headjoint making

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		The bore profile is designed by hand, then corrected mathematically in a spreadsheet. The final result is entered into a CAD program.
		The blank tubes are drawn stepwise by hand. The drawplate has precisely ground and polished holes in it that increase with 0,1mm steps.
		Then they are pushed over a mandrel which is machined to a 0,01mm tolerance. This way the bore profile is imparted to the tube.
		Before bending the silver must be annealed. No computer-controlled oven here, I work the old-fashioned way with fire. Now the silver is soft again for bending.
		Bending is performed on a machine I built myself. Irregularities are hammered out by hand.
		These are the riser casting and the lip-plate. The lip-plate is made by pressing a silver sheet over a steel form block in a hydraulic press (both the form block and the press were made by me). The parts are joined by silver soldering and then soft soldered on the tube.
		The blowhole is the most important part of the flute. After 10 years of experimenting I arrived at a hole design that works well on the Swan Neck and Vertical flutes. It is fairly deep, with not too much undercut and a sharp blowing edge- but not too sharp! The headjoint is tested continually during this process.
		The finishing of the blowing edge is the most crucial part of the hole cutting process. That is why I use a stereo microscope, and the finest files in the world. But my ears are the the most important tools.
click to see the film		Here the tenon is precisely ground to size. This is not all. The headjoint is treated electrochemically so it resists tarnishing to some degree, a crown, case and thumbrest have to be made. Then, after final testing it is ready.

I inserted this page as many people wanted to know how my special headjoints are made.