How a Mute is Made

Metal brass instrument straight mutes are made of aluminum, brass or copper, or aluminum with brass or copper caps.  From sheets of metal, disks are cut that will be then spun into mute caps or cones. Our mute spinner, Henry Nelson of Midwest Hand Tool, has been spinning mutes for us for many years. He is a master of making thousands of mutes by hand that conform to close tolerances.

Metal Spinning (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Metal spinning, also known as spin forming or spinning, is a metalworking process by which a disc or tube of metal is rotated at high speed and formed into an axially symmetric part..  Spinning can be performed by hand or by a CNC Lathe.

Metal spinning ranges from an artisan's specialty to the most advantageous way to form round metal parts for commercial applications. Artisans use the process to produce architectural detail, specialty lighting, decorative household goods and urns. Commercial applications include rocket nose cones, cookware, gas cylinders, brass instrument bells and mutes, and public waste receptacles. Virtually any ductile metal may be formed, from aluminum or stainless steel, to high-strength, high-temperature alloys. The diameter and depth of formed parts are limited only by the size of the equipment available.