Metal Clay Whistle — Sounds Good!

I ’ve always been fascinated with jewelry that carries a playful secret; my husband and I, both professional performers, even exchanged whistle rings out of a gumball machine as part of our wedding!

My fascination naturally led me to making whistles myself.Making a metal clay whistle may seem like an engineering challenge,

but once you learn the basic rules of what makes a successful note, it’s not as hard as it looks. This project builds upon the familiar lentil form to create a sweet charm that’s tiny in size but big and cheerful in voice.

Precise construction

is instrumental to making this

charm-sized project sing.

by Donna Penoyer

intermediate

metal clay

FUNCTIONAL LENTIL BEAD

Part 1: Hollow lentil bodyLentil halvesRoll a sheet of metal clay. Lightly oil an acrylic or PVC roller, your hands, and a flex-ible Teflon sheet. Roll about 5 g of metal clay to 4 playing cards thick .

Texture the clay sheet. Lightly oil one side of the clay sheet, then place it oil-side down on a texture sheet. Roll the clay again to 3 cards thick to imprint the texture [1].

NOTE: Pre-rolling the clay to 4 cards thick and then dropping down to 3 cards when texturing ensures that the impression won’t end up too deep, which could weaken the piece along the thinner lines of the texture.

Cut a circle. Transfer the clay sheet to the Teflon sheet, texture-side up. Use either a needle tool and a template or a circle cutter to cut out a 25 mm circle [2].

Dome the circle. Lightly oil the back of a round, plastic 1⁄4-tsp. measuring spoon or other small, rounded form. Transfer the clay circle texture-side up onto the spoon.

Gently roll one finger over the clay, working outward from the middle, to remove air bubbles and get the clay to conform to the dome [3].

Make another clay dome. Repeat the above steps to make another textured dome. I chose a different texture pattern for my second dome.

Dry the domes. Leave the clay on the measuring spoons to dry in a dehydrator for 5–10 minutes. (You could also use a hair dryer, a mug warmer, or another form of mild heat.)

When the domes are semi-dry (See Metal Clay Dryness chart), remove them from the spoons, and put them back under the heat source upside-down to let the concave sides dry.

Sand the edges flat. When the domes are completely dry, sand their edges on

280-grit sandpaper [4]. Sand the two domes evenly to the same size.

NOTE: Continue sanding the domes until the edges are flat rims that fit together and come to a fine point [5]. Make sure each rim has enough surface area to hold plenty of metal clay paste.

AssemblyPaste the lentil halves together. Using a fine-tip round paintbrush, apply metal clay paste to the entire rim of one dome [6]. By the time you return to the spot where you started, some of the paste may have started to dry; rinse the brush and apply water to the paste to remoisten it. Immediately join the two domes.

Use a dry brush or your fingertip to quickly lift off any paste that oozes out of the seam, cleaning the brush or your finger after each stroke. When you’ve removed all the excess paste, wet your fingertip and rub lightly around the seam to smooth the join.

Refine the seam. Sand the seam with an emery board, if necessary, and then with 400-grit sandpaper. Fill any gouges or scratches with metal clay paste, and do any needed cosmetic repairs. Dry the lentil completely. Then sand it a final time, ending with 600-grit sandpaper.

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Whistle anatomy

Mouthpiece

Opening

AirwayBail

Tone wedge

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©2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Part 2: MouthpieceCut a plastic strip. Use a craft knife to cut a roughly 1⁄8-in. (3 mm)-wide strip from a credit card. Do not use a section with raised numbers or texture.

Prepare a metal clay rectangle. Roll approximately 5 g of metal clay to 3 cards thick. Use a tissue blade to cut a rectangle that’s about 5 ⁄8 x 1⁄2 in. (16 x 13 mm) [1].

TIP: To make a nonstick

cutting guide, cut a rectangle

of graph paper approximately

21⁄2 x 5 in. (64 x 12.7 mm),

and laminate it with clear

packing tape.

Bevel one of the rectangle’s long sides by pressing down with your thumb about one-third of the way in from the edge. Repeat to bevel the opposite long side [2].

Create the airway. Separate the rect-angle from the work surface (being careful not to distort the clay) and place it down again. Oil both sides of the plastic strip, and lay it across the center of the rect-angle, parallel to the beveled sides.

Fold one side of the rectangle over the plastic strip. Apply plenty of paste along the bevel of the unfolded clay side [3]. Fold that side over the first. Press gently to join the clay.

Form the mouthpiece. Using your index fingers, press down and inward along the overlapped clay sides [4]. The goals here are to use gentle pressure to create a good bond, conceal the seam as much as possible, and even out the shape of the mouthpiece.

As you press, the shape of the mouth-piece will change. Viewed from the end, it will look triangular, but the airway slit (currently filled with the plastic strip) will still be rectangular [5]. The bottom side of the mouthpiece should be flat.

Dry the mouthpiece. Leaving the plastic strip in place, dry the mouthpiece, with or without heat, until it is semi-dry. Remove the plastic strip, and continue drying the mouthpiece until it is completely dry.

Refine the mouthpiece. Sand the ends and sides of the mouthpiece flat using 280- and 400-grit sandpaper. Fill any dents or cracks, including the seam, with paste. Then dry completely, and sand again. Finish by sanding with 600-grit sandpaper.

Refine the airway. Crisply fold a narrow strip of 400-grit sandpaper lengthwise, and run it through the airway slit in the mouthpiece to clear any stray clay that might block the airway [6].

Be careful not to change the airway’s shape, which would affect the whistle’s sound, or to sand too much, which may make the walls of the mouthpiece thin and fragile.

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Make your metal clay whistle even more fun and whimsical by using a different texture on each domed half of the lentil body.

Metal Clay DrynessWet A lot of moisture;

very pliable

Semi-dry Some moisture; firm, holds its shape

Mostly dry Nearly devoid of moisture; rigid

Completely dry No moisture; can be fired

materials ■ Metal clay: 10–15 g ■ Metal clay paste ■ Metal clay syringe (optional) ■ Narrow chain or cord, or charm bracelet and jump ring

toolboxes ■ Metal clay ■ Finishing

additional tools and supplies ■ Circle template or circle cutter: 25 mm ■ Round, plastic 1⁄4 tsp. measuring spoon or other small domed form

■ Dehydrator, hair dryer, mug warmer, or other mild heat source

■ Old credit card ■ Graph paper; wide, clear packing tape (optional)

■ Tubes: 9 mm inside diameter, 5 mm outside diameter

■ Jeweler’s file: 1 ⁄8 in. (3 mm) flat ■ Pipe cleaner

• Your opening may be too long or too wide. Make it the same width as the airway slit (in this project, 1 ⁄8 in./ 3 mm), and make sure it’s square, not rectangular.

• The airway must be rectangular, not round.

• Make sure the airway is smooth and free of any obstacles to the air stream.

• Make sure there are no major bumps, lumps of slip, or scraggly parts inside the body of the whistle.

• In good light, look through the airway slit and move the mouthpiece until you can see the tone wedge clearly within the rectangular frame of the slit. (You may need to move the mouthpiece left or right, not just up and down.) Once you have the tone wedge lined up “in your sights,” the mouthpiece will be aimed properly.

why won’t my

whistle sing?

The mouthpiece’s function is to focus the air stream on the tone wedge, which splits the air to make the note. If you’re having trouble making a good sound with your unfired whistle, keep the following points in mind.

The featured lentil-shaped whistle is a cousin of the “ocarina,” a globular flute that is capable of making several notes as the player covers and uncovers holes with his or her fingers (ceramic version shown, right).

You could try putting finger holes in your lentil, though they would probably work better on a slightly larger whistle than the one featured.

The good news is that with round whistles such as this, hole placement is relatively unimportant. Even a tiny ocarina can have 4 or 5 holes, placed wherever it’s comfortable for you to put your fingers.

a note about adding finger holes

ocarina, anyone?

To make finger holes, wait until the lentil is completely dry. Use small drill bits to make your holes (varying the sizes will help you produce different notes), starting with one tiny hole and enlarging it little by little.

Carefully test the note (with dry lips) each time you make the hole bigger and after adding any other holes.

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Part 3: Bail

Mark the lentil. Decide which way you want to orient the lentil. Identify the placement for the mouthpiece and bail, and lightly mark them with a pencil so you can place everything correctly (see illustration).

Make a clay donut. Roll about 5 g of metal clay to 8 cards thick . Oil the end of a 9 mm-inside-diameter tube, and use it to cut a circle from the clay. Use a 5 mm-outside-diameter tube to cut out a center hole [1]. Allow the donut to dry, with or without heat, until it’s completely dry.

Sand the donut. Sand the edge of the donut, using 280-, 400-, and then 600-grit sandpaper. Then, lay the donut on top of the sandpaper, and sand each side with the same progression of grits. Finally, sand the outside edges of the donut at an angle to remove any sharp edges.

Remove a piece of the donut. Use a craft knife to cut a small wedge from the donut [2] so it can straddle the lentil’s seam.

NOTE: Cut away a little at a time, testing the bail on the whistle, until there is a good fit. The bail should be oriented high, so its opening is not blocked.

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Part 4: Tone wedge and openingDetermine the location of the tone wedge. Your tone wedge needs to be opposite the bail on the end of the lentil that you’ve designated for the whistle’s mouthpiece.

File the tone-wedge area. Holding a 1⁄8-in. (3 mm)-wide flat jeweler’s file at a 45° angle to the lentil’s seam, gently file the tone-wedge area flat [1], avoiding the seam and the crown of the dome.

Cut the opening. Use a craft knife to cut a 1⁄8-in. (3 mm)-square hole in the filed area, near the edge of the lentil but not all the way to the seam [2].

Refine the tone wedge and opening. Using sandpaper and/or small files, smooth the tone wedge and the walls around the opening [3]. 3

but, what about the

pea?If you’re wondering whether it’s necessary to have a little ball, or “pea,” rattling around inside a whistle for it to work, the answer is no. A whistle will work perfectly well without a pea.

A pea will simply make the whistle more shrill, because it causes the whistle’s sound to fluctuate rapidly between tones. Our ears hear the resulting discord (as when two side-by-side piano keys are struck at once) and we go on alert.

Penoyer places her signature stamp on the mouthpiece.

Part 5: AssemblyCarve a seat for the mouthpiece. To ensure a good fit between the mouth-piece and lentil, use a craft knife to carve a V-shaped seat into the lentil wall below the tone opening [1].

Determine the mouthpiece angle. Posi-tion the mouthpiece in the V-shaped seat so that the airway is horizontal and the flat side is aimed directly at the tone wedge.

Make sure your lips are dry (to avoid transferring metal clay to your lips), and try blowing to make a note. Wipe your lips! Adjust the angle of the mouthpiece until you get a good note. (For troubleshooting tips, see “Why Won’t My Whistle Sing?”)

Attach the mouthpiece. Once you’ve determined the desired angle, use a small paintbrush to apply paste to the V-shaped seat, and press the mouthpiece in place. Make sure not to block the airway with stray paste.

Wipe away extra paste with a dry, clean, flat brush. Hold the mouthpiece in place until the paste sets a bit, then carefully do another test blow to make sure your

whistle is making a good note.

NOTE: Additional water sometimes helps make a good join, but in this case, extra water will only weaken the thin walls of the lentil and mouthpiece and cause the join to crumble.

If the whistle’s tone isn’t right, alter the angle of the mouthpiece; either adjust it in place, or remove the mouthpiece before the paste dries and reattach it with more paste. Allow the whistle to dry completely.

TIP: When I make a delicate

or crucial join like this, I let

the piece air-dry for several

minutes before putting it

under heat. This waiting

period gives the moisture

time to permeate the clay

and make a good join.

Complete the join. If the join is weak or has gaps, reinforce it with paste and/or clay extruded from a syringe. If you plan to use syringe clay, first prepare the join area with water to ensure a good bond. Dry the whistle completely. Then use folded sandpaper in progressively finer grits (280, 400, and 600 grit) to clean up the join.

Attach the bail. Apply paste to the two cut ends of the bail, and press it in place [2]. Immediately wipe away any extra paste with a dry brush. Apply a little extra water at the join, and let the water sink into the clay. Allow the assembled whistle to air-dry completely.

Part 6: Firing and finishingFire the whistle in a kiln. Support the whistle by nestling it on a bed of vermi-culite, opening-side up. Try not to get vermiculite inside the piece; it can cause the piece to shrink unevenly as it fires.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fire the whistle. Allow the whistle to cool completely. For a strong piece, I fire at the maximum recommended temperature in a kiln for at least 20 minutes.

Polish the whistle. Polish the whistle with a brass brush and soapy water. Then, if desired, polish the whistle in a tumbler with steel shot and burnishing compound.

NOTE: If you tumble-polish your piece, plug up the opening with a pipe cleaner, or your whistle will fill with steel shot.

I tumble my whistles for 11⁄2–2 hours. I also sometimes use a radial bristle brush in a flex shaft either in addition to, or instead of, brass brushing my pieces.

Complete the finishing. If desired, patinate your whistle, using liver of sulfur.

To create contrast between the high and low areas of the whistle, use polishing papers or a flex shaft with a radial bristle attachment to remove patina from the high spots. Rinse your piece thoroughly and dry it.

Make it wearable. Slide a narrow chain or cord through the bail, or attach the whistle to a charm bracelet, using a jump ring.

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Whistles shown actual size.