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Instructions for making a copper pennywhistle in the key of DCopyright 1997-2000 by Kim
Fulton-Bennett If you have suggestions or
improvements to this technique, please let me know at flute@earthling.net Contents:What
you will need What you will need:
You can make a fine whistle with just simple hand tools and materials that you can buy at any hardware store! Tools· A ruler marked in cm and mm, as well as inches · Electric hand drill or drill press · Drill bits in 1/32" (0.75 mm) increments · Sand paper (120- to 220-grit) · Small flat or triangular file less than 1/4" (6-7 mm) wide · Large flat-sided metal file about 1 1/4" (3 cm) wide · Rat-tail (cylindrical) file about 1/4" (6-7 mm) diameter · Flat-bladed screwdriver with blade about 1/4" (6-7 mm) wide · Sharp metal punch for setting holes for drilling (a large pointed steel screw or bolt will also work) · Steel bar with flat end about 1/4" (6-7 mm) square · Hack-saw with a metal-cutting blade · Chromatic electronic tuner or (for those with a good ear) electric keyboard. You can try to tune the whistle to another wind instrument, but I don't recommend it because you can't play both instruments at once to hear the beats when notes are out of tune. · Optional but recommended: Table vice (handy for holding the pipe--be sure to add padding to the metal grips so you don't scratch the copper) · Optional but recommended: Pipe cutter (an inexpensive hand tool that gives a nice, straight end to the pipe). Materials· 1/2" copper plumbing pipe ("type M" in US)--You only need 12-inches (30 cm) for a whistle, but you might want to buy two or three times this much, just in case... · Copper connector (sleeve) used to join two lengths of 1/2" copper pipe (use the kind of connector that has a "stop" hammered into middle of the connector; my measurements take this into account) · 5/8" Hardwood doweling: a 12-inch length is plenty. (Get 9/16" dowel instead, if you can find it) · Two-part epoxy resin (having the consistency of honey, safe for putting in your mouth when dry) · (optional) Can of spray lacquer Conventions and notes
· In these instructions, "up" refers to the end of the whistle or fipple closest to your mouth (while you are playing). "Down" refers to the end closest to your feet. "Front" refers to the side of the whistle with the fipple and finger holes. "Back" refers to the side without holes. · You might be able to use metric-sized copper pipe instead of standard US 1/2" pipe, but all the other dimensions will probably change a bit. · I sincerely apologize for my "unitary schizophrenia" (there's an oxymoron!). My tools are all sized in "English" units, but I prefer to use metric units for all my distance measurements because it is easier to scale them up or down to build whistles in different keys. · Whenever I file, sand, or polish copper, I wear a dust mask. I have found that fine copper dust dust or powder irritates my throat and lungs. You probably don't want to swallow it either. However, I believe the amount of copper you ingest from playing a finished whistle is minimal (please let me know me if I'm wrong!). Making the fipple
Note: The fipple is the hardest part of the pennywhistle to make. I often make more fipples than I need, and end up throwing out some of them because I'm not happy with their sound... Cutting the pipe1.
Measure and cut off a 3.5-cm length of pipe. This will be
the fipple. 2. Cut a second piece of pipe 26 cm long. This will be the body of the whistle. 3. Deburr the ends of the pipes (use pipe cutter tool). Then smooth both ends of pipe using first the wide flat file and then sand paper. Attaching the sleeve1.
Slide the sleeve onto the 3.5-cm length of pipe. 2.
Use the punch to make a dent in each side of the
sleeve to secure it to the pipe. Cutting the fipple hole1. Measure up 2.45 cm from the free end of the sleeve and scratch a line with the punch. 2.
Use the punch to create a dent on this line. This dent
will be the center point for the fipple hole. 3. Drill a 7/32" (6mm) hole at this spot. 4.
Use the small file to shape this round hole into a neat
rectangle about 1/4" (0.65 cm) long and 5/16" (7.5 mm) wide. The
lower lip of this hole should be 1.75 cm from the end of the sleeve (see
picture below). Note: For a lower whistle, such as a C, make the fipple hole slightly longer (7 mm); for a higher whistle, make the fipple hole slightly shorter (4-5 mm). In either case, the lower edge of the fipple hole should still be 1.75 cm from the end of the pipe. 5.
Place the flat-tipped metal bar on the lower edge of the
fipple hole and tap on it with a hammer to bend the copper in about about 1-2
mm, as shown below. 6.
If the bent-in edge is curved rather than flat, use the
screwdriver to reach in from the top of the fipple and make the edge as flat
as possible (see below): 7.
Use the small file to create a smooth, beveled
"cutting edge" about 2 mm wide on the outer, lower edge of the
fipple hole (see picture below). This edge must be as smooth and straight as
you can make it. 8. Use sand paper to smooth the upper end of the tubing above the fipple hole, inside and out. This is where your lips will contact the metal, so you don't want sharp places... Making the fipple plug1.
Take the 5/8" hardwood dowel and reduce it's
diameter to fit snugly inside the copper pipe. The final diameter should be
about 9/16" (if you can get 9/16" doweling, please let me know). 1.
Screw a 1/8" wood screw about into the exact
center of one end of the dowel until only about 15 mm is left exposed. 2.
Cut off the head of the screw with a hack saw. 3.
Insert the exposed body of the screw into the chuck
of an electric hand drill. 4.
Hold the hand drill horizontally and run it while
holding coarse sand paper next to the doweling. Make sawdust until the dowel
is thin enough so that a piece of pipe (without burrs or lip) fits snugly
over the dowel. 2. Now cut off a 1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of your (newly lathed) 9/16" dowel and smooth the ends with the flat file. 3. Decide which side of the plug should have the wind channel cut into it (I'm not sure which side is best: going "with the grain" gives you a smoother surface, but this side may be more prone to swelling). 4.
Use the large flat file to flatten the side of the dowel
where you will cut the wind channel. The flattened area should be
trapezoidal: about 9 mm wide at one end and about 7.5 mm wide at the other
end of the dowel (see picture below). 5.
Use the small file to cut a channel into this flattened
surface. This channel should be about 2 mm deep at the wide (upper) end and
1+ mm deep at the narrow (lower) end (see picture below). Make sure the
surfaces and sides of this channel are as smooth and flat as possible. 6. (optional) Seal the wind channel and lower end of the fipple plug with epoxy or some other hard, waterproof sealant (I'm not sure if this makes much of a difference). Mounting and adjusting the fipple1.
Insert the plug into the end of the pipe above the fipple
hole. The narrow, shallow end of the channel should be pointed toward the
fipple hole. Sight through the channel to make sure that the lower end of the
channel is parallel to the lower edge of the fipple hole. Slide the plug into
the pipe until the lower end of the plug is even with (directly beneath) the
upper edge of the fipple hole (see picture below). 2. At this point, you need to try out the fipple to see how it sounds when attached to the body of the whistle. Slide the fipple (with plug) onto one end of the 26-cm length of pipe you cut earlier. 3. Wipe the dust off the fipple, then blow into the end. You should get a clean, if slightly weak note (roughly D one octave above middle C). The point here is not to check the tuning of the note, but to test the timbre of the fipple--whether it makes a clear tone or a breathy one. 4. If you're happy with the tone produced, continue to step 5 below. If you want to try adjusting the sound, here are some suggestions (this is art, not science): Note: some of these adjustments are irreversible--if you adjust too far, you will have to start over, and create an entirely new fippleo If the note is too breathy, some air is missing the lower edge of the fipple hole. Try one of the following: 1. Slide the fipple plug about 0.5 mm toward the fipple hole. (If you go too far, just push the plug back out and try again.) 2. Look down through the wind channel. The lower end of the channel should line up with with the bent-in edge of the fipple hole. If can see a wide gap between the two, you can try bending the lower edge of the fipple hole down slightly (this is tricky!). You can also try making a new plug with a shallower channel. o If the note tends to "break" and go into the upper octave rather than the lower octave, try one of the following: 1. Slide the fipple plug up about 0.5 mm (away from the fipple hole). 2. Try deepening the entire channel in the fipple plug slightly (say: 0.5 mm). 3. Try bending the lower edge of the fipple hole up with a screwdriver, then smooth the edge as necessary. o If the note has good tone, but is not loud enough, try one of the following: 1. Deepen and/or widen the upper end of the channel in the fipple plug. Make sure all surfaces are smooth and even. 2. Widen the fipple hole slightly with a small file (work on both sides). Be careful not to make the hole too wide or the whistle will become breathy. 5.
When you are happy with the sound of the fipple and you
are sure the fipple plug is in the correct location, secure the plug by
denting the copper pipe around the plug using a punch. I usually make three
dents: two dents 5 mm above and to either side of the fipple hole and a third
dent on the back of the fipple, about 5 mm above the end of the plug (see
picture below). 1. Place the fipple in a vice and cut the exposed end of the dowel off flush with the end of the copper pipe. 2. Clean out the upper end of the channel in the fipple plug so that you can clearly see its lower edge. 3.
Use a hacksaw to cut off a triangular section of the pipe
and dowel. Start the cut at the end of the fipple, with the hacksaw blade
parallel to and about 1-2 mm below the lower edge of the wind channel. As
soon as you have a cut a small slot that will keep the blade from slipping,
tilt the hacksaw blade to cut downward at about 45 degrees (see below). 4. Smooth the cut surface (wood and copper) and the outer edge of the pipe using first the large flat file, then the sandpaper. 5. Blow off all loose dust and clear out the mouthpiece again. 6.
Mix a good two-part epoxy and spread it over the exposed
wooden end of the fipple (and the copper around the edges). In choosing the
epoxy, remember that this stuff, when hardened, will be going into your
mouth. The epoxy should be the consistency of honey (and is about as easy to
control). You want to apply enough so that it will mound up, creating a nice,
smooth surface, but not so much that it will flow off the wood into the
mouthpiece or down the sides of the fipple (see below). 7. Set the fipple so that that the wooden surface is level as possible and let the epoxy harden overnight. If a little epoxy flows onto the sides of the fipple you can flake it off with a screwdriver. 8. Your fipple is now complete! (except for the polishing). Making the body
1.
Attach your fipple to the end of the 26-cm length of
pipe and blow gently and steadily. Once the copper pipe has warmed up to your
breath, compare the note with a tuner or electronic keyboard. It should be a
D, one octave above middle C. o
If your D is in tune, great! Continue to step 3
below. o
If the whistle is a bit flat, you need to shorten
the main tube a little at a time, until it comes into tune. o
If the whistle is just a little bit sharp, try
pulling the long tube out from the fipple slightly. If you can bring it into
tune without pulling it out too far, make a mark on the main tube showing how
far out it should be for correct tuning. Each time you check tuning, make
sure the fipple is slid out to this same spot. o
If the whistle is way sharp, it probably wants to
be an E-flat whistle instead of a D whistle. If you want a D whistle, cut a
new (longer!) piece of copper pipe. If you want an E-flat whistle, keep
cutting off short pieces until you get a low note of E-flat. Then use the
hole ratios below to figure out where the holes should go (the hole sizes may
change also... remember to start small). 2. Using a pencil and ruler, draw a straight line up the front of the body of the whistle (or use an existing striation in the copper). 3. Use the ruler and pencil to make marks along the line at the following distances from the bottom of the whistle: 4.
5.
Note
Hole Distance Proportion Diam. 6.
7.
================================================== 8.
9.
E Hole
1: 4.4 cm 0.15
3/16" 10.
11.
F Hole
2: 6.6 cm 0.25
9/32" 12.
13.
G Hole
3: 8.3 cm 0.31
1/8" 14.
15.
A Hole
4: 10.7 cm 0.40
7/32" 16.
17.
B Hole
5: 13.0 cm 0.49 1/4" 18.
19.
C Hole
6: 14.8 cm 0.56
1/4" 20.
Notes: 21. Use the punch to make pilot "dents" to guide the drill bit at each of these locations 22. At Hole 1 (the mark closest to the bottom of the whistle), drill a hole slightly (about 1/16") smaller than the size shown in the table above under "Diam." Use the rattail file to clean up any burrs from inside and outside of the hole. 23. Blow into the whistle with the hole covered. This should give you your low D (in tune). Now lift your finger and play the new note (low E). Check it against your tuning standard. It will probably be a bit flat. If so, choose a drill bit 1/32" larger and open up the hole slightly. Check the note again. Remember that there is no easy way to make a hole smaller if you open it up too far (creating a note that is too sharp). See Some notes on tuning below for details. 24. When the note in the low octave is in tune, try playing the same note one octave up, and check the tuning of this note as well. 25.
Repeat this process for each of the holes, starting
at the lower end of the whistle and working your way up to the top. o
Always warm up the whistle before tuning it by
blowing through it for a few minutes. o
Try to use the same breath pressure for all notes,
so that a note does not seem sharper or flatter just because you are blowing
differently. This is especially tricky for the highest notes (high A and
above), which often have to be blown harder to keep them from being flat. o
Try each note in both the low and high octave. In
some cases you may have to compromise on hole size and placement. o
For the higher notes (A and B especially), you
will have to work out a compromise because they will play rather flat in the
high octave unless you open them up a bit wider than would be optimum for the
lower octave. This may be something that might be solved by optimizing the
hole placement, but I have not yet found any placement/hole size combination
that will completely eliminate the problem. o
The tone of any given note is controlled primarily
by the size of the uppermost open hole and it's position on the whistle. It
is also affected by all the open (or closed) holes below it. This is why you
always drill holes and tune the notes starting at the bottom of the whistle. o
Enlarging a hole makes the note sharper. Drilling
a smaller hole creates a flatter note. o
Moving a hole up the whistle makes the note
sharper. Moving a hole down makes the note flatter. o
Given the above, if you want to make a whistle
with larger holes, you will have to move all the holes down a bit. This
applies to individual holes as well--if you move a hole down, you have to
make it larger to get the correct note. o
Also given the above, if you want to make a
whistle with smaller holes, you will have to move all the holes down a bit.
This applies to individual holes as well--if you move a hole down, you have
to make it larger to get the correct note. o
Smaller finger holes make for a more quick,
responsive whistle, but they also make a quieter whistle. Conversely, larger
finger holes make a louder whistle (and perhaps one with a mellower tone),
but it won't feel as "quick" or "lively." o
There is no way to use hole size and placement to
compensate for a whistle whose body is cut too short or too long--the tonic
note will always be off. o
If you want to make a hole slightly larger, but
don't have a drill bit of the next size up, you can use your existing bit to
widen the hole (sideways or up the whistle). However, the resulting holes
won't look as neat, and you need to make sure you can still easily cover them
with your fingers. 26. When you have all made and tuned all six holes, use the rat-tail file to clean up any remaining burrs from inside and outside the whistle. Then take a small piece of sandpaper and wrap it into the shape of a small cone (about the size of a pencil tip). Work this around in each of the finger holes to smooth them out, until they feel good on your fingers. Start with 80- or 120-grit and move up to 180- or 220-grit. Finishing the whistle
After you have finished all tuning and shaping, you are ready to make the whistle shine. I highly recommend using a DUST MASK for this stage of the process, even if you haven't used one for previous steps 1.
Start by buffing the entire whistle with a
extra-fine-textured green plastic scouring pad. Use this pad to work out any
gouges or sandpaper scratches and to do final smoothing around the edge of
the finger holes. You can work on the fipple too, but stay away from the epoxy-coated
area, which scratches easily. 2. Now buff the entire whistle again using extra fine (000) steel wool. Buff in the same direction that you used with the plastic pad, and stay away from the epoxy bead on the mouthpiece. When you are done, you should have a really nice shine. While you are doing this final polishing, wear gloves or hold the whistle in a cloth to avoid getting fingerprints on it. When you are done buff |
