Just made my first D flute using PVC and it works great!
I had been (stupidly) using measurements on CPVC that were meant for PVC, not realizing there is a significant difference. What do I know?! Kept trying to figure out why it wasn’t even close to being in tune.
Anyway, used the Flutomat to figure out the right measurements using a grey schedule 40 pipe. Pretty sure that the grey sched 40 in Canada is the same as sched 80 in the US, but not positive. I have looked around and can’t seem to get white sched 40 anywhere locally.
The flute turned out pretty nicely, if I do say so. I actually used progressively larger drill bits to make sure it didn’t “grab” the pipe. Seemed to work nicely.
I still plan on getting a Tipple when I can but this is just fun to show family and friends saying “looky what I made!” and have them be amazed that it sounds good.
I’m just doing all this for the fun of it…as a hobby, I guess. I can’t believe how much I love playing these flutes. Been carrying my little “G” around everywhere. My plan is to get the Tipple sometime soon (when I am back at work) and probably move to Delrin at some point. I can’t see getting a wood flute because of the maintenance and chance of weather damaging it. I would just cry like a baby if my $1000 flute was to crack…how do you guys stand it??
However, as far as “durable” wood flutes go, let me suggest [u]Sweetheart flutes[/u], as apparently Sweetheart uses a wood finish which largely resists water.
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to try a wood flute cause then I would just…want one. They do sound nice and I can only imagine that the feel would be soooo much better, but I am not performing…just playing around.
i made one in my physics of acoustics’ laboratory class (following doug’s plans), and it plays pretty well. here is a recording of me playing it: http://www.box.net/shared/opy7fx6gw4
daiv, I could be off my rocker but it seems like there are some tuning issues with your flute. Does it seem like it is in tune?
Mine is very close to being in tune. The A is very slightly sharp but I can probably just make a slight embouchure change to cover it. Nah, I’ll just make another one and fix the problem. The tone itself is very rich as it is the thicker sched 80 pipe. If I get feeling brave enough I will post a sound bite but I have to warn that it won’t be an Irish tune. shhhhhhh…don’t tell the others! I just am not accomplished at flute to play any of these crazy reels.
it is definitely out of tune. here is a chart of me playing a scale:
the set of lines on the right are from the flute that i played in the sound file.
the blue lines are the pitch of the flute, and the red lines are a=440.
a, b, and c# are very far off because the software used to analyze the pitch, picked up the harmonics–i only ran the oscilliscope and not the spectrum analyzer. if you assume they are measuread as the harmonic of an octave (or octave and a fifth), you can see then that b looks ok (the blue line is almost twice the lenght), but a and c# are atrocious. c# is just a few cents off from d.
i did not have the right sized drill bits (i was missing 7/16") for a couple of the holes–i used 3/8" instead. i do not know if this accounts for the problem. i did not adjust hole placement to make up for change in hole size in comparison to the measurements dug laid out.
It did sound WAY off but I didn’t want to be rude and say it that way just in case you didn’t think so.
I have found that measurements and hole sizes are certainly crucial. I don’t have a 7/16 bit either and just used a half round mini file to slowly work the hole larger, testing as I went. I still have enough pipe to make 4 more flutes so I will probably get a 7/16.
If I can find time at some point today I will make a sound clip and post it here. Probably just the scale maybe an old hymn or something.
At least you guys have the good fortune to have templates to work from, such as Doug Tipple’s wonderful contribution.
I experimented with making flutes out of anything I could find about 15 years ago or so. I even tried working with steel and copper (bleah - nasty taste)! I would begin by corking the tube and cutting an embouchure, then (using a pipe cutting tool) cut the tube down gradually until I had a D. I marked where my fingers ‘should’ go with a Sharpie; then, starting at the bottom drilled a small hole and enlarged it gradually until the note seemed in tune. I made playable flutes - but never one with good intonation (and certainly never one as nice as a Tipple).
It’s just one of the reasons I have such great respect for flute makers. To me, a conical flute that plays in tune is a work of magicke - simple system sorcery!
Congratulations! I’m also planning on giving it a try one day.
I see you live in Toronto. I live in Ottawa and bought a 10’ length of white PVC Schedule 40 at Home Depot. They keep the grey PVC in electrical and the white PVC in plumbing.
I bought a Tipple in D & G from Doug. Great sound, low cost and excellent workmanship. I really appreciate Doug’s work more now that I see what an off the shelf piece of Schedule 40 PVC looks like.
Oh. I looked in a local Home depot and they didn’t have any of either. I think I was in the plumbing section. Maybe I will try again at another one that isn’t too far from me. Thanks for the heads-up.
PVC pipe is usually color-coded according to the use that the pipe is intended. White pvc pipe in the plumbing section of the store is designed for household water pipe, and its specifications for chemical composition and pressure rating must comply with the standards for that usage. The gray pvc pipe that you routinely find in the stores is designed to be used as electrical conduit or for sewer pipe. I made one flute from electrical conduit, and I decided not to make another one because the pvc was less dense, although the flute didn’t sound that bad but not as good as the more-dense white pvc. I also question the chemical composition of this gray pipe. The flute didn’t feel good in my hands, and since electrical conduit doesn’t have to meet the same standards for purity as does drinking water pipe, I question whether this is the best pipe to use for making flutes that are held against the lips.
There is at least one pvc manufacturer that makes a high-quality charcoal gray schedule 40 pvc pipe that is approved for household or commercial drinking water pipe. I buy this Harvel pipe from U S Plastics in Lima, OH. I have it cut in 5 foot sections, and I have it shipped by UPS. I just purchased 100 feet of this pipe, and the cost with shipping was about $75.
Good points Doug.
The schedule 40 white PVC I bought from Home Depot is also labeled “potable” (which means fit for drinking) and is from a company called IPEX Products.
If you could buy a set of small drill bits in millimeter sizes, it might work out better for you. Most of the flute building info is given in millimeters, so you won’t have to convert so much to and from the english measurements.
I have tried brad point bits to drill in pvc pipe, but I have had limited success. Maybe my set of ebay Chinese brad point bits were actually bad point bits, I don’t know. I do know that ordinary twist drill bits don’t work very well in pvc. I use simple spade-point wood bits to drill into pvc. The sharp point centers on the hole, and a good, well-centered hole can be drilled in a 2-3 seconds. I do have to finish the hole with hand files, but you need to do some finishing work on the holes no matter how well the holes are drilled. Spade-point wood bits can be purchased individually for less than $2 each, and they are also available in inexpensive sets. I prefer the simple low-cost bits in contrast to the higher-priced speedbore bits. I have only seen these bits available in fractional sizes, although I suspect you could find them online in metric sizes. For my low D flutes you only need to purchase three bits: 5/16", 3/8", and 7/16", which, like I mentioned, is a $6 investment.
I’d be interested in seeing an RTTA analysis of a plain cylindrical (ie not Boehm tapered) flute if anyone has such a flute and has the RTTA system up. Or give us a link to a file we can analyse. We would expect the second octave of a cylindrical flute to be distinctly flat compared to the bottom octave. But we’d also expect the player to be aware of that and attempt to compensate. What I don’t know (and perhaps what we don’t know) is to what extent can the player attempt to correct?
It would be interesting to compare two situations:
the notes just played individually, in a random order, aiming just at hitting the centre of the note, and
playing music, ideally not too fast so that the player can hear what they are doing.
We don’t need to know who made the flute or even who played it!
I actually used progressively larger drill bits to make sure it didn’t “grab” the pipe. Seemed to work nicely.
