There have been many many hours, countless trials and many errors (really just butt ugly results) trying to learn the machine and what it will do and how to do it, as well as what shapes or features would go well together and how to incorporate all that into dimensions that would work for a call. All that doesn't count the expense of the machine and tooling. A couple of folks got a small sneak peak at part of this at Nationals. They were probably wondering if I finished or ever was going to finish it.
This is NOT a CNC machine. The machine is a replica of a late 1800's and early 1900's rose engine. It is literally hand driven and as you can see can be very precise. These machines are part of a class of lathes known as ornamental lathes. I'll give some more history of the machines as we go along.
Anyway, the ivory mouthpiece has two 12-sided features. The lower one being a kind of pallisade. The lipstop and center feature of the mouthpiece are 24-bump rosette features. The trumpet section is blackwood. The lanyard keeper is two rings of what are called barleycorns. Each one has 24 overlapping circles cut along the ring. The overlapping cuts result in "football" shapes in the center and squatty diamonds along the outer edges. The center feature of the trumpet is what is called "basketweave". Finally the bell is cut with what is called a double eccentric dome chuck. The internals are the same as my Classic calls. This is just a prototype and can definitely use some refinement, maybe even a makeover.
I would like some honest critique. Give me your first impressions and then come back and spend time letting it grow on you and then give an opinion after you let it grow on ya. Oh, no sanding has been done on the trumpet body, and only some of the some of the mouthpiece was polished before any of the cuts were made. Thanks for taking the time to help me out with this new possibility.
So here we go...
