Breakthrough
After months of experimenting, calculating, designing, and redesigning, I’m pleased to report the successful casting of a lost-wax, solid bronze pennywhistle tube. The solution was frighteningly simple - just cast the tube with a slit up the back, the negative of which forms a “spine” holding the bore pillar in place and keeping it from bowing as in previous designs. This required adding the width of the slit to the total circumference of the tube, so that the bore would be the correct diameter after closing and brazing. The printing and assembly of this flimsy, precarious structure was not fun or easy, and it’s what I’m currently working to improve.
Brazing is a fascinating technique - it actually dissolves some of the parent metal, taking on its color and luster, and is almost invisible when done well. I have been very resistant to have a seam of any kind on my pieces, but in exchange for consistent castings and dimensional accuracy, it’s a price I’m happy to pay.
