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Workbench Creations is the place for conversation and discussion about do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. This DIY blog will feature projects completed by its owner as well as projects completed by other do-it-yourselfers. Workbench Creations is the place where DIYers can discuss ideas, learn about what others have done, and share their expertise.
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Whistling Walnut!

Posted December 28, 2013 8:18 AM by user-deleted-1105

What to do with the walnut shells left over from Christmas?
Make a whistling arrow.
I'd been toying with the idea for ages, and if you try and look up the physics/acoustics of such a thing it is a minefield... far better to just make one and see/hear what happens.

I used two old broken arrows to make one extra long to allow for the walnut and some extra sticking out so it would stick in the target or ground.


I drilled a hole in each side, just forward of centre. I fully expected to have to fiddle and fettle with the holes to get any sound.
I also thought it might take some time in the air to start whistling. The first test shot was into the garage (10 yards) from a tiny little Osage bow.
I lucked out, the relatively low speed just matched the whistle and she screamed.

(Errr, no, I mean I'd done extensive CAD simulations to ascertain the ideal velocity to excite the walnut into resonance)

There's no convenient way to post it on here... but if you take this link to my blog, you can see and hear that baby go.

How did whistling arrows develop? I have no idea, but maybe a neolithic guy fixed a walnut shell onto the end of an arrow for knocking birds out of trees without the arrow getting struck, maybe the shell got damaged and whistled? I'd expect he would keep that arrow for shooting over his mates heads to scare the crap out of them.... We haven't really changed much!
Del

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redfred
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#1

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 10:06 AM

Another interesting article. Thanks.

I wonder if a whistling arrow was ever used as a signal device?

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user-deleted-1105
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#2
In reply to #1

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 11:05 AM

I wonder if a whistling arrow was ever used as a signal device ?

I believe so. I think they were used by the Chinese to direct armies or maybe the arrow storm.
Dunno, I'll ask that nice mr Google.

oooh I found this... not sure I trust it, as it talks of 'firing' an arrow D'uh... you 'fire' a cannon or musket, you shoot or loose an arrow... there is no fire involved.

I'm working on a two tone one with a partition in the cavity to seperate it into one big and one small
Del

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SolarEagle
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 11:24 AM

Unless of course, we're talking about flaming arrows.....fire 'em up boys....

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#17
In reply to #3

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 8:42 AM

That'll give Smokey Bear a conniption.

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#24
In reply to #3

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/30/2013 9:17 AM

I'm sorry, that picture reminds me of a scene from a movie:

Villager 1: "Every time they start a Robin Hood movie, they burn down our village."

All Villagers: "Leave us alone, Mel Brooks!"

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lyn
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#4

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 11:27 AM

Imagine psychological impact of hearing dozens of those coming at you from the opposing side.

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#5

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 11:29 AM

I'm wondering - stuffing that walnut with some fibrous material that has been soaked with paraffin, wouldn't that make a really good flaming arrow? And aren't such arrows referred-to as 'fired' arrows?

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#6

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 11:48 AM

Groan... fire arrows would still be loosed or shot.

It's where the expression fast and loose comes from.
'Fast' means hold fast i.e don't shoot... loose means...loose.
Del

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#7
In reply to #6

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 12:08 PM

Yeah, but what about a crossbow???

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#8
In reply to #7

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 12:16 PM

Go and sit on the naughty step....
Del

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#9
In reply to #7

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 12:19 PM

Don't quarrel or somebody might bolt!

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lyn
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#10
In reply to #7

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 12:23 PM

Don't play fast and loose with semantics!

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#11
In reply to #10

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 1:11 PM

He loosed the flaming arrow of exactitude on me.....

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#12

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 5:24 PM

I would be inclined to make one into a smoke bomb so it leaves a colorful trail behind it!

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Kris
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#13

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 5:54 PM

JW Halverson had me creased up laughing

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#14
In reply to #13

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/28/2013 9:27 PM

Elegant touche. However you validly touch upon so many points at one time it is hard to know which one you meant.

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#15
In reply to #14

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 7:43 AM

The one that might possibly hit me on the snout !

Anyways, squirrels don't (as far as I know) play with walnuts. Hazelnuts, yep, but them walnut suckers is a bit hard.

The comment on that blog (which I guess you found) was hilariously funny. Bit flippin' late of Del to tell us this now - all my nuts got smashed to pieces. No neatly sawn nuts for me.

Funny thing is, I reckon there are probably loads of neat toys that could be made from the shells of nuts. Still pondering on this. Walnuts are fine, but I like pistachio and I'm not sure that works.

I'll not divert Dels most interesting thread, but 'things to do with ones nuts' is very much on my mind . It certainly beats 'what to do with leftover turkey', and 'you'll never believe what I got for Christmas' as a new chat title. Still, the New Year commeth. I should possibly just axe the cable on my computer so I behave. Probablt won't help - I'll be there at 15 minutes to the hour trying to demonstrate something I learned on the web .

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#16
In reply to #15

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 8:37 AM

"Anyways, squirrels don't (as far as I know) play with walnuts"

We used to have an old tall walnut tree between the house and the garage. Squirrels would sit up there eating walnuts for hours during the season. We had an aluminum canoe upside down on brackets on the side of the garage. If the dogs were not around there would be a frequent "bang", "bang", "bang" as empty walnuts hit the canoe with more than a random rate. If the dogs were under the tree then the pattern would shift to around and sometimes on the dogs.

These were nuts from an American walnut tree. I don't know if this would be true for Del's metric tree.

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#18

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 8:46 AM

Just done the food shop, I got a bag of Pecans, they might give a higher note tasty too.
Del

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#20
In reply to #18

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 9:47 AM

And my invite to the peacan feast is where ?

Oh, no, Ill sit at home trying to put together flat-pack frurnitue, figure how sons latest gizmo is plugged in. Gosh, I may even try to figure why I got a new pack of socks. Hmm, I shall do this when I savour the bottle of Kentucky finest late at night .

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#21
In reply to #20

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 10:44 AM

I'll PM you a handfull
Del

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lyn
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#22
In reply to #21

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 11:03 AM

Better not.

The NSA will just confiscate them.
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#25
In reply to #22

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/31/2013 7:03 AM

And just who do you think I spend all my time snitching too ? I'll get my nuts, even if it means you all spend a week with blokes in dodgy suites and shades .

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#19

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/29/2013 9:31 AM

Is this the old world equivalent to the WW2 Stuka that had air sirens to scare the folks on the ground!

See:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_87

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user-deleted-1105
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#23

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/30/2013 8:57 AM

Following the success of my Whistling Walnut arrow I made this one with a Pecan nut, the shell is a bit thinner and more delicate than the the walnut shells. I flattened the ends of the shell on the belt sander and then carefully drilled a hole in each end. The nut inside was mashed up with a needle file until I'd got it all out of the holes. A 5mm hole was drilled into each side of the nut just forward of center. The back edge of the hole was lightly filed to a sharper edge to give a better whistle.
These arrows were used by the idigenous tribes for hunting Pecan Pies as they roost in the tree at night

My son was having a go with the whistling arrows and managed to smash the walnuts off two of 'em by grouping the arrows too close. It won't take much to make another now as the arrows themselves were ok.
Del

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#26
In reply to #23

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/31/2013 7:11 AM

'The story of how my son broke my nuts' - permission to leave and laugh obscenely, Sir ?

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#27
In reply to #26

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/31/2013 10:10 AM

Get yo furry ass over to here... #7

Del

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#28
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Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/31/2013 11:24 AM
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#29
In reply to #27

Re: Whistling Walnut!

12/31/2013 12:02 PM

If I dare to touch a keyboard later tonight, I shall (as ever) tell admin you are entirely to blame !

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#30

Re: Whistling Walnut!

01/01/2014 8:49 PM

Nice one, Del!

When I first moved here, the new year was heralded by the sound of guns being fired here and there around the countryside. No fireworks allowed at the time. Nowadays there are fireworks at every corner store, and that's it. Not a gunshot among em last night.

But some of the fireworks do sound a bit like your arrow.

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#31
In reply to #30

Re: Whistling Walnut!

01/02/2014 2:36 AM

But some of the fireworks do sound a bit like your arrow. Nah, that was me shootin' across the pond
Del

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#32
In reply to #31

Re: Whistling Walnut!

01/02/2014 7:34 AM

shootin' A tipo ?

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#33
In reply to #31

Re: Whistling Walnut!

01/02/2014 8:37 AM

hem, hem, hem.... many thanks for your contribution to the festivities.

Now if I had me own bow, I'd be awfully tempted to start a new nutty shootin tradition in place of the ol bangsticks. The neighbours with all the fireworks'd be none the wiser...

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adreasler (1); Andy Germany (1); artsmith (2); BruceFlorida (1); Kris (7); lyn (4); redfred (3); SolarEagle (3); tcmtech (1); Tornado (1); Usbport (1); user-deleted-1105 (8)

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