Well, I’ve been open for business for a couple of months now. I’ve gotten far more interest than I’d imagined I would at the start…thanks to everyone who bought a whistle during my opening special! I’m generating enough wood dust, that I’m in serious negotiations with the family about taking over the entire garage space as my workshop, instead of the area I currently have devoted to it.
I went on vacation last week, but am already back with my nose to the grindstone. While I was out, I visited with a wood supplier, and picked up some cocobolo, sapele, and birdseye maple.
I was supposed to be meeting EJ Jones to do some recording while I was in Houston on vacation, but we never managed to hook up. So, I’ll be posting some longer clips myself (even if I’m not half the whistler he is) in the next couple of days.
There’s still plenty of time to get a nice wooden whistle for Christmas! I don’t have much of a waiting list to speak of, but keep in mind that currently it takes me about 3 weeks if you order something special that I don’t already have made.
Don’t rush wood too much! Glenn Schultz always stressed to me the importance of letting the wood “rest” for at least a month after drilling the bore and rough turning the OD. The wood will expand and contract as it loses moisture and the internal stresses of the wood are relieved. Finish 'em up too fast and you risk cracks down the road.
Try this: bore a piece and rough turn the OD. Put a pencil X in a couple of places along the tube and take a micrometer measurement at each X-- write it on the tube near the X. Re-do the measurements each week for a month or so, and you’ll be amazed how much they change. Best to have those changes take place BEFORE you finish the whistle!
Yeah, I’ve pretty much got a ‘process’ going on where I rough out and drill blanks, and leave them aside while I work on previously-drilled wood. I’m doing my best to have a little of every wood I list on my “woods” page sitting aside ready to be turned into tubes and then whistles, so that there isn’t an overlong wait for an order.
I don’t really have the luxury of letting the wood sit around for as long as Loren might advocate…unless I want to stop business for a year or so. But as time goes by and I’m able to set aside more wood, I’ll get there
As for “masterpieces”, I wouldn’t go that far Some are better than others, naturally, and I’m sure I’ll more consistently hit the sound I really want as time goes by (once my new set of files finally arrives, that will probably aid things considerably)
I don’t have much of a waiting list to speak of, but keep in mind that currently it takes me about 3 weeks if you order something special that I don’t already have made.
