USE IT.
THAR SHE BLOWS!
AIR SUPPLY
Set compressor output to about 60psi. The pressure may be slightly increased or decreased
depending on the characteristics of your whistle.
Pressure that is too low may fail to produce a
whistle sound. Too much pressure will result in
overblowing and cause the whistle to squeak.
The simplest way to supply air to the whistle is
to connect a standard industrial air line coupler to
a male plug on the end of the manifold. For more
control, insert a lever-operated air valve between
the manifold and the air hose.
TROUBLESHOOTING
» It is absolutely critical that no air leaks out from
the top where the threaded rod passes through
the end cap. Even a small leak will kill your whistle’s
sound. Screw the wing nuts down securely, and
use an O-ring or Teflon tape to maintain the integrity of the seal. Any air leak can negatively impact
whistle performance. Leak-test all connections
with soapy water.
» The bowl edge must be even and as close to
90° as possible.
» Make the 30° bevel on the bottom bell edge as
smooth and even as possible. Depending on your
whistle, the optimum bell edge angle may be a bit
more or less than 30°, but a smooth, consistent
cut is important.
» Make the 15° bevel on the languid as smooth and
even as possible. Again, depending on your whistle,
the optimum languid angle may be greater or less
than 15°, but a smooth, consistent cut is important.
» Different whistles behave differently at different
air pressures. Experiment with different pressures
until you get the sound desired.
CAUTION: The Super Tritone Shop Whistle is an “off-label” use of the parts described here.
While I’ve made several of these whistles without incident, no guarantee of safety is given or implied.
The high-pressure air utilized in any pneumatic project can be dangerous to sight and hearing. Always wear
safety glasses when building or operating the Super Tritone.
!
Four-Fingered Glove: I broke a finger and couldn’t use regular work gloves. So I removed the stitching on the two middle fingers of a glove and sewed them together to accommodate my two taped-together fingers. The gloves looked like alien hands but worked outstandingly well. Neat side effect: they make you feel like you have more power in your hand as they focus more energy on fewer glove grip pads. —Perry Kaye
Find more tools, tips, and tricks at makezine.com/tnt.
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