I have a Dukoff D7 (around .088 though) alto piece that needs some 
work;plays too bright as it is.I'd like to try to do this myself but 
I don't know exactly what to do.To make it sound darker,should I get 
rid of the step-in baffle and leave the roll-over baffle as it is or 
what? The closest thing I can think of is to move the step-in baffle 
closer to the tip,to create a "lake" and leave the roll-over 
untouched.Is this a good idea? Thanks!

The farther into the chamber you go, the less effect it has on the edge, 
brightness, and more to do with how the tone centers, or focuses.  The 
first 1/4" of baffle (6-8mm) has the most effect on the edge, or tone, 
and that rollover is what mush be straightened out to take off the edge.

Paul

boptonetom wrote:

> I have a Dukoff D7 (around .088 though) alto piece that needs some
> work;plays too bright as it is.I'd like to try to do this myself but
> I don't know exactly what to do.To make it sound darker,should I get
> rid of the step-in baffle and leave the roll-over baffle as it is or
> what? The closest thing I can think of is to move the step-in baffle
> closer to the tip,to create a "lake" and leave the roll-over
> untouched.Is this a good idea? Thanks!
>
>
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>To make it sound darker,should I get 
> rid of the step-in baffle and leave the roll-over baffle as it is 
or what?

>The closest thing I can think of is to move the step-in baffle 
> closer to the tip,to create a "lake" and leave the roll-over 
> untouched.Is this a good idea? Thanks!

First we'll have to get on the same page with terminology.  A "lake" 
is a concave area just after the tip rail.  A roll-over is a convex 
(small hump) just after the tip rail.  You can not have a lake and a 
roll-over in the same piece (without getting really creative).

Dukoff Ds have primarily a 2-angle wedge baffle.  It usually starts 
with some kind of roll-over, but not always.  There is a lot of 
variation to the way Dukoffs are made near the tip rail.  Also, at 
the base of the 2nd angle, there is a wart-like bump.  I used to 
think this was just sloppy casting, but it is in all Dukoff Ds I've 
seen including clear plastic ones.  I like to remove this bump.  It 
darkens and fattens the low notes some.  You can do it by hand, but a 
high speed rotary tool makes short work of it.  You may need a 
riffler file to do it by hand.

I then like to take a flat file to the 2 baffle angles to make them 
flat.  If the chamber is not symmetric, I'll work on that too.

In conjunction with the facing work, I usually make a subtle lake as 
I define the tip rail.  You can hardly detect it.  You may want to 
start here on you piece since it will make the biggest difference for 
you.  You can use a file and/or a pocket knife.  Finish with 
sandpaper wrapped around a file.  The hard part will be not messing 
up the tip rail (if there is one, you may need to create it).  You 
may need some light strokes on flat sandpaper to make a good tip rail.

If what you end up with is still too dark for you, you can gradually 
make the baffle smaller.  You can turn the D into a M by curving the 
point of the 2-angle baffle.  To me, this does very little to a 
Dukoff because it leaves the high baffle near the tip.  But it may be 
the fine adjustment you are looking for.  You can flat file the first 
angle of the baffle to lower it to your liking.  You can also 
consider take a round file and creating a 1/2 round depression down 
the middle of the baffle (like a Runyon Jaguar has).  The Dukoff X 
has something like this.

Keith wrote:
> I then like to take a flat file to the 2 baffle angles to make
> them flat.

Are you saying that you take the step out or that you just make sure 
that both portions of the baffle are flat?
 
> The hard part will be not messing up the tip rail...

I've been covering the the tip with a very thin sheet of aluminum cut 
to the shape of the tip (it looks like a reed with the tip curved the 
wrong way). Ticky Tack can be used to hold the sheet in place by 
placing a wad on the beak and letting it overhang the tip. Most 
floppy disks have a thin aluminum sliding door that is easily removed 
and cut to shape. This has worked great to protect the tip when I'm 
filing or using the Dremel tool. I also cover the side rails when I'm 
doing baffle work.

Maybe I can post a picture when I get home tonight.

Jon

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "stencilmann" <jg_lloyd@s...> 
wrote:
> 
> Are you saying that you take the step out or that you just make 
sure 
> that both portions of the baffle are flat?
>  

Yes.

You have a neat method of protecting the tip rail!