Anyone here ever made a recorder?

[jgourlay]

I am attempting to make a recorder and have a couple of books.  The instructions therein are 'okay', but lack a lot of detail about carving in the reed.  Specifically, I can't see how they are getting a straight edged reed on round hole.  See in the picture, how the edge of the reed is straight across?  It should either be 'thick' and thus not make music, or rounded like a fingernail because it's the 'roof' of the round hole through the middle, OR the maker did some carving that my books are not making explicit.  

Has anyone done this?

[MsNomer]

A plug with a flat side goes in from the top.

[jgourlay]

As in a long rectangular mortise is cut in and the 'reed' is an entirely seperate piece?

[MsNomer]

I'm not getting photos to work for some reason.  The reed is not a separate piece.  Imagine a dowel inserted from the top and yes, a deep rectangular mortise.  I think my first description was misleading. I cannot imagine how this mortise is made.

[DCottrell]

It does not help to think of it as a reed.  A reed is a thin piece of material that oscillates back and forth creating the vibrations for sound.

The flute family (of which the recorder is a member)  uses an oscillating air stream to create pulses of high and low pressure (a.k.a., "sound").
This is accomplished by focusing a stream of air over a sharp edge, which, instead of splitting the air stream, forces it alternately in one direction then another, so that it waves like a flag.  Though in that simile, the air is the flag, not the wind.

A recorder focuses the air through the windway across the edge of the labium (sharp edge).  The windway  is only curved because it is easier to make as everything else there is curved.  But the labium needs to be straight.  It is a touchy process, but having your hands on an instrument helps to visualize the process I described.

I assume that what you refer to as a "mortise" is indeed the windway.  The mouthpiece is turned into a cylinder and the inside diameter is bored out.  A plug is fit into this bore, but the channel for the windway is already cut into it.  Final shaping of the "beak" is done after assembly.

If you Google the show "How it's Made"  they did an episode on making a recorder.  That might be helpful

Good luck, and I hope you have fun.  I spend all day working on musical instruments (it's my job) and I can think of no more enjoyable and interesting way to earn a living.

BTW Here is an excellent explanation

[Boatman53]

Plus one to DC.
Here is a bamboo flute that made a number of years ago, I guess it's kind of like a recorder.

<img src="http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/IMG_2310_zpsqjcrdeup.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_2310_zpsqjcrdeup.jpg"/>

And here you can see the wind way cut into the tube itself and that extends just a bit past the window.
I sanded the cork just a bit too much but it still plays well.

<img src="http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/IMG_2307_zpsfuyqfehb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_2307_zpsfuyqfehb.jpg"/>

Jim

[Bibliophile 13]

I play a recorder (occasionally), and I'm a woodworker, but I've never wanted to make a recorder. I'm told it's extremely exacting work, and your first few probably won't sound great, if they will play at all. But if it's a challenge you want to take on, more power to you! I'd love to see how it all turns out.

As to shaping, yes, take a good look at any wooden recorder and you'll see that the top section is bored out, and there's a separate wooden insert. I assume that most of the work on the airway and the "reed" is done after it's bored out but before the insert is installed.

I just took a look at my tenor recorder, which is a lot bigger and easier to examine than your usual altos and sopranos. The "reed" is beveled from both sides, not just the top. That is, it's under-cut so that the leading edge is straight across and not curved. I wish I could get a good picture, but I just can't get a clear shot with my cell phone camera.

[Boatman53]

The book 'Making Musical Instruments' by Irving Sloane is a wonderful book and well worth finding if you are interested in making a banjo, snare drum, dilcimer, hardanger fiddle, or a recorder. There are other instruments included also but that's just on the cover.
Anyway here is a pick from the recorder, does it help at all?

<img src="http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/IMG_2311_zpsltoo10ri.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_2311_zpsltoo10ri.jpg"/>

Jim

[jgourlay]

Thanks for all that!  And...I got it working!

[jgourlay]

Yes, that was helpful, thank you!