Making a Flute

For measuring the bores, some telescoping hole gauges should work. You might need more than one to cover the size ranges. They look like a letter T; the ends of the crossbar spring out to the hole size, are locked into position with a thumbscrew, and then measured with a micrometer or vernier caliper.

To go fancy (about US$ 600 each) you could use one or more Brown & Sharpe "Intrimik" bore gauges, with an extension handle or two.

I saw these in a McMaster-Carr catalog, which is available on line.

I think that I recognise the T concept but trying to work our how the measurement is taken. Have to get my thinking cap on . Thank you guys.

Lynlynch's approach is probably more practical, and certainly more economical. For the finger holes, I am thinking of drilling them to the smaller diameter and then using a needle file to form the taper. That would be a test of manual artistry!

On the main bore again, I have done custom sized holes by grinding the side edges of spade (or paddle) type wood bits. You could grind several of these to the correct taper, using as many as it takes to cover the length of the bore. In a fairly small hole like this, you'll need to watch relief angle pretty closely, and maybe chamfer off the lagging edges.

For finishing, how about making a tapered dowel and gluing sandpaper around it?

I hope we get some other woodcrafters like Del and Ronseto to weigh in.

Good idea. I get the sense that irelandeng could benefit from your bow making experience. I had an idea for the reverse tapers, but yours are better. _{(X-acto knife and careful carving from the outside seems iffy).}

Ingenious! And they could be made in a contrasting wood. Maple-bushed finger holes would hold up well, and would look cool along a darker barrel.

Thanks guys for helpful answers. I should maybe explain that the reason I am attempting to build the flure is because,1, I wish to experiment and 2 a new flute is going to set me back about €4000. This will take me a few months total and I will get parts from Vienna Austria. Think I have enough to go on now and have a few helpful tips there. Again thank you all for your input. Maybe James Galway will buy it when finished. LOL

We eagerly await the CD, "James Galway on the Irelandeng Flute!"

I heard him in concert in Seattle around 1990, with a tin whistle encore. A great player, and a gracious and engaging person.

There was a fellow from around Seattle who handcrafted a flute that was valued around US$ 20,000. It was stolen, but later recovered. Alas, I have forgotten his name, and my guessful searching so far has not borne fruit. I'm not a musician myself, but I have a nice Moeck recorder (looks like maple), and thus your project resonates. Best of success!

Hello irelandeng,

Are trying to make a tinwhistle? I play tinwhistle, but never gave serious thought to construction of such. If I understand you correctly, the pitch holes are chamfered from inside the instrument. Since there are existing instruments, I am sure that there are tools for doing what you require. I would search [undercut chamfer].

Muirsheen Durkin, The Fields of Athenry, The Wild Rover, A Nation Once Again, The Irish Rover - some of my favorite songs!

Best of luck,

Michael

@Guest, certainly not a tin whistle. I can buy one for 3 Euro. Thanks. This project will cost about €600 to €800 hopefully not more ,with my labour and travel costs plus plus plus out of the equation.

As we often do, we have lost the thread. The guy wants to know how to measure the ID not cut it.

Cheers

Now that, "simple bore gauge" is a very good idea. I'll remember that one.

Although this flute thing may be more exacting than my popsicle sticks or your dowel.

I wonder if anyone makes an expandable sleeve internal micrometer?

Del's a peach.

Regular internal mics only reach in a little bit. Inside mics only come so small. Telescoping gauges are great, but the regular ones only have handles so long. Adjustable bore gauges, like what I described in a simple wood model, have a split ball on the end, and a wedge on a rod with a thread and adjusting knob on the hollow handle. For deep, small holes, the adjustable bore gauge is used. But even they only come so long, standard.

In the old days, all they had were lots of different calipers, still popular.

Really delicate work you've undertaken.

For the finger holes--and your description of finger holes and three parts... suggests we are perhaps actually talking about a recorder (held vertically and blown into) rather than a flute (held sideways and breathed with embrochure)--may I suggest using fine hole saw to cut and remove oversized disks at the fingering positions; then, bore/taper thru inside (concave) aspect of each disk. When finished (probably near end of instrument assembly just before finish coat, place backer within instrument bore (this will ensure flush fit at outer surface) and then (for each disk) apply wood adhesive in holes and found disk edge, fit back into hole, and let cure thoroughly.

But, before you do all this, try to ascertain why the holes in your model instrument are tapered outward. Is the model also of wood? Or perhaps plastic...could the model have been assembled and welded as front and back sections (not bored from cylinder as with your instrument)? If the material differs as between your instrument and the model, the tapering might by simply an artifact of manufacture, having no real impact on finger-ability. (ISMW, if the reverse tapering can be avoided, it should be.)

maybe some one will post picture of flute and recorder instruments to show the diff.

Different recorders and one wooden flute.

Thanks. Note that the flute at bottom makes sound by blowing across the solitary hole, same as "sounding" off by blowing across (or rubbing around) top of pop bottle.

Recorders at top, on the other hand however, have mouthpiece to blow into; but, actually, work on same principle...in that mouthpiece is designed so that air stream from breathing into tip of mouthpiece (unlike reed instruments) is directed across a secondary hole cut into top of mouthpiece to make sound in same fashion as "true" flute. Apparently, it was discovered at one time that having fingering patterns out front and not going to side would make learning easier; same with having artificial embrochure (the mouthpiece) to simply blow into (need only control breath and tongue-ing) rather than natural (lip) embrochure. There was a trade off, however, in recorders' not having same range and timbre capability as natural flutes.

(click picture to go to Wikipedia article and pic source)

I am building a professional flute

Thanks anyway

Apart from a couple of Boehm system flutes I have two very similar to the one that you show. They both need some tender loving care. The old cork "pads" and the springs are in poor condition. They were played by members of the Prince Alfred Guard Military Band. Not sure of their age.

Not entirely true - flutes can be played both ways. I have a couple which are played vertically - it's actually all about where the air blade happens to be.

Recorders are a subset of the flute family.

Is this a good explanation?

Yes GA. The only change I would suggest is that he keeps the drill bit fixed, and, manipulates the flute and funnel guide about the tool rather than the other way round.

Thanks Yusef why I need to be able to take measurements is that I wish to experiment with various bore sizes to compare sounds. I am usually critical of flutes that I test and the 2 I have purchased are good but I am sure that I can improve tones. I am reluctant to play with expensive flutes but to do so on my own creation will be less expensive and my guilt will be lesser. I should also add that I am not a concert musician but an amateur who plays Celtic style music. This is an example of the slow airs we practice and play. I should add that I am not comparing myself with this famous musician ..... I am better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDCpGYuw3Og&feature=related

Thank you English Rose for you help also.

The other alternative for internal bore measurement is the good old plasticine (or other suitable medium) on a stick.
Push it in pull it out and then measure using regular vernier/micrometer.
Of corse there may be adhesion problems with wood, but probably nothing a wipe of beeswax & turps polish couln't cure.
(It can always be put in the fridge after extraction to harden it up to make measurement less twitchy.)
(Actually the same put it, pull it out measure it mathod could be uses for a relatively simply diy tapered plug gauge.)
Del

If you used a low melting point rubber you could make a model of the whole of the internal shape at one go: with the right stuff you would even be able to stretch and pull out larger diameter sections through smaller diameter sections.

or some silicon from a squeezee tube- it seems to dry up in my tube but it never has that flute shape!