Does anyone know why a flute sometimes has a barrel (i.e. the fat bit between the head joint and the left hand) and sometimes does not? I personally enjoy the look of it, but wondering if anyone knows the mechanical reason for its existence? The only thing I can think of is that it allows for the tone holes can be realigned where the it is twisted when tuning (IF there’s a tuning slide). Not sure if that’s it though.

Countersinking is the tapering or beveling of the end of a hole with a conical cutter called a machine countersink. Often a hole is slightly countersunk to guide pins which are to be driven into the workpiece; but more commonly, countersinking is used to form recesses for flathead screws (Figure 6-38) and is similar to counterboring.

Tapping is cutting a thread in a drilled hole. Tapping is accomplished on the drilling machine by selecting and drilling the tap drill size (see Table 4-5 in Appendix A), then using the drilling machine chuck to hold and align the tap while it is turned by hand. The drilling machine is not a tapping machine, so it should not be used to power tap. To avoid breaking taps, ensure the tap aligns with the center axis of the hole, keep tap flutes clean to avoid jamming, and clean chips out of the bottom of the hole before attempting to tap.

Good countersinking procedures require that the countersink be run at a speed approximately one-half of the speed for the same size drill. Feed should be light, but not too light to cause chatter. A proper cutting fluid should be used to produce a smooth finish. Rough countersinking is caused by too much speed, dull tools, failure to securely hold the work, or inaccurate feed. The depth stop mechanism should be used when countersinking to ensure the recess will allow the flathead screw to be flush with the surface (Figure 6-39).

Solid hand reamers should be used when a greater accuracy in hole size is required. The cutting action of a hand reamer is performed on the taper (approximately 0.015 per inch) which extends 3/8- to 1/2- inch above the chamfer. This slight taper limits the stock allowance, or metal to be removed by the reamer, from 0.001- to 0.003-inch depending on the size of the reamer. The chamfer aids in aligning and starting the tool, and reamers usually have straight shanks and a square end to fit into an adjustable tap and reamer wrench. A hand reamer should never be chucked into a machine spindle for power reaming. A center may be installed in the drilling machine spindle to align and center the hand reamer. As the reamer is turned by hand into the hole, only a slight pressure is applied to the hand feed lever to keep the center in contact with the reamer and maintain accuracy in alignment.

Feeds for counterboring are generally 0.002 to 0.005 inch per revolution, but the condition of the tool and the type of metal will affect the cutting operation. Slow the speed and feed if needed. The pilot must be lubricated with lubricating oil during counterboring to prevent the pilot seizing into the work. Use an appropriate cutting fluid if the material being cut requires it. Use hand feed to start and accomplish counterboring operations. Power feed counterboring is used mainly for production shops.

Machine countersinks for machining recessed screw heads commonly have an included angle of 82°. Another common countersink has an included angle of 60° machining lathe centers. Some countersinks have a pilot on the tip to guide the countersink into the recess. Since these pilots are not interchangeable, these types of countersinks can be used for only one size of hole and are not practical for field or maintenance shops.

“tuning slides have no significant affect on the price or weight of a flute…” I just checked, Martin Doyle charges 369 Euros for a tuning slide. About the weight, yes if the wood and metal weighed the same the tuning slide wouldn’t add weight. I suppose I had in mind traditionally-made flutes, in which flutes with tuning slides and barrel joints have lined heads, and flutes with simple one-piece heads don’t, so it’s not just the weight of the tuning slide itself but also the lining and the extra metal rings. It’s probably not all that much extra weight, true enough.

I have a few problems with Richard’s answer. For one, tuning slides have no significant affect on the price or weight of a flute, in my experience. Secondly, without tuning slides, most 19th Century flutes would be unplayable with today’s tuning. Most flutes are pulled out around half an inch. Lastly, clarinets have no tuning slide and they possess the same barrel.

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There’s a bit of luck involved in getting a one-piece head (no tuning slide) that just happens to play well in tune for you when pressed hard in. We all play a little sharper or flatter than others, there is no “right”. And when you pull the head out at the tenon, you introduce a quite significant cavity, which can disrupt the vibrating air column and thus weaken the performance and even distort the tuning. One answer to this is to get such a head, find out what extension works for you and if that extension is significant and creates issues, get a tuning ring made up that takes up the space in the cavity. You could even have a few rings to allow for hot nights or sharp pipes. Or one with no hole in the middle, marked “too much Guinness”. I’ve gone with another approach, which I term the Minimum Disruption Tenon. I make the tenon pretty thin (rather more like a fat inner tuning slide), and put the cork lapping on the INSIDE of the socket, rather than the OUTSIDE of the tenon. This then leaves a much smaller cavity if the head is withdrawn for tuning. But even so, you can’t have as much range of tuning as a tuning slide will provide without any disruption. So, I guess the moral of the story is that there are a number of approaches that can be used, you need to consider your circumstances in picking one. If you know you are a particularly flat player, if you play with a piper who often tends sharp, if you have sometimes to play with a flat piano, if you have to play in hot and cold environments, and particularly if affected by all these things, then a tuning slide is a blessing!

Richard, when I said a tuning slide did not add significantly to the price, I meant it in relative terms. I would never shop for a flute and try to save money by eliminating the tuning slide as I might by eliminating keys. When buying a used flute, you are not going to save money by looking for flutes without the tuning slide, especially a vintage flute. I think we don’t really have our answer yet, since as I noted, clarinets have a barrel just like a flute’s. Probably the reason Martin Doyle charges so much for the tuning slide is because he has to reconfigure the entire flute. In any event, we are talking about the barrel, not the tuning slide, which entails having two pieces that must join in an airtight fit of unlubricated metal against metal. Sounds like a lot of work, unless that’s all you do.

Reamer cutting edges should be sharp and smooth. For accurate sizes, check each reamer with a micrometer prior to use. Never start a reamer on an uneven or rough surface, and never rotate a reamer backwards. Continue to rotate the reamer clockwise, even while withdrawing from the hole. Use just enough feed pressure to keep the reamer feeding into the work. Excessive feed may cause the reamer to dig in and break or grab the workpiece and wrench it from the vise.

Proper alignment of the countersink and the hole to be recessed are important. Failure to align the tool and spindle with the axis of the hole, or failure to center the hole, will result in an eccentric or out-of-round recess.

The pros and cons of full metal lined headjoints is a complex topic, but one benefit of adding a bit of weight at the headjoint is that it can help a little with balancing the low C# and C keys on an 8-key flute. The entire flute is tiny bit heavier, but the balance may be slightly improved. Or not… depends on the flute. There is some history of antique fully lined headjoints cracking due to differential expansion, but my personal belief is that it’s due to neglecting humidity control and not necessarily a design flaw (I know others will disagree about that). At any rate, I’ve played a flute with a fully lined headjoint for a few years now, and it hasn’t cracked yet. I’m pretty careful about humidity. One note about the OP’s question of the “fat bit” at the top of the barrel adjoining the headjoint, is that I’ve seen a few flute designs where it looks intentionally thicker than you’d see on say, a classic 19th Century Rudall or Pratten type, either for tenon support or for aesthetic reasons. For example, Casey Burns wooden flutes have a noticeable enlargement along with a turned ring at both the headjoint connection and again at the connection with the C foot. I don’t know if that’s for mechanical reinforcement or aesthetics, but it’s not uncommon on some flutes.

For me as a novice i found the weight of the metal liner significantly effects the weight and balance of the flutes ive had compared to the Doyle without . Saying that i kept the flute with fulll lined head joint despite the extra weight . I much prefer the lighter the better but for me its important to be able to tune. Pros and cons .

One method of hand tapping is to mount an adjustable tap and reamer wrench on the square shank of the tap and install a pointed tool with a center in the drilling machine spindle (Figure 6-41). The tap is placed in the drilled hole and the tool's center point is placed in the center hole. The tap is held steady, without forcing, by keeping light pressure on it with the hand feed lever of the drilling machine, while turning the wrench and causing the tap to cut into the hole.

Spot facing is basically the same as counterboring, using the same tool, speed, feed, and lubricant. The operation of spot facing is slightly different in that the spot facing is usually done above a surface or on a curved surface. Rough surfaces, castings, and curved surfaces are not at right angles the cutting tool causing great strain on the pilot and counterbore which can lead to broken tools. Care must be taken when starting the spot facing cut to avoid too much feed. If the tool grabs the workpiece because of too much feed, the cutter may break or the workpiece may be damaged. Ensure that the work is securely mounted and that all backlash is removed from drilling machine spindle.

Counterboring is the process of using a counterbore to enlarge the upper end of a hole to a predetermined depth and machine a square shoulder at that depth (Figure 6-40). Spot facing is the smoothing off and squaring of a rough or curved surface around a hole to permit level seating of washers, nuts, or bolt heads (Figure 6-40). Counterbored holes are primarily used to recess socket head cap screws and similar bolt heads slightly below the surface. Both counterboring and spotfacing can be accomplished with standard counterbore cutters.

I’m around clarinetists quite a bit and the barrel and the bell are the things they’ll be most likely to change out. For example a professional clarinetist friend has a ribbed plastic barrel which is supposed to increase the horn’s projection. His also has a cocobolo bell which is supposed to increase the warmth of the tone. They make all sorts of barrel joints in different lengths, different thicknesses, different materials to change pitch, volume, and timbre. I do wonder why wooden fluteplayers haven’t delved into all that stuff! They also make bells out of various woods which are supposed to give various timbres. About the expense of a tuning slide on a flute, to me it’s a significant expense, and besides that I very much prefer a plain wood headjoint. I could then use that money to add a key, which is something I would use more than the tuning slide.

Counterbore cutters have a pilot to guide the counterbore accurately into the hole to be enlarged. If a counterbore is used without a pilot, then the counterbore flutes will not stay in one spot, but will wander away from the desired hole. The shank of counterbores can be straight or tapered. The pilots of counterbores can be interchangeable with one another so that many hole combinations can be accomplished.

Machine reamers can generally be expected to produce good clean holes if used properly. The cutting action of a machine reamer is performed on the chamfer and it will remove small amounts of material. The allowance for machine reamers is generally 1/64 inch for reamers l/2-inch to 1 inch in diameter, a lesser amount for smaller holes, and greater than 1/64-inch for holes over 1 inch. Machine reamers for use on drilling machines or lathes have taper shanks to fit the machine spindle or straight shanks for inserting into a drill chuck. A reamer must run straight and true to produce a smooth finish. The proper cutting fluid for the metal being cut should be used. Generally, the speed used for machine reaming would be approximately one-half that used for the same size drill.

I agree with Richard on this, I have an Olwell boxwood flute with no tuning slide, unlined head, and I have never had a need for a tuning slide on this instrument. It is very light, feels great in the hand. It has a conventional woodwind corked tenon/socket if I want to flatten the pitch somewhat, but I have never needed to do that.

When counterboring, mount the tool into the drill chuck and set the depth stop 'mechanism for the required depth of shoulder cut. Set the speed to approximately one-half that for the same size of twist drill. Compute for the actual cutter size and not the shank size when figuring speed. Mount the workpiece firmly to the table or vise. Align the workpiece on the center axis of the counterbore by fitting the pilot into the drilled hole. The pilot should fit with a sliding motion inside the hole. If the pilot fits too tightly, then the pilot could be broken off when attempting to counterbore. If the pilot fits too loosely, the tool could wander inside the hole, causing chatter marks and making the hole out of round.

Another method of hand tapping, without power, is to connect the tap directly into the geared drill chuck of the drilling machine and then turn the drill chuck by hand, while applying light pressure on the tap with the hand feed lever. This method works well on small hand-feed drilling machines when using taps smaller than 1/2-inch diameter.

The cheeky answer would be that a flute has a barrel joint in order to create extra places to leak and crack. That aside, ordinarily a flute only has a barrel joint if it has a tuning slide. The barrel is just the byproduct of the headjoint being split into two sections so as to have a tuning slide fitted. Flutes without tuning slides usually have a one-piece head. That’s my preference, and for years I played a mid-19th century London-made 8-key flute with an unlined one-piece headjoint made by Casey Burns. You still have some tuning leeway available. Mine was made so that to be in tune at A=440 at normal room temperature the head was pulled out around 4 mm. That way if I was playing with people who were a tad sharp, or playing in a place that was a tad cold, I could push the headjoint in. A metal-lined headjoint with a barrel joint with tuning slide mechanism adds cost, weight, complexity, additional things to maintain, and additional places for things to go wrong. On antique wood flutes if cracks/splits are present they’re usually on the metal-lined headjoint or barrel joint.

I have done as Terry suggests, with a sterling silver ring about half an inch long to fill what flutemaker Chris Abell calls “The Missing Link.” The tone is stronger, clearer and there is no longer a chamber that captures moisture, which can make you gurgly. I had a shorter ring made for my Casey Burns out of brass. Works beautifully. Interestingly, I came up with this idea before I learned that anyone else had ever acknowledged the issue, much less addressed it. I was quite chuffed to find out I got on the right track on my own. Sometimes I have good days

While a full length tuning slide might not add THAT much weight, it can very materially affect the balance, because so much of the extra weight is near the top of the flute and hence has more leverage. And that can be an issue, particularly in keyless flutes and flutes with short D feet. And slides can give trouble with cracking particularly in dry climates if the flute is made in a less dry climate. Against that, I wouldn’t be without a tuning slide myself, which is why I came up with a cork buffered partial slide that doesn’t affect weight or balance significantly and can withstand the effects of long spells of dry weather. I’m not aware of any standard specific ratio for head joint:barrel lengths. What looks good, I guess. Ailin’s comment about clarinet barrels intrigued me, so I went looking. As I guessed, it’s to allow for different lengths of barrels to get the tuning into an acceptably lippable range. Some clarinets come with one, some with two barrels, but I particularly liked this response: 2 reasons I have Barrels in 64, 65, 66 and 67 mm 1. Freaking trumpet players always blowing sharp. 2. Clarinet sits on a peg getting cold for 20 minutes during a show. At least we are usually spared No 1, though the pipes are probably more troublesome than the trumpet! Note that the range of the respondent’s barrel lengths only varies by 3mm. But opening up a gap of 3mm at the top of the body would probably introduce some weird tuning or performance issues on notes elsewhere, especially given the clarinet’s narrow bore but thick tenons. There is a type of clarinet barrel referred to as a Click barrel, which offers a range of 61 to 67mm, adjustable by rotating a thumb wheel that clicks as it extends. But I see a number of respondents saying they are awful.

Occasionally a straight and smooth hole is needed which is too large or odd sized for drills or reamers. A boring tool can be inserted into the drilling machine and bore any size hole into which the tool holder will fit. A boring bar with a tool bit installed is used for boring on the larger drilling machines. To bore accurately, the setup must be rigid, machine must be sturdy, and power feed must be used. Boring is not recommended for hand-feed drilling machines. Hand feed is not smooth enough for boring and can be dangerous. The tool bit could catch the workpiece and throw it back at the operator. First, secure the work and drill a hole for the boring bar. Then, insert the boring bar without changing the setup. Use a dial indicator to set the size of bored hole desired by adjusting the tool bit in the boring tool holder; then, set the machine speed and feed. The speed is set at the speed recommended for drilling a hole of the same size. Feed should be light, such as 0.005 to 0.010 inch per revolution. Start the machine and take a light cut. Check the size of the hole and make necessary adjustments. Continue boring with a more rough cut, followed by a smoother finishing cut. When finished, check the hole with an internal measuring device before changing the setup in case any additional cuts are required.

Reaming a drilled hole is another operation that can be performed on a drilling machine. It is difficult, if not impossible, to drill a hole to an exact standard diameter. When great accuracy is required, the holes are first drilled slightly undersized and then reamed to size (Figure 6-42). Reaming can be done on a drilling machine by using a hand reamer or using a machine reamer (Figure 6-43). When you must drill and ream a hole, it is best if the setup is not changed. For example, drill the hole (slightly undersized) and then ream the hole before moving to another hole. This method will ensure that the reamer is accurately aligned over the hole. If a previously drilled hole must be reamed, it must be accurately realigned under the machine spindle. Most hand and machine reamers have a slight chamfer at the tip to aid in alignment and starting (Figure 6-43).

Terry said “There’s a bit of luck involved in getting a one-piece head (no tuning slide) that just happens to play well in tune for you…” Yes there would be luck! However in my instance I worked it all out with the maker (Casey Burns). He sent me a headjoint purposely made a tad long, knowing it would probably play a bit flat, which it did do. I sent it back to have it shortened a smidge, and it was perfect. “…play well in tune for you when pressed hard in.” I didn’t want my headjoint to be like that. I wanted it to be in tune to A=440 at normal room temperature with the head pulled out a tiny bit, maybe 1/8 inch. As it happened I almost never needed that bit of tuning space. “…when you pull the head out at the tenon, you introduce a quite significant cavity, which can disrupt the vibrating air column and thus weaken the performance and even distort the tuning.” I’m no maker and I don’t know the theoretical or technical sides of things. As a player having the head pulled out a tiny bit made no detectible difference. My impression was that the one-piece unlined headjoint improved performance, due to the flute playing better with the Casey Burns headjoint than with the original fully lined tuning-slide Cocus headjoint. (BTW the original headjoint had had the embouchure re-cut by Patrick Olwell and played nicely.)