I think I posted awhile back that I’d moved into making bamboo flutes for myself (although my plumber did offer to buy mine when I played it for him - so maybe someday I’ll try selling a few). Anyway, the flute I’m currently playing came from a piece of bamboo from the hardware store. I thought it was seasoned well enough (the danger of building in a less than well lit basement), but I’ve noticed when playing it’s a bit green near the one node section I have. Granted, it’s mostly golden, but there is a blush of green.
My question is should I just leave it be or should I try drying/burning it with a torch? I just did that technique to a future flute (a two foot blank bamboo piece), but I didn’t know if it would change the tuning or destroy my existing flute to give it a light torch treatment. If I don’t heat treat it, will the minimal amount of greenness lead to an eventual change in tuning of the flute?
Thanks!
[ This Message was edited by: Jayhawk on 2002-12-27 13:52 ]
The green bit could lead to an eventual crack. Torch-treating the bamboo will not have an effect on tuning. You can blacken it by slowly going over the whole thing (but go a little more quickly past the holes) and then sand it to a nice golden finish with varying grades of sandpaper (from coarse to fine). The hardware store will stop at 600 grit, but you can order finer (up to about 3000) from a specialty supplier such as Rio Grande (800-545-6566). I have much enjoyed making/playing/giving bamboo fifes.
[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2002-12-27 18:12 ]
Crud, a split developed (most likely enlarged) near the end of the flute. Luckily, it didn’t go all the way through to the bore, but it did cause a buzzing sound in the lower notes. I was able to wrap it in 3 places over the crack line, and although I couldn’t get the crack to completely close (the crack seems quite stable after burning) the buzz is gone and the flute sounds great again. I guess it must have been greener than I thought it was.
It’s amazing how different the bamboo feels after burning it. I’d read that it changes the bamboo, but until you do it yourself you don’t realize the difference. Also, I think the flute sounds better since it was heated - I wonder if that’s factual or only in my head?
Jessie - I’ve already got a second flute started, and I burned that one first. This has been one of those classic lesson learned experiences!
It was a lot harder drilling through the burned bamboo compared to the allegedly seasoned bamboo, so the burning really must do something to the composition of the bamboo (apart from allowing me to burn cool patterns into the bamboo).
