So high-end whistles are voiced by hand. What does that mean? Am I correct in picturing Michael Copeland and Jim Remeter sitting in their shop with jeweller’s files, blowing, filing, blowing, filing until the wee hours? And what do they file–the blade the windway, the holes?
I think your picture is correct. As to
what they’re filing, my guess is the
holes, but I don’t know for sure.
Perhaps some of the whistlesmiths
will fill us in.
I recently sent Michael and Jim my low D for
revoicing and after several weeks
of trying to get it right–sometimes
it was in tune but didn’t sound as
good as they want, sometimes vice
versa–they’ve today sent me a
new one. I’ve had it for about 2 years,
by the way, which speaks to the
integrity of their operation.
For me, that’s how it is done. File, trial, more file, diddle with the plug a bit, file some more, very fine sandpaper glued to a piece of wood, etc.
If it were done mechanically, you’d get more consistency, but in my simple home shop, I don’t have the equipment to do it ( anyone want to lend me a digitally controlled milling machine?). On the other hand, the thrill of being the very first to hear the sound of a really nice whistle is unbeatable.
Yep
Dan
Pretty much correct. In the old days we milled across the head joint and manicured the window with jewelers files and very small sanding sticks made from old files (three grits - 400, 500, & 600). Basically, 5 or 10 thousands of an inch makes a big difference ( .005" / .010").
Now we have a newer milling machine that can do somewhat rectangular holes (I guess it’s not a hole then 
) and we still finish by hand.
The labium or lip is totally hand filed, sanded, and polished, actually burnished, to finish.
Oh yeah, I fogot about the part of raising and lowering the labium for pure tone and voicing. That’s it in a nutshell.
There will be a quiz… later 
[ This Message was edited by: jimr on 2002-03-09 01:01 ]
My process is a bit different. I voice at the stage of setting the fipple. I push it in .005" and pull it out .005 ad nausium (sp?). At the same time I adjust the plane of the blade (as JimR described). Once I set the fipple, I then polish the whistle (which effects the tone) and again adjust the blade. All the while, I do a little filing, sanding, burnishing, dremeling…
Not sure that made sense, but that’s what I do.
Erik
How do you raise or lower the labium? Is it correct that the labium needs to be set at a 55% of the windway (45% of the windway below the blade’s edge, 55% above)?
thanks for bearing with me, here.
Well my approach is very different since I’m working in wood and not bending metal. I have four major concerns in voicing my head joints – 1. the vertical opening of the wind way, which is controling pressure and the amount of air volume moving thru the head joint (the horizontal dimention is fixed on my joints as a result of the knives I use to cut the ramp).
2. The size of the opening of the window, and this is something I vary, depending on the desired tone of the player. A tighter opening gives more overtones and richness and a more open window gives a breathier sound with less overtones. An open window is also more forgiving to play (one can be a little sloppier with the breath).
3. Where the bottom of the airway aligns with the edge of the ramp (labium)
4. The thickness of the edge of the ramp.
These are all variables in voicing and I use them all to create a whistle that gives the player the tone they want and the playability they want.
Now filing and sanding all those holes (tuning) is another matter and not part of the voicing.
I hope this clears up the mystery of what we do when we whistlesmiths are at work in our little shops.
Ronaldo
On 2002-03-09 14:42, Bloomfield wrote:
How do you raise or lower the labium? Is it correct that the labium needs to be set at a 55% of the windway (45% of the windway below the blade’s edge, 55% above)?thanks for bearing with me, here. >
We have some special tools made raise the lip (labium) and it would depend on the design. The Copeland is made for this tool and uses the Delrin plug as part of the system Michael worked out. This is a bit hard to explain.
A simpler way that we sometimes do is to use a tapered mandrel to push the lip up. To lower the lip we use a small arbor press with a block shaped to press the lip down. Needless to say it can be quite tricky to push down precisely so we start a little low and “tweak” up a little at a time.
As far as the height setting in the windway, it’s just about .010" to .015" higher than the bottom of the plug channel. Of course this applies to the Copeland and may be different for other types of whistles.
Jim
[ This Message was edited by: jimr on 2002-03-09 23:22 ]
“Of course this applies to the Copeland and
may be different for other types of whistles”
As Jim said in this quote, it may be different for other types of whistles.
I’ve used thick material in the headjoint and mill the windway and file the labium into the material.
The length of the windway and it’s inlet geometery also varies between brands.
There is no one formula for a fipple. If you change the geometery of the window, you have to change the windway duct as well. Also, if you have a ramp for a windway, the 55% rule changes may not apply depending on the slope and its distance to the opening.
It’s nice to discuss our manufacturing techniques. Maybe it will help readers understand why the different brands sound the way they do.
[ This Message was edited by: Daniel_Bingamon on 2002-03-10 21:19 ]