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Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 12:33 pm
by est
So, my "Essential Flute" by Ellis fits wonderfully on a regular flute stand, but my Wooden flutes are too small and the piccolo stands are too short for me to feel comfortable using with them. Any recommendations? I've seen a couple of videos where folks had what looked to be a homemade stand, but my craftiness is sadly limited.
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 6:16 pm
by Conical bore
There are some other threads on homemade flute stands here on C&F, you might want to check those out. I think I posted mine on on of them, but here's a refresher.
I needed a way to hold my 8-key flute and a mandolin at the same time because I play both at sessions (or used to, in the Before Times).
I didn't want to use a standard rod type stand because the hole at the end of my Rudall-type flute is very small. A rod that would be strong enough would have to be metal, and I don't like the idea of a metal rod running up through the flute sections. My thinking was that it might scratch the wood surface inside the barrel.
So I came up with this in the photo below.
The base is a short microphone stand. The flute is held in a clamp-on canvas bag that's sold for drummers to hold their drum sticks. The middle section rests against a "String Swing" clamp-on violin hanger. If I'm away from the stand for any amount of time, I use an elastic band across the violin hanger to secure the flute. There is a small block of foam in the bottom of the canvas bag to cushion the flute, and also to wick away any condensation that drips out.
It isn't perfect. The bag is tilted away from the stand and I wish it was vertical, but drummer stick bags are like that. I tried some other things like a leather wine bottle carrier, but this was the easiest way I found to attach a bag like this securely to the mic stand. The stand isn't too heavy to carry around, and it's stable even without the mandolin to counterbalance.
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 7:32 pm
by Loren
There are several people on Etsy who will make a custom stand for you. I have no experience with any of them, but there are reviews on the site. Jerrygenterprises is one seller I saw. Another seller to look for is HeritageMusPruducts.
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 11:27 pm
by Narzog
I've been making a whistle rack out of dowels. Its not done and is going to look terrible most likely, but hopefully will be a functional and safe place for my instruments.
A different rack idea I've tought of, it could be possible to make a rack or holder out of things like this
https://www.amazon.com/Ukulele-Display- ... 08DFNVV2R/
Think 2 side by side, for your flute to rest on. These would be very safe for not scratching your instrument in any way. you could just wall mount two of these, or mount them on a board and wall mount that. Which wouldnt require a lot of crafting skills. Making something good looking that holds multiple and is on a stand or something, now that would be a bit harder.
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 1:26 am
by Sedi
I have one of these and you can buy the pegs separately. The smaller pegs are for piccolos and work well for conical wooden flutes.
https://m.thomann.de/intl/hercules_stan ... 1620545040
https://m.thomann.de/intl/hercules_stan ... .EUR%3AEUR
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 5:14 pm
by PB+J
A bow quiver for a double bass would work. I have one that ties to tailpiece of my bass.
https://amzn.to/3o1JfoM
They come in varying degrees of fancyness, A cheap one is under 40 bucks
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 10:21 am
by Jayhawk
I do use a piccolo stand...this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Stands-15250-016 ... b_title_ce
Works great. Stable enough and used at 100 plus gigs over the past 9 years...including some really, really windy days.
Eric
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 10:41 am
by Conical bore
What's the diameter of the wooden rod? I can never find diameter specs on these piccolo stands. The hole at the bottom of my Aebi Rudall-style flute is only 10.5mm. It was a lot larger on the Pratten-ish Windward I played before this one.
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 12:06 pm
by est
Conical bore wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 6:16 pm
There are some other threads on homemade flute stands here on C&F, you might want to check those out. I think I posted mine on on of them, but here's a refresher.
I needed a way to hold my 8-key flute and a mandolin at the same time because I play both at sessions (or used to, in the Before Times).
I didn't want to use a standard rod type stand because the hole at the end of my Rudall-type flute is very small. A rod that would be strong enough would have to be metal, and I don't like the idea of a metal rod running up through the flute sections. My thinking was that it might scratch the wood surface inside the barrel.
So I came up with this in the photo below.
The base is a short microphone stand. The flute is held in a clamp-on canvas bag that's sold for drummers to hold their drum sticks. The middle section rests against a "String Swing" clamp-on violin hanger. If I'm away from the stand for any amount of time, I use an elastic band across the violin hanger to secure the flute. There is a small block of foam in the bottom of the canvas bag to cushion the flute, and also to wick away any condensation that drips out.
It isn't perfect. The bag is tilted away from the stand and I wish it was vertical, but drummer stick bags are like that. I tried some other things like a leather wine bottle carrier, but this was the easiest way I found to attach a bag like this securely to the mic stand. The stand isn't too heavy to carry around, and it's stable even without the mandolin to counterbalance.
Hm, short microphone stand + a couple of attachments does make sense. I'll have to check that out. I've considered looking into the etsy folks, but was hoping someone here might have someone they could recommend. HeritageMusProducts does have a nice looking product, so I may take some measurements and see how it might fit.
I actually lost my olwell cane flute back in 2000 when a spastic guitar player slammed his neck into it and sent it flying. That was on a regular ol' flute stand. I guess now I'll be a bit more careful of placement...
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 3:01 pm
by Jayhawk
Conical bore wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 10:41 am
What's the diameter of the wooden rod? I can never find diameter specs on these piccolo stands. The hole at the bottom of my Aebi Rudall-style flute is only 10.5mm. It was a lot larger on the Pratten-ish Windward I played before this one.
9.4mm!
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 3:10 pm
by Conical bore
That's small enough, thanks! I might try this.
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 12:10 pm
by sfmans
Just as another option I've got nothing but good things to say about my Hercules stand, which has screw-in spikes you can buy more of separately if you need to.
The piccolo spike is 10mm at the base.
I've used it on loads of gigs (back when such things happened) and thoroughly recommend.
https://www.thomann.de/gb/hercules_stan ... bd8fc86505
Re: Flute stands for tiny bores?
Posted: Thu May 13, 2021 5:46 pm
by pancelticpiper
They do make stands for Recorders, which have tapering bores like Irish flutes, some quite small size.
My solution, back in the early 1980s, was to modify an existing stand.
I don't remember the brand. As you can see it's a foldable cross with five holes. At the time they sold various attachments you could use with that stand, each had a threaded bolt at the bottom that you tightened with a wing-nut. They had holders available for (Boehm) flute and piccolo, and I think also for clarinet.
Since I wanted longer narrower things I came up with inexpensive attachments made from threaded rod, a couple bolts, a washer, some aquarium tubing, and a wing-nut.
When I was playing flute this was my flute stand, it would hold flutes and whistles in various keys and also my flat-pitch uilleann chanter, according to the needs of the gig.
It cannot be calculated how many gigs this stand survived, how many things dropped on it, how much beer and spittle has poured over it.
