How to Make a Mouthpiece for a Recorder

Things You'll Need Wooden dowel Drill Vise Chisel Sandpaper Razor blade Introduction Creating a mouthpiece for a recorder is challenging, but with the right tools you can create a mouthpiece that conforms to your recorder. This project requires the ability to use a drill safely. The recorder mouthpiece consists of a hollowed-out interior and an air hole, making it possible to create sound. When you combine the mouthpiece with the main body of the instrument, you're able to create various tones by covering the finger holes.

Step 1 Locate a wooden dowel large enough to fit in the end of the recorder lead-pipe.

Step 2 Drill a bore into the wooden dowel from one end, so that it's hollow on the inside. The bore should be approximately 90 percent of the total width of the dowel. Do not cut all the way through; leave one end of the dowel solid and intact. Put the dowel in a vise and use a pull-down drill to avoid slipping.

Step 3 Place the wooden dowel in a vise, and shave off 1 millimeter deep from the top of the dowel and 20 millimeters long using a chisel. Sand down the cutaway so that it's smooth and straight.

Step 4 Cut a groove in the top of the cutaway to create the air hole. It should be about 8 millimeters wide and 10 millimeters long. The front of the air hole should slope downward, at about a 60-degree angle. You can make the cut with a fine chisel and a razor blade.

Step 5 Sand the outside of the mouthpiece with a fine-grit sandpaper.