PHILIPPE BOLTON, RECORDER MAKER

Bilingual home page (recorders etc.)

Medieval, pre-baroque, and baroque recorders

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MAKING A RECORDER

The beginning

After 15 to 20 years seasoning, sometimes even more, the boxwood logs are first split to follow the direction of the wood fibres.

Other woods with larger sections are sawn into squares.

making a recorder: splitting a log of boxwood


Roughing down the pieces of wood

Each piece of wood is turned to a cylinder on the lathe

making a recorder: turning a piece of wood to a cylinder on the lathe


Boring the instrument

Spoon drills are used for this operation which is carried out on the lathe For better centering,the piece of wood is made to turn instead of the tool.

making a recorder: boring the head joint on the lathe


Reaming the bore

Each reamer is made to measure for one specific part of the bore, to which it gives its final shape and measurements.

making a recorder: reaming the bore of the head joint


Turning the instrument

In order to ensure perfect concentricity, the instrument is fixed on the lathe by its bore. The turning is done by hand.

making a recorder: turning the head joint on the lathe


Cutting the windway

The windway is cut with great precision using this small hand-operated machine.

making a recorder: cutting the windway in the head joint


Cutting the labium or lip

The labium is cut with a chisel.

making a recorder: cutting the labium



Making and fitting the block

The block is carved and fitted by hand.

1° Making the block out of juniper or cedar

making a recorder: carving the block

2° Fitting the block in the head of the instrument making a recorder: fitting the block into the head joint

Boring the holes

The holes are bored undersize, so that the instrument can be tuned later on.

making a recorder: boring the holes in the centre joint


The thread joints

The layer of thread makes the instrument airtight.

making a recorder: putting the thread on the centre joint



Voicing the recorder

This is a very long and meticulous operation requiring great precision in the windway and on the block

1° Working in the windway

making a recorder: adjusting the windway

2° Working on the block

making a recorder: adjusting the surface of the block


Tuning the recorder

The holes are enlarged and undercut by hand until all the notes are in tune.

tuning the recorder by opening and undercutting the holes


Testing and playing in the finished recorder.

The recorder is played for several hours to ensure that it is stable in normal playing conditions

testing and playing in the recorder


Section view of a head joint A recorder bore profile
Close-up view of the the undercut holes Recorders page
How to make a recorder block How the recorder works
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Philippe BOLTON,
22 Le Grand Portail, F-84570 VILLES-SUR-AUZON, France
TEL : +33 4 90 61 86 11

 Bilingual home page (recorders etc.)