You are a materials science engineer, eh? One that posts a ton in "fatlogic" and makes completely factually incorrect statements about day one knowledge about brass (copper is the main ingredient in brass, it is not "added", bronze which has a higher copper content is much stronger, tin is added primarily for machinability and resistance to corrosion not strength, nobody adds silver, you mean manganese not magnesium), and who apparently has no idea that materials machinability/castability/workability is of prime importance when creating a highly accurate object that needs to be repeatable? THIS is what is important. But you would know that, unless you are either an undergrad, bad at it, or just a liar. Meanwhile, the last time I was at a super high end mouthpiece manufacturing machine shop learning about making mouthpieces was three weeks ago. The last time I worked with brass was 5 minutes ago.

Again, you have no idea what you are talking about. Your wall of text is just BS. You keep talking about "voodoo" but any "materials science engineer" would know that recycled brass of dubious origin and ever-changing composition would make even the best CNC programmer/fixture man pull his hair out trying to get the same mouthpiece to come out twice, let alone a low-skill worker who doesn't play sax whose pay and position depends on quantity (which I would know, because I've been to the factory as a paid manufacturing consultant).

You don't need to respond, as I will not from this point on. The only reason I am responding to this stuff is so that other folks who are not yet beyond saving have a counterpoint to your tide of bull. You are not my target audience.