first one simply because I want a Low D. :slight_smile: I’m emailing him links to all of the technical information I have found on the Internet about whistles.
After the whistle is done I’ll try to find someone around my area that can play one well so they can record a clip of the whistle. I could do the scales with some examples of overblowing and such, but I’m not ready to have a record of my playing yet. :wink:
If the whistle turns out well he said he would like to make more. For the first one he wants to use some pink ivory (An African wood) inserts. That wood is beautiful. He mentioned African blackwood for the whistle because it is harder than Ebony. I told him that I don’t have a clue as to what specific wood should be used.
I’ll let everyone know how the project goes!

Professional artist. Amateur everything else.

[ This Message was edited by: Cody on 2002-01-12 18:06 ]

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Wow! Sounds really neat. Blackwood would be a fine choice. I don’t know much about pink Ivory…I’m sure others will chime in with more woods you could mention as possibilities to your friend.

Is it going to be a one piece instrument entirely made of wood?

-Brett

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On 2002-01-12 19:27, Bretton wrote:
Is it going to be a one piece instrument entirely made of wood?

He has the ability to make it one piece or to use a plug type fipple. For the decorative aspects of the wood he can do inlays or inserts of other woods into the whistle. That would make the whistle one-piece if he doesn’t use a plug for the fipple. I think since he is making it out of wood that he will just cut the airway right into the stock.
It’s going to be those inserted pieces of pink ivory that will make it an outstanding work of art. You can think of the pink ivory like the mother-of-pearl put into the fretboard on a guitar. I think that will give some idea as to what he means by, “inserts.”

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You might use cedar for the block, that’s popular - it’s more water resistant. Prevent swelling in the windway.

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I would avoid using cedar. Some species of cedar have a strongly allergenic chemical called thuja plicata. (western red cedar has it; cedar of lebanon doesn’t) The risk is more to the maker than someone playing the whistle.

I did my master’s thesis on the toxic effects of wood dusts. Wood is a complex mixture of chemicals. As with any potentially toxic material, keep the dose down to reduce risk. Use a mask when machining and sanding. Even a disposable mask is fine if it is designed to seal properly so it won’t leak around the edges.