So I bought an Alba low G. It’s lovely. A seduction tool no less.
But it’s chunky. The alu walls are 1.8mm thick. Now if I shaved a half a mill off of the outside - ok it would verge on fragile but that’s my problem - it would warm up quicker.
Question is what might this do to the sound?
It might render it completely out of tune, as wall thickness was taken into account when deciding on hole size and placement. You could take some off BETWEEN holes, though. Sure would look interesting.
Would someone over on that side of the pond please flash the Betty Boop searchlight against the night sky over Scotland.*
*(Translation for David: Stacy, the maker of Alba whistles, is a regular here. I’m sure she’ll get to your question shortly.)
Is it a good idea to put your new whistle in a lathe?
Short answer: No
Long answer: NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Send it to me instead!
And I thought Lorenzo’s Bible thread was provocative in the extreme. :roll:
David, Jessie is right on!!! Best not to mess with the wall thickness.
Ronaldo
If you look at Peter Kosel’s “Flutomat” javascript calculator, you will find that Jessie is right on target, and I REALLY like that comment about turning down the walls between the holes, Jessie!! 
You are one smart cookie! 
However, that won’t solve the “fat” problem if the diameter in the area of the tone holes is the issue. And it will make the whistle feel weird until you get used to its not being uniform in diameter all the way down. Maybe that’s not a problem…
Apocrypha: I tried a similar trick on a high C whistle I made from PVC conduit with a 0.110 wall, and it was perfectly in tune, but unplayable (by me) due to the weird “feel”… YMMV.
STACEY !!! — Can you put your body tubes on a diet?
Serpie-Pie
The hard way:
- Measure the wall thickness of the whistle around the toneholes
- Turn down the diameter of the the tubing to your liking.
- Depending on whistle material, glue or solder appropriate compensating shims around the toneholes to build back up to the appropriate thickness.
- Paint, dye, add Patina or whatever you want to make the thing acceptable to your eyes.
This will work, however it will make an interesting looking whistle and it might be uncomfortable to hold. Have fun!, you’re your own!
I must say: If you carry out this surgery, I shall have to resurrect the International Journal of Flageolet Surgery.
It will be the most radical whistle operation I know of. The surgery may be a success although the patient may die…or be out of tune…or something.
Unable to sleep, I remain
Yours truly,
Dale
I must say: If you carry out this surgery, I shall have to resurrect the International Journal of Flageolet Surgery.
It will be the most radical whistle operation I know of. The surgery may be a success although the patient may die…or be out of tune…or something.
Unable to sleep, I remain
Yours truly,
Dale
This suggestion is only hypothetical. I would never suggest altering a craftsperson made whistle without explicit approval of the maker.
Having said that, a possibility would be to turn the tubing thinner with it set up off center on the lathe so the part of the tube with the toneholes doesn’t lose any thickness, but everywhere else, the tubing walls get thinner, with the thinnest part being on the side 180 degrees away from the toneholes. That would (should) maintain the tuning and keep it comfortable to play while reducing the weight somewhat.
Best wishes,
Jerry
-Zounds! If you’re gonna ruin a whistle-at least ruin a cheap one. Just MHO. 
Yea !go on I doubel dare you 
, that way when its screwed up you will have to get a new one or make your own 
Just thinning the end will change the way it sounds,which is what its all about, 
Or you could ask the maker if it could be made in to a tuneable whith a new barrel 
Jee’s every one whants to be a whistle maker, ifin they only knew 
Lathe a nice whistle? :roll:
Better that you send it off to Don’s home for larger whistles, where it will find itself in a quiet stable, well taken care of, and lovingly played.
Just let me know when it is coming, and I will make a space for it in the whistle stable…
I don’t agree with that. I have the deepest respect for the handicraft of a whistlesmith (good grief, I am beginning to sound like Jim Peeples ) , but the relation between a musician and his instrument is so close that it overrides everything. In fact, I believe that if you are serious about playing, you have to tinker with your whistles, cheap or expensive, to make them your own.
David Robertson: In case you don’t realize it, CHIFF FIPPLE is Stacey O’Gorman, the maker of Albas. You should drop by her shop, I think she’s near Inverness.
Y’know, David, since warming up the whistle seems to be your point here, let me say that I’ve seen more than one whistler put the whistle under the armpit to warm it up. Shouldn’t this do the trick?
…Unless such behavior is considered outré among your circle, of course, or your issues of, um, hygeine are a problem even to yourself.
[quote="CHIFF FIPPLE:] <snip!>Jee’s every one whants to be a whistle maker, ifin they only knew [/quote]
OMG, Stacey… AMEN!!!
serpent
That’s disgusting, Nano. I leave my Overtons in my drawers if they must be kept warm. Then I drop them out the leg of my pants when no one is looking. I’m thinking of developing a combination fife/whistle performance and magic act.
Hey, there, Jimbo! Is that a whistle in yer pants, or…never mind.
One of the fixtures at the soon-to-be-possibly-no-more Molly Quinn’s pub in east Minneapolis, author and raconteur Bill Watkins, was one day standing at the bar at a remove from me wearing a kilt for some occasion’s sartorial requirements. I called over to him, “Say, there, Bill, is that money in your sporran or are you just happy to see me?” “Neither one!”, he shot back with mock disdain. Spoken like a true Caledonophile.