We recently had the pleasure of meeting with
Weiling Zhou, our engraver and one of our flute finishers. After seeing so
many examples of his engraving work, we were curious to know more about the
process…
Weiling engraved his very first flute with a
small screwdriver! As he became more interested
in the engraving , he went straight to the library for extensive research.
Powell’s VP of Production, Rob Viola, asked Weiling to engrave for the
company and then provided Weiling with tools and engraving bowl
base. Weiling now has about 50 different
engraving tools.
He also has a book of his own engraving
patterns, although he makes many custom designs for people. Custom
patterns can be especially difficult on lip plates due to their complex
shape. One of the most popular engraving
requests he receives is for bird patterns. Weiling has several books with
photos of birds that he uses to guide his engraving.
When it comes to birds, Weiling tells us that engraving images of them from the
side is easier, and some birds (like the eagle) are very distinctive.
Because engravings do not have color, it may be difficult to tell the
difference between a blue jay or cardinal -- so it's best to stick with
something simple that looks good in black and white. Initials are another
popular engraving request, which Weiling tells us takes about 10 minutes.
Engraving a key cup takes roughly 40 minutes.
So, how exactly does the process work?
Weiling showed us with the example of a key cup. He marks lines within
the cup to help as guides and then sketches in the shapes or patterns to see,
roughly, how they will fit and work best. The engraving bowl vase can be
adjusted to hold headjoints, barrels, and anything he is engraving. When
it comes to a smaller part like a key, the key is first "stuck" to an
adapter with a waxy substance known as “pitch” He then takes the
appropriate tool for the cut he is going to make and begins. Because the
bowl rotates, it makes it much easier to engrave something round like a
key. Each line is cut with a single stroke, and these lines are engraved
in a series to make the pattern. To engrave texture, he uses more pointed
tools and lightly taps them into the metal with a small mallet.
We were quite mesmerized watching Weiling create
these patterns and textures all completely by hand. He did mention that
it is best to engrave solid metals because engraving through plating causes
rust. So, if you've wondered whether hand engraving is really done by
hand, well, we can see that it is! If your flute is not plated and you
are interested in having engraving done, make sure to contact our Director of
Quality and Service, Rebecca Eckles, and she would be happy to help. She
can be reached at reckles@powellflutes.com or by calling (978) 344-5160.
|
Engraving bowl and tools. |
|
Heating "pitch" to hold keycup. |
|
Initial sketches on keycup. |
|
Engraving |
|
Different tool used to make texture. |
|
A few sections of the pattern. |