A decent flute for under $5

[mutepointe]

Bravo, all around! My only quibble is the cost. In this depressed economy, don't you think $5 is a little steep?

Maybe the labor could be outsourced and the price could be lowered.

[Cubitt]

Bravo, all around! My only quibble is the cost. In this depressed economy, don't you think $5 is a little steep?

Maybe the labor could be outsourced and the price could be lowered.

I wonder if it would pay to fly to France and pay for it in Euros?

[MTGuru]

Maybe the labor could be outsourced and the price could be lowered.

[Steve Bliven]

How long is your wait list ???

Best wishes

Steve

[paddler]

Steve wrote:

How long is your wait list ???

OK, so I'll admit that nobody actually wants one of my flutes, so I don't have a waiting list.
But if someone did sign up for one it would probably only take me about a month to make. As I said, the fine tuning is the key, but it takes ages! Hey, if someone ordered a flute with keys, then the wait might actually be up to 20 years right away! Goodness knows how professional flute makers actually make a living!?! I'm in awe.

[Kypfer]

Goodness knows how professional flute makers actually make a living!

... it's all down to careful measurement and precise replication. That is to say, once you've made one good one, it shouldn't take too long to copy it.
There's a video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiSW6LPchSc showing how a boxwood recorder is made by hand. It's instructional to see how easy it looks to do, given the right tools and skills

[Longsteps]

Hi Jon

The flute looks great and sounds good too. Are you taking orders yet?
I'm flattered you posted Lady Binn's as well, very nice.

Malcolm

[Jäger]

Goodness knows how professional flute makers actually make a living!

... it's all down to careful measurement and precise replication. That is to say, once you've made one good one, it shouldn't take too long to copy it.

That should be about it. That and, you know, charging a bit more that $5 for them. Even the pakistani flutemakers (and I use the term very loosely) know that!

[Dan Mozell]

So, I bought some of that black PVC pipe that Doug Tipple told us about and set about making myself a flute using only simple hand tools:Jon

Nice job! I've also followed Doug's instructions and tried out a modification. I made it tuneable by making it two pieces with a copper tube slide. The copper tube has the same I.D. as schedule 40 3/4" pvc pipe. By heating the ends of the pvc with a heat gun, the pvc becomes soft and you can push the copper tube in. The pvc expands just enough for the copper to fit in. I may try another with the black pipe you used. Thanks for posting.

[Dan Mozell]

The source for the pipe is Savko Plastic Pipe in Columbus, OH. I have the pipe cut in 5 foot sections and shipped by UPS. I have never seen this pipe in any of the retail home improvement stores.

Here's another source though it might only be wholesale. But it appears they cell a thin walled black pipe which could be used to make black lip plates. They also sell a black schedule 80 which might be worth experimenting with:
http://www.candsplastics.com/CatBrowse.asp?Category=4

[plunk111]

I just ordered 20 feet from Savko and the guy called me - he laughed his head off when I told him I was using it for flute making!

Pat

[skyspirit]

I just ordered 20 feet from Savko and the guy called me - he laughed his head off when I told him I was using it for flute making!

Pat

He would really laugh if he really knew how many of us ordered the same 20 feet for flutemaking. I ordered 20 feet last week. It came in a box in 5 foot lengths fyi. It works quite well btw.

[mutepointe]

I built two PVC flutes in a friend's father-in-law's hardware store. They had a drill press and other tools there. His FIL and all his FIL's buddies laughed and laughed their heads off too, until I finished, played a tune, and told them some guy (Doug) charges $50 for these on the internet. Then they were way more than interested. Capitalists!

[skyspirit]

I built two PVC flutes in a friend's father-in-law's hardware store. They had a drill press and other tools there. His FIL and all his FIL's buddies laughed and laughed their heads off too, until I finished, played a tune, and told them some guy (Doug) charges $50 for these on the internet. Then they were way more than interested. Capitalists!

I was thinking the same thing. They do sound very nice made from this pipe. Better than sched 40 white pvc from Lowe's in my humble opinion.

[skyspirit]

So, I bought some of that black PVC pipe that Doug Tipple told us about and set about making myself a flute using only simple hand tools:Jon

Nice job! I've also followed Doug's instructions and tried out a modification. I made it tuneable by making it two pieces with a copper tube slide. The copper tube has the same I.D. as schedule 40 3/4" pvc pipe. By heating the ends of the pvc with a heat gun, the pvc becomes soft and you can push the copper tube in. The pvc expands just enough for the copper to fit in. I may try another with the black pipe you used. Thanks for posting.

Well, salvo does have black coupler. I made two piece by heat gun and expanded the head and fit the body (old piece white pvc) to mold around it. Works ok. A bit crude. Seal is great.