Workshop wonders

[Band Nerd]

What all goes into making a flute yourself? I've never been inside a flute workshop, so I'm wondering how it gets done. I'm not planning to make one myself (I'm only 14), but I was just wondering.

Collin

[Jack]

Actually, it depends.

If you want to make a wooden flute and do everything right, it costs a lot and takes a long time.

But if you just want to have fun with a piece of bamboo you can get an appropriate piece and burn holes into it. I've done this and had a perfectly playable (but admittedly out of tune) flute.

P.S., You might not want to mention your age on here, at least if you're not 35 or older. You'll find that in any argument or disagreeing discussion *cough* some people *cough* here will always claim that you're too young so you don't know what you're talking about and dismiss you accordingly. I made that mistake.

[chas]

I agree with Cran about bamboo. I made several bamboo flutes when I was younger.

If you want some of the gory details of making wooden flutes, check these sites out:

http://users.skynet.be/fluiten/how.html
http://www.flutes.fsbusiness.co.uk/methods.html
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/making.html

It's fascinating reading, even if it does put ones plans on hold for awhile.

[GaryKelly]

And keep an eye on the Flute Forum, where some of the makers hang out.

[ChrisA]

You take a (cylindrical) whistle to the photocopier, and you blow up a 2x enlargement of it.

You take a piece of PVC pipe to the basement, and tape said enlargement to the pipe.

You use a nail or an awl to ding starter dimples in the center of each hole.

You drill a tiny hole through the pipe at the center of each photocopy hole.

You drill each hole bigger - the size of the photocopy hole - at each point.

You dimple and drill an embouchure hole at the point where the window is on the photocopy.

You plug the back end (behind the embouchure hole) with a bit of cork.

You have a (probably slightly out of tune) flute!

Oh, you meant a -wooden- flute? That's different.

(See earlier post that points to Terry McGee's page and others. I've always liked Terry's
explanations.)

[Jack]

Although they're not really flutes in the same way most bamboo or wooden flutes are, panflutes are really easy to make as well. You almost don't need instructions to make them...

[Flyingcursor]

Wow. Cranberry I'm biting my tongue ever so hard. THere's a great joke here but I won't do it. No. I....will....resist.....

[Jack]

Wow. Cranberry I'm biting my tongue ever so hard. THere's a great joke here but I won't do it. No. I....will....resist.....

I'm clueless, but that's not all that uncommon. I'd probably still be clueless if you told me the joke. :roll:

[Wanderer]

here will always claim that you're too young so you don't know what you're talking about and dismiss you accordingly

You'll know what they mean when you get older...

[Flyingcursor]

here will always claim that you're too young so you don't know what you're talking about and dismiss you accordingly

You'll know what they mean when you get older...

THAT was the joke I wanted to make Cran.