Anyone know where I might be able to buy small amounts of rigid clear plastic tube in small quantities? I know they make it because I’ve seen several manufacturers’ websites, but no one around here seems to carry it.
I’ve finally decided the only way I’ll ever get a see-through whistle is to make it myself.
I have a clear see-through whistle. Bought it from D. Brooker.
You can’t see through the mouthpiece, though.
There’s a picture of it. The intonation on that tube is PERFECT.
Try a Google search for “clear acrylic tubing” and refine from there.
PVC and ABS are both going to be opaque, I believe. I have certainly never seen either of them clear.
I have also seen this stuff for sale at a local fish store in 2’ lengths, so that might be another avenue.
-Patrick
Try looking for Tap Plastics. They have EVERYTHING acrylic and sometimes otherwise.
Steven
When Patrick says fish store, I’m sure he means aquarium supply shop, not seafood market. A well stocked aquarium supply place will have clear tubing in a variety of sizes. My dad made me a clear, flexible fife from aquarium tubing. It worked surprisingly well. If you don’t have a place like this in your neighborhood, try one of the internet shops.
If you don’t have a place like this in your neighborhood, try one of the internet shops.
Aquabid might have it.
Do Not, I repeat Do Not continue in this insane pursuit. Have you ever seen the condensation build up in a Hall’s crystal flute? It is truly GROSS!!! No one wants to play with you anymore because thay can’t stomach the sight of your lung juice covering the inside of your instrument.
Stop this insanity NOW before someone gets hurt
The material you may want to plug into your search is Lexan. Great stuff, supposed to be stronger than steel pound for pound. I know it comes in clear, I see it all the time as lenses on lights.
Don’t give up hope just yet, Chuck!
I have some clear acrylic rod and tubing that I purchased from Ridout Plastics before they implemented the $100 minimum purchase restriction.
I had actually forgotten about having it until I read your post, but I just tried turning a small piece on my new lathe and it did very nicely… the stuff’s very brittle though.
I’m still waiting on my “real” boring bar to arrive, so I’m still not quite ready to crank out any finished whistles just yet… but soon, very soon! 
I’m afraid that acrylic will require special drill bits that I don’t have though, so you may just see a few clear plastic heads come out of my shop… but that’s better than nothing, eh? 
BTW, clear alto recorders are coming on the market. The clear sopranos have become almost the norm.
Those aren’t clear, they’re transparent blue, green, and pink.
What I’ve been trying to figure out is how to make one that is ALL see-through, fipple included. Visualize an Overton-like whistle made entirely of see-through material. What I haven’t worked out is how to make the plug (currently thinking of shapig it out of a clear plexi block but that’d be really labor-intensive) and how to secure the plug.
[quote="Walden
BTW, clear alto recorders are coming on the market. The clear sopranos have become almost the norm.[/quote]
Hey Walden-- if you hear any more about clear Altos, could you let me know? My wife and I have blue and green clear Soprano Yamahas, and they are too cool for words. You can mix and match the colors, and they play excellently.
I sent an inquiry to a person who has information on them. Apparently they are already on the market in Japan.
Gary,
Do you have a grinder and sharpening stones? I believe all that’s needed to alter a twist drill so it will drill plastic is to change the rake angle to 90 degrees so it scrapes instead of digs in. You will still want as sharp an edge as you can produce. That means you will be sharpening with the face of the grinder or stone oriented parallel to the long axis of the drill and sharpening the cutting edge inside the flute of the twist drill, rather than sharpening the end.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Please remember that my skills as a craftsman are limited at best, so if this is a stupid question…
Instead of cutting the holes from scratch, couldn’t you use a small soldering tool to burn a guide hole and then enlarge and smooth it with a fine conical stone bit at low speed?
Here is the Web site for the new Yamaha series with the transparent alto recorders.