Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills
Flute build along
Michael C.:
One of my buddies dad has 240 acres and he cuts some of the cedars down to clear his line of site from his tree stands and that branch was just a piece from one of those trees. I imagine if you've sealed off the ends and left the bark on it should dry fine, it might take a while and I don't know if you split it if it will check or not. This is the first branch flute I've made and most of the branches I've picked up and meant to do this with have all been fallen and dried out, so I wouldn't have a clue how to dry them correctly, sorry I couldn't help you more on that point. One of the members here who goes by the handle Catahoula pmed me and said he has made a few of these branch flutes and said he would be glad to answer any questions I have, so you might want to hit him up.
Catahoula:
Hi Michael,
I dry my branches for a year...usually seal the ends with my old bottle of tightbond III...but you can use wax, varnish, or paint. I really do like doing what you did and find a branch from a tree that has passed or has been taken down in a storm and is already mostly dried...love the spalted branches...
When carving the branches out I use flexcuts and learned the hardway that wearing kevlar gloves is real smart and wearing leather isn't as I sliced the mess out of myself finger, hand and leg when a spalted magnolia busted on me as I was carving it out...
I was wondering how you traditionally lay out your holes...I use a formula that was taught to me by my teacher several years ago (a boo flute maker here in SC) but interestingly enough the Cherokee method that the famous Hawk Littlejohn used almost always winds up being the same as my fancy mathematical formula!!
Your build along will be fun to watch...I will be demonstrating making a branch or routed flute at the Tenn Classic...still need to get up with Pappy to make sure that is ok with him...
You can see my flutes at Catahoulaflutes.com (I do not sell my flutes via my site so am not hawking anything)
Sure is nice to see interest in flutes as they really are quite wonderful and you sure are right...you start playing and two hours later realize that you aren't stressed about what ever was messing with your head before you started playing...
Rand in SC
Michael C.:
hah I wish I had waited a day and then read your post Rand as I cut the snot out of myself yesterday and ended up with 5 stitches in my hand. I think the worst part was the tetanus shot and the numbing shots, as many times as the stuck me to numb it they could have just sewn it shut. I wasn't going to say anything cause I felt pretty stupid after I did it and it was with a flexcut set too, so I don't feel so bad now :)
I learned a couple of different ways to measure depending on how I was making them, the first few I made were from cane that I found near my house and I just went to work on them. One of the older guys that saw I was trying to learn on my own made a few different knotted strings to use as measuring tool, he also showed me how to just use my hand as a guide. Now I just use a ruler or guess about how far equi-distance from the sound edge and from the bottom of the flute then make my initial holes there then use a Korg tuner to get the key matched so it can be played with other western instruments. I will make a photo series to show how you use your hands to measure. Some people ask for it to be made this way if they don't care if its in tune with other instruments. I used to ask but most people want it capable to play along and they usually end up playing it more if it's scaled that way. I just ask them to give me an outline of their hand, kind of like the turkey drawings you made when you were a kid and use that if that's the way they want it.
Thanks for the info on drying, that will help out in the future if I end up cutting any. Nice site by the way, do you have a place with some sound bytes of your flutes. I plan on making a short clip once I'm finished with these so everyone knows the actually play :)
Lee Slikkers:
Dang, I didn't know this Flute making this was such a rough "sport" :o
hope you feel better and heal fast....
stickbender:
If you don't already knapp, blood letting is part of it. ;D
Wayne
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