Clarinet (work in progress)

thingiverse

Dimensionally precise Bb clarinet body crafted with meticulous attention to detail. This prototype does not yet feature the holes or mount points required for keywork, nor the cut-out notches necessary for corks at the joints. A mouthpiece is also omitted, as any skilled player would likely prefer their own customized fit. To achieve exceptional accuracy, a caliper and set of bore gauges were employed to measure every dimension with precision (0.1mm or better). If this design was printed with perfect fidelity, it would produce a clarinet that plays in perfect tune. Measurements were carefully taken from a high-quality name-brand plastic clarinet to avoid risking damage to more valuable instruments. The most challenging aspect of creating this model was accurately capturing the bell's curvature, as there is no foolproof method for replicating compound curves. To overcome this hurdle, a series of diameter measurements were taken at various points and carefully interpolated. If a skilled player decides to print and play this clarinet bell and finds it does not sound right, despite being certain that poor dimensions are the cause rather than any other factor, I invite them to share their feedback. I plan to continue refining this design, with a focus on incorporating the tone holes – a time-consuming but essential step. Anyone interested in remixing this design to add the tone holes is welcome to do so and should feel free to contact me for access to the source CAD files.