The Flute-Head:
My flute-heads are all made with a tuning slide from
Nickel-silver. The head is not completely lined with metal tubing, it
stops about 40mm below the blowhole. The Tuning slide has also a layer
of cork between the timber and the nickel silver tubing so the timber
can still move a little and is not restricted by the tube. That helps
to avoid cracks. I use this method now for a good few years and it has
proven worth the effort.
All timbers are treated with various types of oils to protect
them from moisture and to keep the quality of the bore surface as
smooth as possible. The Rings are made from Brass and are available in
plain Brass, Silver-, Nickel-, Black Nickel- or Black Chrome plate. If
desired they can be made from solid silver as well.
The Blowhole is designed in a fashion of a modern Böhm style
blowhole. The shape is an elongated round hole not square as seen on
some Böhm System flutes and not oval as on the old style flutes.
The standard Headcork is without any adjusting mechanism, the
Head joint is closed off by a headplug made of the same timber as the
head (unless a feature plug made of a different timber is preferred)
with a Paua shell Inlay in the centre.
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