Finally! Finally we get to the part where we do some cutting! Edge Cuts Clamp the front half of the blank into the vice, with the outside uppermost. Place your 10mm chisel (flat side towards you) at the south end of the “box” – accurately – so that the blade lies along the line, running North […]

Everyone I ever spoke to about woodwork says the same thing… measure twice, or three times, and cut once. Never was this more important advice than with flutes – most of the dimensions are critical to good sound. So when you mark, double check your marking before making any kind of cut. Marking Up First thing’s […]

OK so now we actually begin making! But – we need to know what we’re going to make first. This depends on what key we want the flute to be in. The keys are usually referenced with “Middle C” on the piano, also called “C4”. A C4 flute would be an extremely low pitched flute […]

So – this cut-away diagram is from the side of the “business end” of your flute… click it for a bigger version. The flute is made by joining two pieces of wood together after shaping them on the inside; that’s where the “join” on the drawing is. Figure 1 shows a static flute which is […]

Before you begin making a flute, there’s a lot of stuff you’ll need, more stuff you’ll find useful, and yet more stuff which just makes life a little easier. Then of course, you’ll need the right wood. Now – it’s true that given a stick and a good knife, you can probably make a pretty […]

As promised, I’m starting my series of posts about making Native style Flutes. Here is the list of posts in the series. 1. Stuff you need, and Wood. 2. Understanding your Flute 3. Selecting a Bore and Preparing the “Flute Blank” 4. Marking and Routing. 5. Cutting the ramp & flue. 6. Cutting the True Sound Hole; […]