does anyone know if there have some web site teaching people to DIY their own rosewood irish flute ( with key on it ) ? I am a student, can not pay like 1000USD for a key irish flute…
or does anyone have experience about this ?
don’t tell me about the PVC one, I hate PVC sound, Thanks.
I would think by the time you
–bought the wood and seasoned it
–bought the tools to make it with
–learned to use the tools
–learned to make the flute
–and waited the years for the wood to finish seasoning so you could finally create your flute,
You would have paid the price of a keyed flute from a maker many times over. Also you wouldn’t be a student any more.
A faster and better way to get your feet wet in Irish flute might be to check out the polymer flutes from makers such as Dixon, Cronnolly, and Seery.
Best wishes and good luck,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
I got some helper around me, but I need the actually manual to tell me how to make it..
LK, making keyed flutes is really difficult.
A lot of makers who are well-established don’t even make keyed ones because it’s so difficult.
Saving money is key!
Stuart
Saving money is key!
Stuart
So to speak…
I would probably ask some of these guys about the more inexpensive wooden flute makers (John Rutzen, Tony Dixon, Ralph Sweet, Michael Cronnelly, etc) rather than attempting it yourself. I think by the time you figure out how to do it correctly and pay for equipment and materials, you could probably have saved up enough for one of the more expensive flutes and have gone through the waiting list already! The less expesnive makers listed above go from $250 - $600 for an unkeyed I’m pretty sure that you can speak to the makers directly and ask what they would charge to add a key and go from there. I’m sure there are others in that range that I’m forgetting but it will give you a starting point. I’m doing a lot of research on getting a flute right now so I figured I’d pass these names along.
Sorry I couldn’t help you with a book or anything on how to build your own hardwood flute everything I’ve seen on the web is for building with PVC, Copper or Brass tubing.
-Jim
[ This Message was edited by: Jim_B1 on 2002-12-23 08:58 ]
There is no manual on how to do it.
There’s a book that you might find useful called “The Amateur Wind Instrument Maker” by Trevor Robinson. The focus is on renaissance and baroque instruments – the only flute in the book is a one-key baroque flute – but if you get measurements from some 19-century style flutes, it shouldn’t be too much trouble (relatively speaking) to adapt the techniques.
While techniques are, indeed, discussed in general wind instruments manuals, the measurements are very tricky, and if the instrument is to play in tune with itself and modern concert pitch, this is not something that can be entered into lightly without being prepared to waste a lot of wood and deal with a lot of frustration.
~Jessie
no, this is the problem, if I can get one, I can detail messure all kind of things and make the identical one again…
hmmmm, I would like to know if there have any other book will teach people make different kinds of flute…
Listen to Jessie, she knows what she’s talking about.
Even if you have access to tools, the chances you’ll have the proper size/taper reamer, is just about zero. Unless you have access to all the tools, and are skilled in tool making, you’ll have to buy a reamer, or have one custom made, which would cost as much as some of the less expensive, but decent flutes that are available.
Loren
LKT, ni dong bu dong ‘key’?
(LKT, do you understand ‘key’?)
It’s not a question of getting a keyed flute and measuring it, it’s a question of doing the considerable work of making keys that work.
As I said, there are professional, expert flutemakers who just make flutes who don’t do they keys themselves, even. Some very-expert makers don’t even touch the C#/C mechanism. Honestly, unless you’ve been making clarinets or oboes or bassoons on the side and you’re not telling us, it’s not feasible to make your own keyed flute.
You don’t even need the keys to start playing, and there are a considerable number of professionals who don’t play with keys.
Put your energy into practicing. It will serve you better in the long run.
Stuart
Making your own flute can be a daunting task especially if you have never done any serious wood turning or made your own reamers.
I finished making an 11 keyed set of Northumbrian bagpipes a few months back and can assure you that key and spring making is not for the faint of heart. Mine turned out well but I must generally agree with the rest of the gang here. I am a fanatic and spent at least 200 hours making the pipes and all the special tools.
There is a wonderful website by Mike Nelson of the UK. On his homepage is a link to a nearly complete set of plans for Northumbrian pipes. It included details as to making your keys and springs. Obviously, dimensions will not be relavent for flute making, but Mikes amazing plans and instructions will give you a taste of what is involved.
http://wind.prohosting.com/mrnelson/index.html
Sorry if the link isn’t clickable but I’m not sure how to do that.
Good Luck
Chauncey
If you don’t want to try this first with PVC, I’d suggest making your own bamboo flute well before making a rosewood flute. You can use the flutomat for hole size and location, and I’ll give some links to bamboo flute making information. I would stongly suggest against making your own flute from turned wood as your first attempt. You can learn a lot working with bamboo, it’s dirt cheap to buy a 6 foot bamboo pole, and a nice bamboo flute is nothing to laugh at (look at the acceptance of Patrick Olwell’s bamboo flutes).
I hope these links help:
http://www.cwo.com/~ph_kosel/flutomat.html
Oh well, what the hey, go for it!
You know the risks, you’re bound
to learn something. Maybe it’ll
be the beginning of a career
as a flute maker. Best luck.
hmmmm, Thanks all people to bring up the link for me to take a look
well, I don’t mind to use PVC pipe, but the key making is the main problem…
so no one got some book that can teach how to make the flute ?
Yes, there are books. And if you want the measurements, click on the following link and send $100 to Lark in the Morning. They will send you plans for making a flute.
I don’t know how good they are, though. One is “The Amateur Wind Instrument Maker”. And you’ll see others that pertain.
Look under “Full Scale Flute Plans”. http://www.larkinam.com/MenComNet/Business/Retail/Larknet/BookRecVidFolder/BookFolder/BookInstrumentMaking
That said, I have to agree that unless you are wanting to make your own flute for the experience alone (not to save money!) then go for it. If you’re doing it to save money, I doubt that you will, but hope springs eternal.
Erik
p.s. keys are easy to make… NICE keys are the problem.
[ This Message was edited by: ErikT on 2002-12-25 16:56 ]
OH MAN, it’s 100USD!!
too much for me to buy a book 
On 2002-12-25 18:39, lkthomas wrote:
OH MAN, it’s 100USD!!
too much for me to buy a book >
I’m sorry…but the price of the book is far less than the price of the equipment you’d need.
Best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
And I suppose you would have to pay around 100 or so(travel expenses maybe) to go find those flutes that are covered in the book to measure them anyway. So MAYBE,it might possibly justify the price.
[ This Message was edited by: theweirdscotsman on 2002-12-25 22:06 ]
[ This Message was edited by: theweirdscotsman on 2002-12-25 22:06 ]