I’ve been having a time getting the 7/8" OD 0.028" WT Telescoping Brass Tubing that I use to make Low Whistles.
I usually get this from www.specialshapes.com but no tubing after waiting over a month now. There seems to be shortage on the larger brass tubing. Any suggestions?
If it doesn’t change, I’ll just have aluminum and plastic for low whistles in the future.
Mcmaster-Carr ( www.mcmaster.com ) has 7/8 OD 0.032 wall thickness brass tubing. Small Parts ( www.smallparts.com ) has the same telescoping tubing you use.
Ok, correct me if I am wrong here. I thought Special Shapes and K&S Engineering were tied at the hip, so to speak. K&S makes the tubing right? I thought Special Shapes was their direct retail outlet. If Special Shapes does not have the stuff, how do the other suppliers get it? Unless its old stock of course.
Feadoggie
I found out that the larger sizes are made in batches and they make you wait for a new production run if they run out.
I’m going to focus more on Aluminum Low Whistles - they work just as well.
Easier to cut also.
Daniel
You can “spin down” brass tubing over a wooden mandrel on a standard lathe. This is fairly simple with thin brass/bronze tubing. You anneal the tube, cool/quench it and then form it over a “sized” wooden form. Making ID reductions and tapered tube blanks for low whistles is a snap this way.
Google “Metal Spinning” or hit the Library for books on this useful skill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_spinning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_forming
Video Animation.
http://www.pmfind.com/sheet-metal-spinning.asp
I could spin brass but I the amount of time put into it would not favor the existing price range.
Plus, I moved my workshop back in April out of the old Cartridge factory and into my garage (smaller space) because of the economy, save a hundred bucks a month and stay in business.