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kev.b
26th December 2009, 07:11 AM
hi all
my first post on the woodturning forum, carver myself would love to try turning but never had chance...yet.
anyway just wondering if any of you turners have ever made a Native American flute. been introduced to them by another site and was wondering if they are difficult to turn. if you guys reckon they can b done might track down a local turner and ask him/her to turn the bore out and i'll do rest.
i know they can be made by carving to halves then glueing them together but id prefer the uni-body type (aparently better sound?)
cheers
kev

Manuka Jock
26th December 2009, 11:38 AM
I'm not up on American flutes , but I do know that the Maori Putorino is carved in two sections and then glued together . The reason being that there is a belly , (sound chamber) in the middle . Long hole boring that may pose a problem .

rsser
26th December 2009, 11:59 AM
Brendan would be the man to provide expert advice here.

Not tried it myself but I've seen plans for a DIY D-bit on the web for boring out woodwinds.

richie47
26th December 2009, 05:46 PM
A mate of mine in Mullum I milled some brown cherry for a while back makes them exclusively - I'll try and get him to post for you. His are the split/2 piece models and the big feature is the carved piece on top bound on with string/thonging...for tuning? not sure but they sure look pretty.
Work too.

cheers, richie

flutetears
27th December 2009, 02:17 AM
hi all
my first post on the woodturning forum, carver myself would love to try turning but never had chance...yet.
anyway just wondering if any of you turners have ever made a Native American flute. been introduced to them by another site and was wondering if they are difficult to turn. if you guys reckon they can b done might track down a local turner and ask him/her to turn the bore out and i'll do rest.
i know they can be made by carving to halves then glueing them together but id prefer the uni-body type (aparently better sound?)
cheers
kev

Hi,
I am also new to this forum and I have ben making NAF for about 6 years now.
I learned from two groups on Yahoo that you should join lots of good free info and a bunch that love to help out. I also took a class with Raymond Redfeather that was a big help.
This link has a good starting point for what you are looking for.
Ready-Made Flute Blank Flute Making Tools, Supplies & Blanks (http://oregonflutestore.com/home/of1/page_10_18/ready-made_flute_blank.html?ctpl=)
I do two pice flutes and buy bore'd flute blanks.
I will warn you they are very addictive and fun to make.
Do look up the groups I don't have the URLs on this computer but it you cant find them I can get them.
I attached a photo of a two pice flute that was from mineral stained popular.
Good luck
Brad

kev.b
28th December 2009, 11:58 PM
flutetears thanks a lot for the link, its a big help. I know what you mean about them being addictive..i haven't even got tone yet but cant get the sounds out of my head.
beautiful colour on the flute in the pic what woods were used?
kev

Frank&Earnest
31st December 2009, 04:45 PM
Hi Kew. Looking forward to seeing your carvings in the "woodcarving and sculpture" section of these forums. Doubt very much that Native Americans used lathes for their carved flutes. :D

Manuka Jock
31st December 2009, 06:27 PM
Hi Kew. Looking forward to seeing your carvings in the "woodcarving and sculpture" section of these forums. Doubt very much that Native Americans used lathes for their carved flutes. :D
That is not to say that they don't use lathes now .
Just as once , they did not use steel tools :p

Making a Flute—Native American Style (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/26688/)

Frank&Earnest
31st December 2009, 06:55 PM
That is not to say that they don't use lathes now .
Just as once , they did not use steel tools :p

Making a Flute—Native American Style (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/26688/)


OK, point taken. But where is the fun (and the "native") then? Next it will be with a CNC machine. :)

Manuka Jock
31st December 2009, 07:17 PM
OK, point taken. But where is the fun (and the "native") then? Next it will be with a CNC machine. :)

I see that you confuse 'native' with 'primitive' :)

The fun , is in the doing , and getting it right .

If the CNC machine is operated by a native , then the product is native .........:U

flutetears
1st January 2010, 01:09 AM
OK, point taken. But where is the fun (and the "native") then? Next it will be with a CNC machine. :)

Hey I have done this with a pocket knife for the hell of it. GIVE ME MY LATHE BACK.
LOL
I will say that when I am sitting at the lake fishing and not catching anything the hand work that I do makes the trip fun.

Frank&Earnest
1st January 2010, 08:26 PM
I see that you confuse 'native' with 'primitive' :)



That has a rather racist connotation, does it not? I used, not confused it, to mean "traditional". And quietly enjoyable in a natural setting, as Brad says. :2tsup:

Manuka Jock
1st January 2010, 09:03 PM
That has a rather racist connotation, does it not? I used, not confused it, to mean "traditional". And quietly enjoyable in a natural setting, as Brad says. :2tsup:

A racist connotation ? I 'spose it could . You used it , was that your intention ?

The Englishman in his bowler hat , is wearing his native headdress .
Is that also quietly enjoyable in a natural setting ?

Traditional and native are not one and the same thing ..........