Making an Alphorn from Scratch

These are the two Alphorns that I built. Form-logs for both of these alphorns are on this page.

Alphorns being played in Switzerland; characterize from Wikipedia.

Here is the Alphorn that I built. The shape log for this Alphorn is below. Checklist taken March 21 at Ausblick Ski Hill in Wisconsin, USA.

Here is me and the homemade Alphorn I built; seeing a particular person in the characterize helps exclaim their private praises accurate how gargantuan these horns are.

I built my Alphorn to the tune of F. It is roughly 12′ 3″ long.

I built my alphorn of Sitka Tidy, with Shaded Walnut, Maple, and Cherry trim rings. On the bell, I painted local Spring wildflowers.

Mouthpiece pause of my Alphorn

Alphorn, or Alpen Horn, or Alpine Horn, general association drawing with Alphorn dimensions.

Alphorn mouthpiece dimensions. One can make an limitless differ of mouthpieces with varied cup diameters, cup depth, cup shape, rim width and shape, bore diameter and shape. The bore have to decrease to around 3/16″ at the defective of the bowl, after which make higher out to 5/16
or so at the discharge pause of the mouthpiece, but with my tools, I’m restricted to straight bores when making the mouthpiece from wood. I even have confidence made three prior to now, all pictured extra below on this page. Smaller diameter mouthpieces can motivate having fun with elevated notes, and elevated diameter mouthpieces will be higher excellent for lower notes.

Here is my most traditional 20mm alphorn mouthpiece form, including a tapered internal bore.

Here is my most traditional 18mm alphorn mouthpiece form, including a tapered internal bore.

No longer easy Maple easy , lower into a rough octagon sooner than turning.

The originate of turning the Alphorn mouthpiece.

Checking dimensions with a caliper, from drawing to the fragment.

Checking dimensions from the drawing vs the work fragment.

The Alphorn mouth fragment is coming along.

Here is the rough-grew to vary into and rough sanded Alphorn mouthpiece, away from the lathe.

Drilling the bore by the stem of the mouthpiece

I played my Alphorn and the 1st mouthpiece worked well, but being primitive to a trombone mouthpiece I wished one somewhat higher so I made one among cherry such as a trombone mouthpiece. It is now not an gigantic challenge to make these mouthpieces so I will make a few and bewitch a watch at them.

Performed cherry Alphorn mouthpiece, somewhat higher than the maple one I made.

I even have confidence been experimenting with making and having fun with mouthpieces of varied cup diameters, depth, interior shape, bore diameter, and rim width/shape. I even have confidence wound up prior to now with little, medium, and sizable versions of the mouth fragment. Demonstrate that the outer shape of the cup doesn’t replicate what the internal cup shape is….

3D Printed Alphorn Mouthpiece. Printed in PETG cloth.

Listed right here are some of my carried out 3D printed PETG mouthpieces. The gargantuan opne is 25mm, adopted by my well-liked sizes: 18mm and 20mm.

Sitka Tidy, increasing in Olympic National Park.

Two 4/4 x 6 x 17′ rough sawn Sitka Tidy boards from McCormick Slide in Madison Wisconsin. Dimensions are 1.0″ x 6″ x 17′. These are perfectly straight, straight and vertical grained board with out a knots. I built the alphorn from these two boards, plus a 4/4 x 6″ x 7foot board I had in the basement, at the pause of the challenge I was left with a 4/4 x 4 x 8 foot fragment of Sitka Tidy final from this raw cloth.

Here it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance even see why right here is such a sought-after wood; tight, vertical, straight grain, with out a knots over a 17′ to 20′ length.

Sitka comely pieces , lower to shape to form-up the laminations wished to make the Alpenhorn bell.

The usage of many clamps….

Here’s what somewhat of over one half of the bell laminations appear to be stacked up.

Discontinuance-peep of one half of the little pause of the bell, rough at the initial glue-up stage.

Listed right here are both halves of the Alphorn bell at the stage of initial lamination glue-up.

Discontinuance-peep of one half of the sizable pause of the bell, at the initial glue-up stage.

Extensive pause of bell, now not glued up yet, but showing that the halves match properly.

I drew the line for the pause of the bell and lower it the utilize of the Eastern pull seen. Attain this fastidiously.

Trimming the little diameter pause of the bell to length.

I made these templates out of 1/4” plywood. I will utilize them to tag the bell OD and ID onto the wood.

With the two halves clamped (but now not glued!) collectively accurate gentle, I traced the final bell shape onto the ends the utilize of the templates I had made.

Then I primitive a mortise gage to imprint the wall thickness along the length.

Carving out the interior of the Alphorn bell with chisel and mallet! I had an irregular quantity of laminations, so this “half” of the bell is lower than half of the bell.

I even have confidence left the OD uncarved as I prick out the ID, in are attempting and preserve strength of the wood as I chisel away from the ID. The strength of the chisel blows will surprise a particular person, as this Sitka is procure. WATCH THE TREE GROWTH LINES and take into account that that woods splits along the grain. After a short time carving, a particular person will understad this and utilize it to their merit. I’m the utilize of my straight chisels for the majority of this carving because straight chisels are soooo primary much less difficult to sharpen. As I procure closer to the carried out ID I will utilize my twisted chisel.

Mute carving, carving, carving. Getting there. Rapidly I will originate rough carving the outdoors of the bell.

Now I even opt to sand them tender, but first I will prick the outer floor of the bell.

This half of the bell is flipped over and I will originate rough carving the outdoors with a chisel.

Chipping away at the outer floor of the Alphorn bell.

Sitka is fairly complicated, namely for a softwood tree. Working with interesting tools is a necessity. This day I took a ruin to sharpen chisels.

With chisel carving performed, I will now tender the exterior of the bell with a Shinto Rasp. The Shinto rasp is an generous instrument.

Here is one half of the Alpenhorn bell, with ID rough carved , and OD carved and rasped tender.

Now I will originate carving the outdoors of the completely different half. One complicated facet of carving this bell is maintaining it tight so as that it doesn’t trail as one carves it. Demonstrate the aid blocks that I even have confidence screwed into the work desk. After implementing this advance of securing the workpiece, the carving grew to vary into more efficient.

Listed right here are the two Alphorn Bell halves, resting collectively. Subsequent I will sand the insides, after which I will glue the halves collectively.

I primitive a 3″ diameter x 3″ long sanding drum, chucked in a 1/2″ handheld electric drill to sand the ID of the bell.

Titebond III glue utilized to both halves of the alphorn bell.

Second of truth! It fit collectively properly, this used to be a gargantuan 2nd in the challenge.

I chosen a nice local wood, a depressed hardwood, Shaded Walnut, for the ring at the pause of the bell. Here’s a 10.5″ x 10.5″ x 3/4″ glue-up.

The exterior of the bell has been rough sanded with a random orbit sander.

The ring assembly on the pause of the bell will consist of two hardwood rings, a Shaded Walnut ring will fit up to the face of the endgrain of the bell, and the exhausting Maple ring will fit over the OD of the pause of the bell.

Minimize the OD of the ring, then I primitive a router to round over the brink, then primitive a sabre seen to lower out the ID.

Maple ring ready for installation

Shaded Walnut ring, ready for installation.

I primitive a two share epoxy to glue the rings to the bell and to every various. It is complicated to look in the characterize but the little pause of the bell is resting up against a wooden brace to preserve it in alignment so as that the gargantuan face of the bell is laying flat on the ring. Ranking sure to wear latex gloves when working with epoxy.

The usage of a rasp to shape the flare of the ring at the pause of the bell.

Sanding, sanding, sanding…

Tough sanding is all performed.

I measured out the approximate dimension of the rental available for artowork on the head of the bell, and arrived at approx 8″ Long x 2″ at the slim pause x 5″ at the broad pause. I sketched out that rental on a fraction of paper after which sketched out the floral theme I will utilize. I drew springtime wildflowers which can perhaps perchance be native to my home right here in Wisconsin; from left to gentle: Wood Violets, Trillium, and Buttercups.

On the sizable pause of the trunk and the little pause of the bell, I will epoxy Shaded Walnut ring flanges over the O.D. for reinforcement of that joint. Listed right here are the rings in contruction.

Hardwood flange dry-fit on the pause of the bell.

4/4 x 6″ x 10.5 foot rough sawn Sitka comely being ripped into three 2″ broad pieces. I lower one more 2″ broad strip from a 2nd board of Sitka Tidy.

Then I fastidiously ripped every of these four pieces down the heart to prevent up with eight 1/2″ x 2″ x 10.5′ pieces.

I will name these pieces that make up the trunk of the Alphorn, Staves. At this level I floor planed the staves to precisely 1cm thickness.

The staves are ripped to 43mm width. So now I even have confidence eight 10mm x 43mm fleshy-length staves.

To lower the “birdsmouth” into the staves, fastidiously place the depth of the tablesaw, and fastidiously place the perspective to 45deg and the fence in internet site. Test the cuts first on a fraction of scrap wood lower to the speak same dimensions as the easy staves.

Listed right here are the eight staves with the birdsmouths lower in.

I primitive a protracted straight-edge to design out the taper onto the first stave.

I lower the taper into the stave the utilize of a Sabre Noticed after which traced out the taper on the final 7 staves.

Listed right here are all eight staves with the birdsmouths lower and the staves tapered to shape.

I lower three cradles from scrap plywood to aid in assembling the birdsmouth staves. I made sure they were perfectly stage and straight.

First two staves of the birdsmouth Alphorn trunk glued collectively. Utilize extensive glue and work like a flash!

Three staves in internet site.

The staves are vertical on either facet. I made an internal aid circle to motivate internet site the final staves on high, it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance even see this in the following characterize, below.

I made the internal aid circle from scrap wood including somewhat of cope with to make it easy to retrieve, and have to bewitch away it as soon as the total pieces are locked in internet site.

The usage of zip ties to clamp the pieces collectively. Some jostling and pounding of the staves is most well-known to be obvious they are all seated in the birdsmouths. I’m working down quick with the zip ties from the sizable pause to the little pause.

The trunk of the Alphorn is glued up the utilize of the birdsmouth methodology. I pushed a moist rag by the bore to bewitch away any glue blobs. I will let it dry a lawful and very long time, after that can perhaps perchance fair procure to work planing the OD round.

I primitive the Eastern pull seen to trim the gargantuan pause of the trunk to length.

I let the glue dry a fleshy 24hrs after which planed primitive a airplane to round off the Alphorn trunk.

Birdsmouth Alphorn critical trunk, planed to round, and sanded.

The carried out partitions of my alphorn are 5mm to 9mm thick.

The sizable pause of the trunk and the little pause of the bell, will both be fitted with hardwood ring flanges on their outer diameters. These will be epoxied on, and have to in turn be epoxied collectively to connect the trunk to the bell. Listed right here are the Shaded walnut flanges being made.

Hardwood flange, dry-fit on the O.D. of the sizable pause of the Alphorn trunk, where this can meet the bell.

First I primitive two share epoxy glue to glue on the hardwood flanges to the trunk and bell. Ranking sure to wear latex gloves when working with epoxy.

I let the epoxy on the flanges cure for roughly an hour. At that level it used to be well place but by no potential completely cured. This used to be the level I wished to glue the trunk to the bell, as I will procure a lawful chemical epoxy bond on all faces of the epoxied joint. I gathered up a bunch of spring clamps. Survey the plastic covers on the jaws of the spring clamps? Retract these off beforehand….they were too slippery and saved permitting the clamps to trot off, so I needed to bewitch away them in a whisk in the route of the glue-up.

Alpenhorn bell epoxied to the trunk the utilize of a flanged joint.

So for the first time I got a peep of the total alphorn! Subsequent I will tune it by cutting down the length at the mouthpiece pause of the horn.

I discovered this nice thick procure fragment of scrap Cherry in the shop, it is a ways the heart drop from a gap seen lower from a challenge a couple years ago. I will utilize it to make the exiguous reinforcing ring shut to the mouthpiece.

Dumb out the ring the utilize of the drill press, the most efficient drill bit I had that used to be shut in dimension to what I wished used to be a spade bit….now not the most efficient drill bit for this sort of lower in a little bit of hardwood, but it be what I had. I was now not lower than interesting, and it worked.

The gap from the drill-bit used to be too little, so I primitive somewhat of drum sander chucked in the drill press to make higher the ID to suit the Alpenhorn. I made up my ideas I wished this ring to be about 75mm (3″) down from the inlet pause of the horn, which is somewhat farther down that shown on my drawing.

I primitive the drum-sander chucked in a hand drill to prick the concave curve into the ring, then I handsanded the fragment down and rounded the perimeters.

Performed ring, constituted of procure cherry, for the inlet pause of the Alphorn.

Here is the ring glued in internet site with Tightbond III glue.

I rasped and sanded the flanges where the bell attaches to the trunk.

I fastidiously lower a template out of cardstock and made sure that the curve of the head of the foot matched the bell perfectly.

I made the foot from 4/4 Sitka Tidy, with Shaded Walnut pads on the bottom. The cradle of the foot is lower at an perspective so as that the toes will be stage with the ground when the horn is played.

The foot is adhered to the bell with two-share epoxy glue.

I rounded off the interesting edges of the foot pads.

Here is 1/4″ Flat Oval Reed, which is primitive for basket making or chair-wicker, right here is what I will utilize to wrap my Alphorn.

The reed arrives in coiled up bundles. Each fragment is 8-14′ long. (240-430cm)

I started wrapping the Alphorn trunk at the mouthpiece pause, accurate down from the hardwood ring. Witness where the wrapping accurate begins on the left that I carved a protracted taper into the reed to originate the wrap. I glued and clamped this down with a spring clamp and began wrapping. I watered down Titebond III glue utilized it to the OD with a toothbrush ahead of wrapping on the rattan. I utilized about 5” of glue at a time. I compose now not need messy blobs of glue squeezing out onto the OD of these wraps, It’d be a nightmare to are attempting an sand the outdoors of these wraps while striking ahead their twisted profile. The watered down glue has worked generous.

Here’s a characterize of a 14 foot (430cm) length of reed wrapped around the slim pause of the Alpenhorn. Because the diameter gets elevated the horizontal protection of every length of rattan will decrease. One learns many issues constructing an Alphorn, and a sort of issues is correct what number of splices of reed wrapping it takes to wrap an Alphorn.

The spring clamp is maintaining the starting pause of the rattan. Here I’m making utilize of watered down glue with the toothbrush on a share of the trunk ahead of wrapping that share.

The clamp on the left is maintaining the starting pause of the rattan wrap, the clamp on the gentle is the pause of the length of the fragment of rattan. I’m the utilize of spring clamps which I leave in internet site for an hour, after which I splice on the following fragment and trail ahead.

For the splice I taper down the reed from the head of the reed to the bottom on both pieces to be joined, then I utilize Titebond III (now not watered down for the 1st scramble of the wrap, and clamp the splice joint for an hour sooner than unclamping. Within the heart of this characterize it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance even see a splice of the reeds. There will be more of these than I thought, as every reed most efficient gets you 6-10″ of distance along the horn length. I’m locating the total splice joints on the bottom of the Alphorn trunk.

I seen some horns with a short share of wrapping on the little pause of the bell, and I cherished the look of that, so I did that. The spring clamps at the bottom of the image are now not being primitive to clamp the walnut flanges collectively, they are being primitive to press the slim innovative of tapered rattan wrapping against the trunk to preserve it from transferring. I positioned the pause of the wrapping on the bottom of the bell where that is presumably now not seen.

The diameter exceeded to jaw ability of the spring-clamps, so at this level I’m the utilize of adjustable c-clamps. You might well even see the same outdated protection I’m getting from every reed. The length-wise protection is getting shorter and shorter as the diameter will enhance.

Whew, performed wrapping the Alphorn tube. Because the diameter got elevated the horizontal protection per strip of reed got smaller and smaller. I wound up the utilize of 32 individual strips of reed which have confidence been about 390 toes long mixed (approx 12′ long every).

Final exiguous little bit of sanding.

I planed down the pause of the stick of wood and primitive it to preserve the little pause of the Alphorn in the route of ending.

I will perform the outdoors of the horn with Spar Varnish. Here is proper unheard of spar varnish, now not one among the many kinds that has this or that polyurethane etc… Exact proper spar varnish.

I varnished the bell first, interior and out, then I flipped the Alphorn over and rested the gargantuan end result in the cradle shown in the characterize. I varnished the bottom of the trunk first, then flipped it motivate over onto its foot and varnished the head.

Even the first coat of varnish brings out nice colour and depth of the wood and reed. After six coats, I wound up with a nice heat tone, and shimmering floor. Pictures of the carried out horn are at the bottom of the page below.

Taking a watch down the Alpenhorn after the first coat of varnish.

Here she is after 4 coats, two more to head, but the final two coats will be after I paint the bell.

I will utilize modelers enamel paint for painting the bell.

First, I sanded down down the varnish to give a lawful floor for the enamel to adhere to. Here I’m painting on a phrase in script.

I sketched the outline of my painting on a fraction of paper, then I laid the paper on the bell and traced the traces while pressing into the wood with a ballpoint pen. The pen did now not imprint the wood, but I pressed exhausting ample to leave an indent in the wood to motivate me with painting.

Here is my sketch, after tracing along it with a ballpoint pen to indent the outline into the wood below.

I had the predominant colours and made my inexperienced and purple by mixing colours in bottle caps.

Here’s a characterize of the painting in growth. The white and yellow will need a couple coats. The varnish used to be sanded down to give a lawful floor for adhesion of the paint.

Performed Alphorn bell painting. The vegetation are all local native wildflowers that bloom in Spring. The white one is a Trillium, the purple ones are the Thunder flower of Wisconsin, Wood Violets, and the yellow ones are Buttercups.

I carved a tapered bung to lunge the mouthpiece pause, ahead of filling the horn with oil.

Here the Alphorn has been full of 1 gallon penetrating wood oil. I grew to vary into the horn over and sloshed the oil all around interior. 1 gallon is now not ample to truly have the horn so one wants to rotate it around in expose to procure lawful interior protection. I then removed the bung and poured the oil out the mouthpiece pause.

Handmade Alphorn, built of Sitka Tidy, in Wisconsin in March and April of 2020.

I completely love the fashion the Alphorn sounds, and I admire having fun with it!

Here’s a characterize of the bell of my 2nd alpenhorn, the form log for which , is below.

Raw materials for my 2nd alphorn: One 2x6x12 (38mm x 140mm x 3658mm), One 2x4x12 (38mm x 89mm x 3658mm), and Two 2x10x6 (38mm x 235mm x 1829mm).

Reducing the pieces that can change into the staves of the Alphorn trunk. These were lower from the 12′ long 2×6 and 2×4 scramble. In moderation make your cuts to bewitch away as many knots as that it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance be have confidence.

I lower the staves blanks with the grain in ideas, to prevent up with staves with as vertical a grain as that it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance be have confidence. Orient your cuts to preserve out this. Here it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance even see that I got a decently vertical grain, though in the stave on the bottom the grain is now not as lawful. I procure that the final couple inches of the birdsmouth lower can waver somewhat, and these injurious birdsmouth ends will be seen on this characterize. I lower of somewhat of both ends off when cutting the stave to length to bewitch away these injurious ends.

This image exhibits the long tapers.

Glued up birdsmouth joinery Alphorn trunk. This characterize is deceiving I as there might be de facto more taper to the trunk than what looks in the characterize, right here is because of the the little pause being so shut to the camera making it look higher, vs the gargantuan pause which is a ways-off making it look smaller. The pieces went collectively well. It is continuously a messy affair assembling these and it is a ways complicated. Be determined and work deliberately and compose now not quit if the pieces flop and drop around. I did this solo, but if it is a ways your first time assembling one, that it is seemingly you’ll have confidence the merit of a 2nd particular person serving to. It is somewhat hectic as the glue is drying. I started at the gargantuan pause, got the joints in internet site, quick threw on a zipper tie, after which worked my scheme down to the skinny pause with a zipper tie every foot. Then I came motivate and added extra zip ties every 6 inches.

I lower exiguous wedges and pounded them below the zip ties to pack up any gaps.

Tough planed trunk of the Alphorn. Some gaps in the birdsmouth joints are seen, but I was entirely cheerful to look them now not lower than fleshy of cured glue.

There have confidence been 4 free/empty knot holes in the alphorn trunk. I drilled them out with a 3/4″ forstner bit and plugged them with plugs that I had lower from the a similar proper cloth, with the grain going the a similar route.

Decided to make a template of the facet peep of the bell. I drew the shape a exiguous various from my drawings above. On the upper curve , I saved the bell narrower till closer to the bell pause, after which flared it up more.

I traced out 6 fleshy-dimension bell pieces onto the 2×10

I planed down either facet of every 2×10 on my floor planer to flatten out the constructing scramble. There might be most efficient somewhat of that will seemingly be planed off sooner than the pieces will procure too skinny to make the fleshy OD of the bell, but planing them will motivate flatted them out for a lawful glue bond. This image is after planing, and additionally after I sketched the belief-peep shape of the bell onto the pieces.

Carving away the wood of the bell is an gigantic quantity of work, so eliminating any wood now’s a merit. When taking a watch at the belief peep of the shape of the bell, it used to be resolute that I might perhaps perchance chop the outer pieces short as shown.

Listed right here are the two halves, in my belief glued collectively into every half. Clamps removed. I lower out some cloth from the innermost slab, to make carving faster. Now I will prick them, then glue them collectively to procure the carried out bell.

Tough carving the bell with a chisel and mallet.

I primitive a extremely inaccurate sanding wheel on my gentle perspective grinder to rough sand the interior and outdoors of the bell halves to their carried out shape.

Clamping the bell collectively. Glue up with Titebond III glue.

I wished somewhat of localized clamping pressure at the head of the bell pause, and this characterize exhibits how I did that.

Sanding bell with 80 grit sandpaper on a random orbit sander

Tracing hardwood flange on a fraction of 3/4″ thick procure hickory.

Bell growth and additionally the pause of the principle trunk is shown in the characterize.

It will seemingly be a much less difficult taking a watch horn than the first one I built. The bell pause will now not have confidence any hardwood rings, but can have confidence a single wrap of wooden reed. Here’s a characterize of gluing on the reed.

Measured the fleshy length and divided by three and now cutting the sections with a skinny-kerf pull-seen.

Listed right here are the three sections of the alphorn. The elevated diameter, shorter share, can have confidence the bell related to it, after which this is in a position to perhaps perchance be the a similar length as the others.

I usual an alphorn foot from a white-tailed deer antler that I discovered shut to our rental. I epoxied a reinforcing oak pin into it, and I floor a radius into it to study the horn.

Epoxy glue used to be primitive to glue the Hickory flanges around the tube elements, after which additionally to glue the bell to the tube. I discovered it very useful to clamp a wooden stick in the bench clamp, after which to position the tube over the stick in expose to preserve it fair.

Hickory flange, epoxied on, and I sanded the perimeters round.

I clamped the sections in the factual orientation and drilled 4 holes for #10 wood screws.

Epoxied the foot onto the bell. There might be a pin epoxied into the heart of the foot and into the bell additionally.

Unique place of living of the three sections. Now I will apply the gloss perform and paint the bell.

Performed flange joint. Demonstrate that I offset the flange joint somewhat, which creates a “Socket” form joint for ease of assembly and added strength.

Here is the completely different share showing the socket pause of the proportion joint.

Here is the assembled joint, including a 1/16″ rubber gasket. I painted exiguous vegetation to permit easy visual alignment when assembling the sections. The joint is extraordinarily tight even with out the 1/16″ round gasket, so I will test the horn with and with out this gasket.

Home made alphorn in 3 sections.

Alphorn by cutting it shorter. I primitive a interesting, comely toothed Eastern pull-seen.

Listed right here are broomcorn stalks. I even have confidence soaked the ends which I will plait, in sizzling water for an hour or so. I’m cutting off the tassle-ends of the broom corn (the tassles might perhaps perchance be the broom cloth , which I compose now not need).

Here is the broom corn plaited (woven) on. Compressing the stalks at the ends makes them flare out as shown in the characterize.

I utilize pipe clamps to compress the stalks tight against the horn. These will dry firmly in internet site, after which when dry, I will trim them off.

And right here I even have confidence lower the broomcorn flush with a interesting knife and removed the clamps.