Gold whistle

hoopy mike · Post by **hoopy mike** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:47 am

Over the last six months, I've had a student playing around with making flutes out of different materials to try and get a feel for how the material affects the tone. The student comes from a classical flute background and I think I've converted him to keyless, so whatever the outcome, it's been worth it.

Anyway, he's made flutes out of copper, brass, aluminium, chrome plated copper, PVC and so on. Our final test was to gold plate some tubes to see what the effect might be (I think surface finish may be as big a factor as material properties like stiffness and density). He's also gold plated some whistle barrels for me.

I'll digest his report and post more later and maybe even a picture of my bling.

Impempe · Post by **Impempe** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:57 am

Colin Goldie may be interested

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:16 am

hoopy mike wrote:Our final test was to gold plate some tubes to see what the effect might be (I think surface finish may be as big a factor as material properties like stiffness and density). He's also gold plated some whistle barrels for me.

Mike, by plating you mean the interior surface of the bore as well (or only)?

hoopy mike · Post by **hoopy mike** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:11 am

MTGuru wrote:
hoopy mike wrote:Our final test was to gold plate some tubes to see what the effect might be (I think surface finish may be as big a factor as material properties like stiffness and density). He's also gold plated some whistle barrels for me.
Mike, by plating you mean the interior surface of the bore as well (or only)?

both

weedie · Post by **weedie** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:35 pm

I dont know a GREAT deal about electroplating but I believe that it's difficult to plate the INSIDES of a tube ....
Some engines have a 'chrome plated' bore...so there must some way of doing it...I wonder though,about a small diameter bore,as found in our Whistles..
Good luck with your experiments..a solid gold Whistle next ?

....

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:43 pm

I can appreciate that there would only be a need to gold plate the inside but everything isn't about need.

Celticexile · Post by **Celticexile** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:41 am

hoopy mike wrote:Our final test was to gold plate some tubes to see what the effect might be (I think surface finish may be as big a factor as material properties like stiffness and density). He's also gold plated some whistle barrels for me.

Lots of opinions already expressed inthe forum regarding the effects of the material on tone etc., but if you suspect surface finish is a major factor, wouldn't polishing be quicker and cheaper than gold plating as a means to investigate? After all, the (assumed!) small quantity of gold will add little to the overall density of the whistle shaft.

You might take a shine to the idea of a gold whistle, but others will probably write it off as a gilt complex!

hoopy mike · Post by **hoopy mike** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:38 am

Celticexile wrote:if you suspect surface finish is a major factor, wouldn't polishing be quicker and cheaper than gold plating as a means to investigate?

Yeah, I agree that there are easier ways to look at surface finish. The main thrust of the project was on changing the material rather than coating, but we have access to some clever technology that can give a very thin coating (nanoscale) so this was a bit of fun at the end.

JackCampin · Post by **JackCampin** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:50 am

There are higher challenges to aim at these days.

How about a diamond film coating?

Celticexile · Post by **Celticexile** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:12 am

JackCampin wrote:
How about a diamond film coating?

Wait .... sounds familiar.

Where have I seen Gem the Flute?

jkrazy52 · Post by **jkrazy52** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:31 am

Didn't Jessie have a gold whistle in her collection?

Post by **benhall.1** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:53 am

Celticexile wrote:
JackCampin wrote:
How about a diamond film coating?
Wait .... sounds familiar.

Where have I seen Gem the Flute?

Shhh! You'll wake him up. And THEN where will we be? Hmmm?

emmdee · Post by **emmdee** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:47 am

If James Bond gets wind of this "Gold Whistle" then it's all over...

m.d.

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Fri May 04, 2012 1:02 pm

benhall.1 wrote:
Celticexile wrote:
JackCampin wrote:
How about a diamond film coating?
Wait .... sounds familiar.

Where have I seen Gem the Flute?

Shhh! You'll wake him up. And THEN where will we be? Hmmm?

Exactly where you were before. Assuming you were referring to me (Jemtheflute - nothing sparkly here, no G-whizz!) I don't do physical or existential translocation (except when I'm working....). (Not even if you deserve it, to somewhere suitably uncomfortable.....)
Just as well I don't seem to come here much these days!

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Fri May 04, 2012 1:11 pm

well it sounds like a good name...

you could try to be less of a disappointment

or was it one of those lent things from yer childhood?

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