Handbook of Materials for Wind Musical Instruments

This book addresses key questions about the materials used for the wind instruments of classical symphony orchestra such as flutes, clarinets, saxophones, oboes, bassoons and pipe organs. The content of this book is structured into four parts.

Part 1- Description of materials for wind instruments deals with wood species and materials for reeds used for making clarinet, oboe and bassoon- and, with metallic materials and alloys for - horn, trumpet, trombone, etc. Auxiliary materials associated with the manufacturing of wind instruments are felt, cork, leather and parchment.

Part 2- Basic acoustics of wind instruments, in which are presented succinctly, some pertinent aspects related to the physics of the resonant air column. An important aspect discussed is related to the effect of wall material on the vibration modes of the walls of wind instruments. The methods for measuring the acoustical properties of wind instruments are presented.

Part 3- Manufacturing of wind instruments, describes the technology used in manufacturing metallic tubes and pipes made of wood.

Part 4 - The durability and degradation of materials addresses data about methods for cleaning wind instruments, studies factors producing degradation of organ pipes, describes methods of conservation and restoration of brass instruments and of historical pipe organs. Finally, the properties of marble are described, being the only one nondegradable and sustainable material used for pipes for organs.

Introduction - the outline of the book.-  Organologic description of wind instruments.- Wood species for reed -driven instruments – clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon.- Materials for reeds of reed driven instruments.-  Metallic materials for lip- driven instruments and for air jet driven instruments.- Fibrous auxiliary materials - the felt, the cork.- Organic auxiliary materials - the leather, the parchment.- Resonant air column in wind instruments.- Effect of wall material on vibration modes of walls of wind instruments.- Effect of bore shape and tone holes.- Methods for measuring the acoustic properties of wind instruments.- Manufacturing of tubes in metal for brass instruments and pipe organ.- Manufacturing of tubes and pipes in wood.- Manufacturing of reeds for reed driven instruments.- Manufacturing of pads and keys.- Digital fabrication of wind instruments.- Traditional cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning techniques for metallic wind instruments.- Degradation of organ pipes and of brass instruments.- Restoration and conservation of brass musical instruments.- Restoration and conservation of historical pipe organ.- Marble, the nondegradable material for pipe organs.

Dr. Voichita Bucur, currently adjunct professor at RMIT Melbourne, Australia, received her bachelor in Engineering in 1962 from Polytechnic Institute Brasov, Romania, and her PhD in Mechanics and Ultrasonics in 1984 from the Institut Supérieur des Materiaux, St Ouen, Paris, France. Her fields of research encompass development of non-destructive techniques (vibrational, acoustic, ultrasonic, X- rays) for the assessment of the quality of trees, wood products and wood-based composites, mechanical characterisation of materials with non-destructive techniques, wood science and technology, and mechanical characterisation of wood for musical instruments.In 2004 she awarded silver medal by Société d’Encouragement du Progrès, France, for contributions to mechanics, acoustics, wood science, education and service to the society. In 2007 she had the distinguish award at 15th International Symposium on Nonestructive Testing of wood, Duluth, Minessota, USA, for contribution to the development of nondestructive techniques for wood and wood based composites. .