I can’t rid myself of the desire to make my own whistles. Like a jedi needing to build his own light-sabre, I must make my own whistle to complete my training. But I can’t stand wooden fipple plugs or copper tubing. And I’m sorry but PVC should stick to toilets.
Aluminum is easy to drill and is readily obtainable at a hardware store. Plus, if it is good enough to be a container for my beer, it must be good for whistles.
The only real drawback to aluminum is that you can’t weld or solder it (because it is non-ferrous and the welds won’t hold). I’m afraid of using epoxys or glues designed for metal because, while they can glue up a boat, none of the labels say if they are non-toxic.
Is there any alchemist out there who is willing to impart some wisdom?
Super glue (cyanoacrylate) is basically pure acrylic and according to the manufacturer, after it has cured it is completely non-toxic. However, I would recommend that you use it outside because the fumes feel extremely toxic. And who knows?
Ronaldo
Actually, you can weld aluminum… just not with conventional tools. You may also wish to consider a friction or mechanical fit with very little glue involved.
Happy smithing,
Erik
p.s. also, most epoxies are non-toxic after full curring (which can actually be quite a while). Check with the mfr. to be safe, however.
[ This Message was edited by: ErikT on 2001-11-09 21:02 ]
I like your spirit! I’ve always stood by the claim of beer in a can. Much better then bottles. There are a few masters of the aluminume whistle you can send a fruit bascket to. You never know, it might help to get the info you need:)
May the force be with you, Jack Orion
[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-11-09 21:08 ]
On 2001-11-09 20:38, Reyburnwhistles wrote:
Super glue (cyanoacrylate) is basically pure acrylic and according to the manufacturer, after it has cured it is completely non-toxic. However, I would recommend that you use it outside because the fumes feel extremely toxic. And who knows?
Ronaldo
The first few letters in its technical name is a clue to the fumes ommited…cyanide!A whiff of this can really give you a headache so take care.Medical grade super glue is non toxic but a big question mark hangs over the non-toxicity of the inexpensive garden variety super glue so take care folks.I once coated the wooden fipple of my Shaw with super glue to prevent swelling from moisture but eventualy removed it after noticeing a metalic tingling sensation/taste on my tongue after playing…you can never be sure these days.Cheers, Mike:)
You can weld aluminum but generally need to do it with tungsten inert gas (TIG. You do have an alternative. You can solder aluminum with a propane torch but you need a special aluminum solder containing an alloy of mostly zinc. It is sometimes marketed as “Alladin Rod” and is really quite easy to use. I have soldered beer can material with this stuff. The only trick is that the aluminum needs to be very clean and that you scratch the aluminum through the molten solder (with a sharp stainless steel wire)
to dislodge the oxides (alum oxide) which prevent adhesion.
Another concern with aluminum is that it has been allegedly linked to alzheimers somehow.
I don’t know one way or the other but if I were to make alum whistle mouthpieces, I would anodize them to turn the surface into hard aluminum oxide. You can do this as a backyard operation as well if you want to investigate the process a bit.