Manufacturing - Mouthpiece manufacture

Home - Manufacturing /

Mouthpiece manufacture

Material supply

The mouthpieces are machined from ebonite, rubber hardened by vulcanization (exposed to sulphur vapors). This extremely stable material is supplied in bars of various diameters.

Material supply

The metal mouthpieces are manufactured from brass bars.

Blank making

A first outline is created on a digitally controlled lathe. A very abrasive material, ebonite necessitates the use of diamond tools.

Blank making

From the beginning of the production cycle, precise checks on the interior and external appearance and dimensions are carried out with tight tolerances.

Shaping

The mouthpieces are shaped on a digitally controlled machining centre where various operations are carried out:
- chamber drilling,
- outline of the table,
- roof milling,
- tip milling.
A rigorous control-check is undergone with the help of a model piece and gauges.

Shaping

The tone chamber is obtained by vertical slotting. This process is a progressive planing, which makes it possible to chisel out the opening of a square form, from a cylindrical hole.

Shaping

[VIVEO] The chin piece is outlined by milling and is adjusted to reach its final thickness.

Hand shaping

The tone chamber is finished by hand. The mouthpiece is mounted on a vice allowing the highly qualified operator to manually round-off the roof, the sides and the baffle.

Hand shaping

The metal mouthpieces follow an identical process.

Hand shaping

Fine grinding confers on the tone chamber its final shape.

Finishing

The bore is polished by means of a lathe.

Finishing

Running over a flannel brush, using a shining paste, serves to give the mouthpiece its final appearance.

Finishing

The mouthpiece is punch marked with a hot deposit of gilding.

Finishing

The model, tip opening and Henri SELMER Paris logo is engraved on each mouthpiece.

Finishing

In a final operation the table length is sanded on marble with an extremely fine abrasive.

Control

At the end of the process the table conformity is checked on a control console.

Cleaning

It is then carefully inspected visually and prepared for packing.

Packing

Finally, the mouthpiece is equipped with ligature and cap, and packaged.

More :

MANUFACTURING FAQ / MANUFACTURING LINKS

- press connection - pro connection - activate flash

CONTACT - DISTRIBUTION - SEARCH - SITE MAP - ©

SAX

FaceBook Saxophones

CLAR

FaceBook Clarinets

YouTube