 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-07-22 18:40
I've just spent a weekend with a friend who is just starting out on the process of producing his own mouthpieces and found it absolutely fascinating.
After months of measuring as many as he could lay hands on (after making the tools to do so) and many hours making reamers of different styles, I saw the process from reaming out a blank (Babbitt) shaping the tone-chamber, shaping the tip (it never occurred to me that you can have it shaped to a Vandoren reed, or rounder for a Pflaumer, or whatever) adjusting the 'baffle', thinning the rails, making the lay, turning & corking the tenon, polishing, etc. etc. etc..
I now have a great deal more respect for the people who have the skill and patience to do this, and will never, in future, be surprised at how much they expect us to pay for them.
The big makers (Vandoren etc.) presumably have the whole process much more mechanised with computer-controlled milling machines and stuff and can churn them out with great accuracy. Their prices now seem an absolute bargain, I just wish I liked them better!
jez
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Author: nzdonald
Date: 2002-07-22 19:58
i have been working on refacing (and doing minor adjustment on the inside) for about 5 years now, and am often amazed at how LITTLE i feel i know- there is so much involved with this. On the other hand, with only a little knowledge it is often possible to produce a good mouthpiece (from someones cast off "junker"), and many of those cheap production mouthpieces can be greatly improved with 15 minutes work....
your friend sounds like he is going "all the way", congratulations to him, i confess i'm a bit jealous- i'd love to "tool up" and get the whole process going- in particular i need to learn more about the bore of the mouthpiece. i'd love to meet your friend- but i guess it's not very practical, me being in NZ.
donald
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-07-23 15:18
jez..to me "Babbitt" is a metal alloy but I'm thinking that yours might be a name for mouthpiece blanks.Yes/No? I agree with your fascination and respect for such artisans. Despite much that has been written about mouthpieces and acoustics in general I'm inclined to think there is still a lot "we" don't know about what makes a clarinet sound "good".
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-07-23 15:50
Bob wrote:
>
> jez..to me "Babbitt" is a metal alloy but I'm thinking
> that yours might be a name for mouthpiece blanks.
One "t" in Babbit metal (a metal used for bearings). Babbitt is a manufacturer of mouthpiece blanks.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-07-23 17:57
First off, let me express my deep admiration of your friend, JEZ. That's quite a daring step into a complex field. I can't imagine, in this age, doing the entire process by machine though, unless it's computer assisted.
Aren't most blanks nowadays injection moulded to very close tolerances, then machine finished? Mouldmaking ('impressioning') material can be purchased at most machinist supply dealers. Dental suppliers provide similar material that is also used in making 'wax' models for casting (metal) jewelry -- which might be suitable for making plastic mouthpiece blanks.
Just a thought, from an armchair wizard.
Plastic is very abrasive stuff to cut on a metal lathe, as you know. It'll dull a lot of (HSS) cutting tools in the process. Some of it stinks pretty bad too :(
Personally, IF I were half as adventurous and had your friend's determination, which I'm not and don't, I'd reduce the machining process(es) to as little as possible.
Just a thought, from an armchair dreamer :|
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