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How would you make a wooden blowgun ?

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Morgan:
Another vote for river cane. Traditional material for cherokees and is still used today.

Red Arrow:
Eastern Woodlands Nations (Cherokee, Choctaw, etc.) made blow guns from rivercane approximately 3.5' - 8' long, 1" diameter by putting hot embers down the opening to burn out the nodes. Care must be taken not to allow the embers to burn through the side of the rivercane. Rivercane and bamboo can be straightened with heat just as wood is but be careful not to char the cane over open flames.

Instead of embers, I use lengths of allthread to knock out the nodes and rough sand the inside of the cane. Bar stock can also be used but then you need to wrap sandpaper around a piece to smooth the inside of the cane.

Red Arrow:
BTW: I sharpen one end of the allthread and heat it to a glowing red to make it easier to go through the nodes. It should be the proper diameter to go through the smaller end of your cane and at least half the length of your cane. You can go from each end to get to middle.

As for darts, you can use any hardwood stick thin enough to make a dart from. Sharpen one end and the thistle down around 2-4" of the other end. The thistle down should be thick enough to just for in the smaller end of your blow gun. The length of the dart will depend on the length of the blow gun.

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