Keys? Metal working? Wood working?

Alright, so after wanting to and trying to play a handful of songs just outside the capability of my home-made keyless flutes (PVC and bamboo), I’ve started to consider keys for the first time. Upon researching them, I’ve found myself mesmerized by baroque and romantic flutes… However, I’m far too cheap to buy a keyed flute, which don’t seem to exist below about $1500.

So, being a doing-it-myself guy, I wonder - can I make my own keyed flutes? Metal working might be a little beyond me (especially with no existing keys in my possession to copy), but I wonder if I can buy them from someone for relatively cheap?

But of course, if I consider making a keyed instrument, I have to ask myself - is it really worth it to put keys on a PVC-pipe instrument? Or should I go so far as to actually attempt making real, wooden instruments? (What sort of cost is involved in acquiring/making the tools for such an undertaking?)

Alas… if only there were a local master willing to apprentice me…

But, as that isn’t an option in a small town in Mississippi, any information on how I could make or buy keys for Irish/Romantic flutes, and what is involved in getting into making wooden flutes would be greatly appreciated!

I feel I might be getting into something very… ambitious.

Gee it does sound ambitious, especially with
keys. I think M&E makes keyed flutes (or at least made)
for under 1000 dollars.

Best bet is to look for a good deal on a used keyed flute: The tools and instruction needed to make a properly working keyed flute will easily cost you multiple times what a used instrument will.


Loren

Heh, I figured as much. Still, it might be something I could get into some day.

But, were I to purchase an instrument for now, is there anyone who sells plastic/non wood keyed Irish flutes? (assuming those would be far cheaper)

I’m only a college student, and money isn’t exactly something of abundance for me :stuck_out_tongue:

I think Daniel Bingamon does keys on his PVC whistles. You might consider getting one of those and making a flute head for it.

Guess you need a better job then, eh? You do have a job, don’t you…


Loren

But, were I to purchase an instrument for now, is there anyone who sells plastic/non wood keyed Irish flutes? (assuming those would be far cheaper)

Most makers can make keyed polymer flutes…some, like Michael Cronnolly and Desi Seery, are best known for their polymer (plastic) flutes.

While perhaps somewhat less expensive then their wooden counterparts, these are still handmade instruments and are not cheap by any means.

You may want to put off purchasing a keyed flute for a few years until you are in a better financial situation.

A good flute will enrich your life and will help you to become as good a musician as you have it in you to become; it’s worth waiting for.

–James

If you are playing ITM, you can play 90+ percent of the tunes with a keyless flute. You may have to transpose some of them, but if you are not playing with a group, that is no problem.

If you “have to” have keys, give a look at a used boehm flute. They are all over at very cheap prices, especially after the school year is over and the kids absolutely refuse to have anything to do with music. If you are not playing ITM, the boehm might be the most useful for you anyway.

M&E is the only reasonably priced keyed polymer flute (around 1200 to 1400 USD at the current exchange rate. Des Seery’s keys are about $200 or $250 each (if I recall correctly) - so a 6 keyed Seery will cost you about $1700 to $2000.

Eric

what is your actual, working budget?

Hi, Hibiki,

It’s not impossible to add keys to a PVC-pipe flute. For instance, the first “one-key”, Baroque flute was made way back, in about the year 1695, so making a key need not be a “high-tech” effort!

To make a key, you’ll need a small piece of thick sheet metal. The metal can then be cut into rough shape with the use of a simple jeweler’s saw, a miniature version of an ordinary plumber’s hacksaw, and once you have the key cut into rough shape, the key could then be finished by the use of a file and/or a grinding stone, etc.

The key will then need to pivot, so it’s necessary to drill a very small hole through it, from one side of the key to the other. This could be done by putting the key into a vise, and then drilling through it while being careful to keep the hole centered through the metal. Once that’s done, any excess metal could then be removed from the key, say, away from that pivot point and towards the ends of the key, again by the use of a file and/or a grinding stone.

The key will need something to pivot on, and there are two common ways to accomplish this, 1) by adding “posts”, which is more difficult, or 2) by adding a “block”, which is relatively easy. I’ll leave it to you to figure out the posts, but for now I’ll suggest an easy block configuration, numerous examples of which can been seen on “early” flutes. In short, and this is more of a “repair” technique but will suffice for the purpose (BTW, the making of a flute including block(s) is another matter altogether), a block could begin as a simple “cube” of the same material as the flute is made of, and then could have one side of that cube shaped as a curve, again by means of a file and/or a grinding stone, such that the curve then fits to the cylindrical shape of the flute. The block is then glued onto the body of the flute, and is then “split” into two parallel blocks, again by means of a file and/or a grinding stone, where the split is equal in width to the width of the key. Alternately, two pieces of material could be glued on, such that they are both parallel and are spaced at the width of the key.

Once that’s done, a very small hole will need to be drilled through the parallel blocks, to hold a pin, a pin which just fits through the key and the blocks. This is the pivot.

The key will need a spring, and here there are a variety of alternatives, but perhaps a slender strip of hacksaw blade could do, as hacksaw blades have a spring-like quality. Attaching the spring to the key could be a challenge, where perhaps it could be riveted on, glued on, or even screwed on, but soldering, and such heat, could remove the spring-like quality of the spring. And, there are other ways to attach the spring, for instance.

The key will also need a pad, to seal the hole, and leather is a traditional material, but a layer of silicone might work just as well.

The key might also need to be bent into final position, including being shaped to the curve of the flute, by means of smooth-jawed pliers, so as not to mar the finish of the metal. Now, if you don’t have smooth-jawed pliers, ordinary pliers could have a bit of brass sheet wrapped around each of the jaws, and the same could be done for the jaws of the vice as used in drilling the hole through the key.

Of course, all of this assumes that you have determined the correct size and location of the necessary tone hole!

No doubt, I’ve left out a number of details, here, but seeing as you are a musician, I’m going to leave the above ideas to your imagination, and I’ll be here to further discuss the matter, if you like.

:wink:

Edits: Dang! Dontchajusthateit when the keyboard screws up (yeah, yeah, blame it on an old, and somewhat dysfunctional keyboard)! :smiley:

Cork - Wow, such practical ideas! I knew there had to be an easy way to make my own keys.

I’ll definitely give this a shot.

When I’m in a better financial position, I’ll save up for a high quality, professionally made flute. But until then, making do, and tinkering around and making things for myself is half the fun, I think :smiley:

You’re welcome, Hibiki, and the best of luck to you!

Cork, that was fun to read. It really does sound doable with enough time and experimentation.

what about an old german flute? you can find them for under 200 dollars and sometimes even at about 100…

Another option is to check with the folks on the board who refurbish antique flutes. That’s how I got my Hall and Son six-key, and it’s a great flute. Keep your eyes open, and if you see something that you like, then email whoever is working on it. You never know until you try whether it’s for sale or not.

Sounds easy, but it is not. Fun and worthwhile trying, but I promise you, it will be anything but easy.

Loren

I like Dow’s sig line for this question.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently motivated fool. :smiley:

:smiley:

Following on from Cork’s post, I long ago thought, after my own experiments with conduit tube flutes, that it would not be too difficult to work out ways to make simple keys in the self material - it is quite stiff and not too hard to work. One could build up laminated “blocks” to glue on where necessary, cut key-arms the hole-covering flap of which would be set at the right curvature for the tube surface by warming it, and a seal provided by attaching a layer of that very thin “craft” sheet foam that is a bit like felt. Springing could be achieved in various ways - magnetic repulsion, a sliver of the same plastic, purchased woodwind “spares” new bronze springs attached by screws to the plastic key shank, etc.

It would take a bit of planning, some experimentation and some practice, and might be a bit fiddly until you got through several prototypes, but I reckon it would not be “difficult” as such.

Note that the electrical conduit tube we get in GB (and I presume across Europe) is quite stiff, yet can be warmed up with a hot air gun (paint stripper) to shape it.