Hi Folks,
I was wondering if anyone here had made a flute from bamboo? I'd like to have a try and would welcome any advice. I have a piece of bamboo roughly 1' 9" (535mm) from node to end, ID 14/16" (23mm) the flutomat doesn't seem to work, probably something to do with the bore size and wall thickness. I would prefer something in the key of F but maybe D would suit the dimensions of my bamboo. Any ideas on working out hole size/placement and the best way to make the holes? drilling, splinters the bamboo and I think I read somwhere (most likley on C&F) that the holes should be burned. Any advice would be welcome (I know, I know, get one from Patrick Olwell )
The flutomat is working, but my experience is it works better when you use inches (converted to decimal). Your piece of bamboo is too short for a D flute (you need about a 2 foot piece for key of D).
I'd start by cuting a 1/2 inch embouchure about the width of the bore away from the end node (the end node will be the stopper). The bore width distance form the end node should be in the middle of the embouchure hole (did that make sense? - It's just like on a wooden flute).
Are there any internal nodes in your bamboo or is it just one long node. If there is a node in the middle of the piece, you'll need a long drill bit or something sharp to puncture the node between sections (and then you'll need to sand it smooth). I use a drill bit with a 12 inch extension, and when I can wrapp steel wool around a smaller drill bit for sanding (sounds weird but it works well). If it's one long node, you'll be able to try your embouchure hole out and use a tuner to see what key the flute plays in at that length. Most likely, you should be close to F or G at that length, but you may need to cut some of the end to shorten the flute which will raise the pitch --- cut VERY little off each time because you can't put it back on!
Once you have the key of your piece of bamboo, go back to the flutomat, make sure you use the 1/2 inch embouchure measurement, put in the ID and the wall thickness of the bamboo and you'll instantly have your hole placement. With bamboo, these numbers will not be perfect because bamboo does have some natural conical shape, so start with the holes one drill bit smaller so you can enlarge them with a file/knife as need be. This will take longer, but your flute will be better. Also, drill the hole farthest from the embouchure first and work your way up the flute since the prior holes influence each note higher up on the flute.
Feel free to post back if you have more questions. I've made several bamboo flutes, none great, but they're OK. It's a lot of fun.
The flutomat calculates hole sizes and spaces in cylindrical bore instruments. It's designed for flutes & fifes, but it can be used for whistles, too (just don't ask me how - I think Serpent has said he has used it in the past). Although it's designed for cylindrical bores, it works with bamboo, too, because the natural tapering in bamboo is really minimal.
Hi Eric,
thanks for the information, apologies for not replying sooner. What type of drill bit's did you use to avoid splintering the bamboo? I'll maybe get a start made this week when my shift ends
I use brad point bits. However, I start very small and work up to the proper hole size. It keeps splits and splinters down to a dull roar. Unless you are a wizard with the iron, burning them in is not as effective as drilling them.
I'm with Ronbo on drilling vs. burning (which I tried & it didn't work worth a darn). I can't recall what kind of bits I use - it's a special set designed for wood to minimize splintering.
You can also reduce or eliminate splintering by backing up the far side of the intended hole. Find a dowel or such that can be placed up the bore and apply pressure against the ID where the hole will come through. This will give the drill bit something else to bite into and back up the material that is being punctured.
Hi Steven,
I eventually tried to make one, I found that burning the holes wasn't a problem. I used a center punch heated with a butane torch to start the holes and then opened then out with a sharpened piece of 10mm rod. I couldn't get the flutomat to work however and tried to guess the spacing based on my Kerry -Pro Low d and Chieftain Low F (The flute was playing an Eb bell note) it didn't work out too well, I was in to big a hurry and didn't pay enough attention to the tuning of the individual holes. Still, I'll probably try again
Thanks for the input anyway, Cheers, Mac
In theory there's no difference between theory and practice but in practice there is.
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