Make 4 Easy Bamboo Flutes for Free

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Make 4 easy Bamboo Flutes for free!by Skyfinity on July 6, 2009

Table of Contents

Make 4 easy Bamboo Flutes for free! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Make 4 easy Bamboo Flutes for free! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Bamboo Flute: Transverse Traditional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2: Bamboo Flute: End-blown Shakuhachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 3: Bamboo Flute: End-Blown Quena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Step 4: Bamboo Flute: Panflute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Step 5: Vidstructables: Each step in video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Step 6: Playing your Bamboo instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Step 7: Post Script: Extra thoughts about the project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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Author:Skyfinity For now, my Youtube Channel:Hello Friend. It is very good to meet you. It really is. Instructables has throughout my use connected me with like minded builders and oddballs, and I havehad a lot of success finding them here. It is always great to find more friends like this. I pretty busy normally, and have many other hobbies that rob time frommy projects, but I hope to post more instructables and re-enter the Instructables Community. Thanks for being a friend, friend.

Intro: Make 4 easy Bamboo Flutes for free!Bamboo . Despite being a plant of prehistoric ancestry, this simple plant has "grown" to be a huge part of many cultures. Due to it's unparalleled growth speed, It'shollow construct, and widespread growing range, Bamboo has been used to make for a broad selection of items, ranging from watermills to limbo sticks and Tiki bars . Infact, at least one species of bamboo is native to each continent except for Antarctica and Europe. No other plant has influenced the growth and development of humansociety and culture more than the humble bamboo has, making it possibly the most important plant in human history.

As I stated earlier, bamboo is perfect for making a great variety of items, including musical instruments. The natural, hollow culm of this giant grass makes it perfect formaking woodwind instruments. Over time, various cultures have developed a variety of bamboo flutes, pipes, whistles, and general noisemakers. Partly due to thesimplicity of the plant itself, bamboo instruments are extremely easy to make, and make well at that! In this instructable, I'll teach you how to to make 4 bambooinstruments that will only cost you the time to make them.

We'll make a bamboo...

Traditional Transverse fluteJapanese end-blown ShakuhachiAndean end-blown Quenaand a Panflute

You'll need to have in general:

A drill.An assortment of drill bits ranging in diameter from 2mm to 1.5 cm.A rotary tool (Dremel) with a cutting wheel and various sanding and grinding bits.A general purpose hand-held sander with various sandpapers ranging from at least medium to fineString.A sharp knife/boxcutter.LOTS AND LOTS OF BAMBOO! Green or golden, sappy or cured, depending on your preference.

Details of what is needed for each instrument are included in their specific step.

Just because bamboo doesn't grow naturally in your area, probably doesn't mean you can't find growing as an ornamental plant or by the roadside. All the bamboo usedin this instructable was either found being thrown away by my neighbors, or was growing by the side of the road and needed to be cut down. I live in relatively temperatePennsylvania, but still I found natural, growing bamboo. Check around your neighborhood before heading to the hardware store. After all, If you can find it, it's free!

These instruments have simply amazing sound, as the timbre of each is mellow and natural, much more than if you made them from plastic of PVC. They are free, theyare easy, and they are a LOT of fun, so why don't you give them a try?

This instructable will be the first in a series of other instructables about other bamboo instruments, so stay tuned!

~Skyfinity.


Step 1: Bamboo Flute: Transverse TraditionalThe Bamboo Flute is an intrinsic part of Eastern culture, with nearly every country that can grow the plant having developed its own particular version. In India, it is knownas the Bansuri, in China, the Dizi, in Japan, the Shinobue, and in Korea, the Daegeum. Though each of these versions are different in their tuning, size, and playingtechnique, they are all made from a hollow piece of bamboo with tuned holes drilled or burnt into them. Their popularity is to no surprise, as the availability and hollowconstruct of bamboo makes it the plant perfect for such an instrument.

First of , before any construction can begin, remember: Safety First! Though making these instruments doesn't require many large, dangerous power tools, be awarethat accidents can still happen. Be sure to wear saftey glasses (fig.1 ) and never touch the blade or cutting edge of a tool that is powered on. I am only responsible forteaching you how to make a rockin' musical instrument, not for making horrendous injury.With that out of the way, let us begin constructing our flute.

Preparing the bamboo:First, find a nice piece of bamboo. You are looking for one with a mostly rounded body of moderate diameter, without any suspicious holes or splintering, injured patches (fig.4 ). To prepare the bamboo, remove all the branches by using a hacksaw (fig.2). It is a good idea to sand down the notches from which the branches were cut tocreate a more sleek instrument (fig.3 ). Also, note that the piece of bamboo you chose for your flute must have at least one node, which will serve as the "cork" that issituated close to the embouchure, or "blow hole". This node must be solid and not have any bumps or holes on the outside or the inside of the bamboo, as this node willbe crucial in achieving proper tone.

Making the cut:From the node that you have selected to serve as the "cork", measure 2 cm out (fig.5 ) and mark a line there with a pencil. This will be the one end of your flute, nearestto the embouchure, separated by the node. Use a hacksaw and carefully cut along the line all the way down through the bamboo. This first cut will be rough (fig.7 ), and itwill take some sanding (fig.8 ) to make it pristine and smooth (fig.9 ). This cut has revealed the node, and will give us some Idea of what the inside of our flute-to-be lookslike. As we will need to know the inner diameter and the wall thickness of our flute for calculations and cutting the embouchure, measure them now using this hole (fig.10).The Embouchure:The general rule for the placement of the embouchure is that it's center should be "one inner-diameter length from the cork". Measure one length of the bamboo's innerdiameter from the node (fig.11 ). Mark this place with pencil, as it will be the center of the embouchure. To calculate the proper diameter for the embouchure, among othermeasurements, use the Flutomat , an absolutely brilliant Java calculator for flute-making (fig.14 ). Input your flute's inner diameter, wall thickness, and select a key for theflute to be in. The app will calculate the exact placement and diameter for the embouchure and the other six holes that complete the 7-note western scale. Once Flutomathas given you the proper diameter for the embouchure, begin to drill. Clamp the bamboo down firmly with the embouchure mark face up. Begin by drilling at the centerusing a small drill bit. I first used a 2mm bit to start the hole, then progressed to a full centimeter with about 3 other bits in between. Figure 12 shows the drilling process,with the bamboo clamped down and the drill carefully but deliberatley being thrust through the bamboo. It is EXTREMELY important that the drill is perfectly perpendicularwith the bamboo, that the cut is deliberate and forceful (no resting on the pre-cut hole), and that the drill is held steady and sure. Without applying these guidelines, thebamboo will rip, splinter, and crack. In general, BE VERY CAREFUL. When the hole is cut to the proper diameter, feel free to file and sand it to make it smooth andperfectly round (fig.13 ). Test the embouchure and make sure your get a familiar, mellow, "flute-like" tone. If further adjustment is needed, you may need to use a file tobevel the playing edge of the hole (opposite the player) so it is at a downward slant away from the player. My flute did not require this alteration, and if you feel like noadjustment is needed, play it safe and don't make any.Making the cut, Part II:Flutomat gives the length between the edge of each hole and the open end of the flute, so to cut this end, we must measure out the designated distance from theembouchure, the only hole we've cut so far (fig.15 ). Once you've measured the correct distance, mark it with a pencil (fig.16 ) and cut through the bamboo as describedearlier (fig.17 ). Sand the opening down and clean up the gut with files and sandpaper (fig.18,19 )Knocking out nodes:Chances are that while making your flute, you have chosen a piece that will have more than the one node that is serving as the cork. This node has to be "Knocked out"and completely gotten rid of before the flute can make any sound at all. The method I used to knock out the node was using a piece of rebar that fit the inside of thebamboo fairly well, and tapped it multiple times with as sledgehammer until it broke the node out from the rest of the bamboo. Be warned that THIS CAN BEEXTREMELY DANGEROUS . I tried this method a second time and the bamboo split right in half. Instead, I would suggest using a drill bit that fits loosely into thediameter of the bamboo and drilling it through. You need to push a little more to drill out the node, but it will go through with a much smaller chance of damaging yourflute. Figures 21-23 cover how I removed the nodes with rebar, though it isn't suggested.

At this point, your flute should look like the one pictured in Figure 24 .

Hole Drilling:Believe it or not, this is the easy part! The Flutomat calculator gives the diameter of each tone hole and the length between them and the open end of the flute. Measurethe given distance from the end and mark it lightly with pencil (fig.25 ). Keep in mind that this mark indicates the edge of the tone hole, not it's center, so before you beginto drill make a mark one hole radius up from the original mark. This will be the center of the hole. Now, like the embouchure, each hole must be drilled in successivelylarger drill bits. I usually started each hole with a 2mm bit (fig.26 ), then moved up to the calculated diameter (fig.27 ). After each drilling, with each size bit, I cleaned up


the cut, removed any splinters, filed it circular with needle files and took great precaution to prevent cracking. Also, be aware that some parts in the bamboo are thinnerthan others, usually where branches are growing, and are thus more susceptible to breaking. The first hole I drilled (fig.28 ) was over such a spot, and was very close to anode, but this didn't seem to affect the tone at all. If you find your hole e is over a node, don't fret. Try to drill it as best and as carefully as you can, and clean up the nodeon the inside really well. I continued to drill all six holes (fig.29-33 ) and kept them in a straight, even alignment, though technically, the placement of the hole around theoutside diameter of the bamboo is not as relevant as it's distance from the end of the flute. Once you have that sixth hole cleaned up, YOU'RE DONE! Now go and enjoyyour instrument (fig.34-37 )OPTIONAL:To clean up my holes, I decided to try and burn away the splinters using a candle (fig.38,39 ). This worked... somewhat. It left my flute with the brownish gold blotchesaround the holes that you can see in the first picture. Some people try to "jump-start" the gradual fade from green to gold by taking a blowtorch to the surface of thebamboo, which changes it instantly. This can also be blotchy if not done correctly, and you can damage your instrument. For the average bamboo-flautist, I wouldsuggest skip;ping this.

Image Notes1. You gotta protect these babies. All this would be pretty much impossiblewithout them.

Image Notes1. You can cut from either way, though I have found It to be easier to cut in theOPPOSITE direction than shown in this photo. The trick with that method is toorient the angle in such a way as not to harm the bamboo.


Image Notes1. The cut should look like this at first. However, you are free to sand it down toyour liking.

Image Notes1. The home of some type of little nasty.2. Splintering, badly injured bamboo like this obviously won't produce a qualityinstrument.

Image Notes1. Measure 2 centimeters back from the node. The node is as thick as the twonotches on the outside of the bamboo, so be sure to measure from whichevernotch is nearest to the cut.

Image Notes1. Clamped down tightly with improvise padding (gardening gloves) to notscratch the bamboo. Be aware that too tight a grip will crush it.2. Be sure to angle STRAIGHT DOWNWARDS!

Image Notes1. Not as pretty as I would like...

Image Notes1. Sand that baby down! (medium grit first, then fine)


Image Notes1. Nice and smooth!

Image Notes1. You'll need to know the inside diameter for cutting the embouchure and forthe Flutomat calculator, along with the thickness of the wall.

Image Notes1. Measure one full "inner diameter" length in from the node. This spot will bethe center of the embouchure.

Image Notes1. Though this shows a large bit cutting the bamboo, It is recommended that allholes are cut first by using small, then gradually larger drill bits, to minimize thechance of splintering and un-clean cuts.2. Drill must be held ABSOLUTELY PERPENDICULAR! Failure to do so resultsin pathetic scrapes and scratches all over your bamboo!3. Drill must also be thrust right into the bamboo with deliberate, yet steadymotion, as if the bit is left to rest on the pre-cut hole before drilling begins, thebamboo will be torn and splintered4. Held completely still and steady.

Image Notes1. A nice cut. Be sure to smooth it out using a rotary tool or various needle files.


Image Notes1. Designate your preferred unit of measurement.2. Input the inside diameter of your flute.3. Input the wall thickness of your flute.4. Designate your preferred key.5. GET YOUR MEASUREMENTS! :D6. Just a little note. Sometimes, when you select Centimeters as your unit ofmeasurement, the calculator has trouble and these boxes will contain "NaN"(Not a Number). This happens sometimes, and has nothing to do with yourflute's dimensions. Try converting to inches if this happens. It will always giveyou perfect results.

Image Notes1. Measure the length Flutomat gave for the distance between the end of theflute and the embouchure. Mark it!

Image Notes1. Mark the place you will cut the end of the flute at the exact length from theembouchure as given by Flutomat.


Image Notes1. Note that one probably should not cut through the entirety of the bamboostraight down, as shown here. If this is done, when you reach the bottom, that"final part" will probably give into gravity and just tear a chunk out of your flute.Instead, cut from different angles to avoid there from being a large "final part".(Did that make any sense?!)

Image Notes1. In desperate need of a makeover.2. Eyes on the prize.

Image Notes1. Sand this baby down too. VRRRROOOOOM!

Image Notes1. The node. It'll take some muscle to knock out this little devil.

Image Notes Image Notes


1. WARNING!!! USING REBAR TO KNOCK OUT BAMBOO NODES ISPOTENTIALLY DANGEROUS!

1. Be VERY VERY CAREFUL if you attempt this.

Image Notes1. Freshly knocked out nodule. You can clean this up with a wood rasp or aneedle file.

Image Notes1. This is what it looks like so far. It's coming along!

Image Notes1. Measure the length for each hole from the open end of the flute.

Image Notes1. Drilling the starter-hole with a 2mm drill bit on my dremel.

Image Notes1. Drilling, very steadily.

Image Notes1. The first hole drilled. You can clean this up with your rotary tool, flies, andsandpaper.


Image Notes1. 4 to go!



Image Notes1. Only one more!

Image Notes1. All holes are Drilled! Notice the different diameters.

Image Notes1. ALL DONE! :D


Image Notes1. Please observe all usual precautions when dealing with open flame.

Image Notes1. Try to move it over the flame quickly, as the smoke will leave a smear of sootthat will take a while to take off.


Step 2: Bamboo Flute: End-blown ShakuhachiThe Shakuhachi is an ancient, end-blown flute from japan. It is fabled to have developed from an earlier version called the hitoyogiri that was brought from China to Japanaround the time Buddhism was introduced. The Shakuhachi was originally played by Fuke Zen Buddhist priests known as the Komuso, or the "priests of nothingness".They would carry their instruments strapped to their sides wherever they went, playing "Honkyoku" pieces to gain enlightenment and as the practice of Blowing Zen. TheKomuso wear large woven baskets over their heads to indicate their lack of vanity and ego, not removing them even to play the Shakuhachi. These Zen priests still existtoday, taking great care and passion the playing of the Shakuhachi. The Shakuhachi itself is known for being made from the root end of the bamboo plant, usually thoughtto be an ornament, yet it is likely the dense root section was used in place of a weapon to protect the Zen priests.

Root End:Traditionally, the Shakuhachi is made from a piece of bamboo which includes it's roots. This is partly ornamental, yet it does also provide a piece of bamboo with athinner bore. For some, root-end bamboo is only available through order, though the piece I used was simply a stalk I had ripped out of the ground. It covered in dirt andlittle shoots and runners, all of which we need to remove (fig.1,2) . Begin by giving your root a thorough rinse-down (fig.3,4) . Then remove any excess root so that onlytwo "Root-nodes" are at the base of the flute (fig.5,6) . Dry off your piece and bring it into the shop (fig.7,8) . Cut of all the runners and roots using the cutting wheel onyour rotary tool (fig.9) . Leave only a ring of roots about 3mm high (fig.10) . Then, place a sanding bit on your rotary tool and smooth out the ring of roots so they are all inan even circle (fig.11,12) . It would be a good idea to now sand down the actual end of the bamboo, which is rough from the previous cut. I first used my sander(fig.13,14) , and then the sanding bit on my rotary too to achieve a rounded, smooth end to the flute (fig.15,16) .Making the Cut:Measure out 54.5 centimeters from the end of your flute and mark it with pencil (fig.17,18) . I marked 5 centimeters beyond that to ensure I didn't cut into the place thefuture blowing edge would go. Saw here with a hacksaw, keeping in mind to beware of splinters and cracks (fig.19) . So far, your Shakuhachi should sound like figure 20Drilling nodes:The bamboo will be without a doubt riddled with nodes. Lets work on the non-root-nodes first. Find a drill bit around 1.5 centimeters in diameter, or whatever fits loosely inyour flute (fig.21) . Pull the bamboo back upon the drill, and the bit should tear open the node. If you lack a drill bit long enough, get a skinny piece of rebar (fig.22) andstuff it into your bamboo (fig.23) . Use a sledgehammer or some other weight to carefully tap out the nodes (fig.24) . This must be done EXTREMELY carefully, as thenodes may split if excess force is exerted. Now, let's move to the root section of the bamboo, which is naturally more dense. Find a drill bit that is about the size of thehole that is already in the bamboo (fig.25) . Simply drill through the existing hole as far as you can (fig.26,27) . Then, gradually use larger drill bits until you have openedthe end of the flute to a diameter of 1.8 centimeters. I used a sanding bit on my rotary tool to clean up the cuts (fig.28) . To make sure the entire Shakuhachi has beendrilled open, I held it to a light to see through to the other side (fig.29) . I also could push the entire piece of rebar through.Drilling Holes:The Shakuhachi has 5 holes, 4 finger holes and one thumb hole. Before drilling them, you must measure out their distances from the end of the flute (fig.30) . The bottomhole is 12.1 Centimeters from the base, the second is 17.5, the third 22.7, the fourth 28.3, and the thumb hole is 31.9. Mark each with pencil, and for the thumb hole,make sure it is exactly on the opposite side of the other holes. Drill in the same manner as the other flutes, using progressivley bigger drill bits to widen the holes to theirproper diameter (fig.31-39) . Those diameters are, for holes 1,2,4 and 5, 1.1 centimeters, and for hole 3, 1 centimeter. Beware of cracks and splinters. Now all your holesare complete (fig.10,11) !The Blowing Edge:At this point, the blowing end of the flute should be 2 centimeters in diameter (fig.42) . If you added an extra 5 millimeters to the blowing end, saw this off now (fig.43) .Along the line that the finger holes run, mark with pencil either 2, 1.5 or 1 centimeters down from the blowing edge (fig.44) . A 2cm long blowing edge will be very easy toplay, but may be finicky to make. a 1.5cm blowing edge is more traditional, yet will be of medium difficulty to play. A 1cm long blowing edge will be the hardest to play, yetmore durable and more traditional. I opted for around 1.5 long blowing edge. After I made the mark, I used a knife to begin carving the edge (fig.45) . Every once and awhile, I would use the sanding bit on my rotary tool to carve down the edge into a greater slope (fig.46) . It should be around 30 degrees when complete. I continued tocarve (fig.47,48) until I created a U shape at the top of the edge that was 1.5 cm wide and 4mm deep. I used my sanding bit on the rotary tool to even the U out to thoseproper dimensions (fig.49, 50) .The Blowing Edge Part 2:Make a mark in pencil 1 centimeter from the edge on the opposite side of the blowing edge (fig.51) . I chose to gradually sand down the rim of the bamboo until it is aslope reaching all the way from the blowing edge to the 1cm mark I made earlier, this will help direct your breath over the blowing edge. I sanded this slope into a smooth,round, and comfy edge (fig.52) .YOUR SHAKUHACHI IS COMPLETE! Now go play some beautiful, relaxing music! (fig.53)


Image Notes1. This is perfect, believe it or not. It just needs to be cleaned up.

Image Notes


1. This was the longest stalk of bamboo I had brought home from the forest.2. We need to cut off a portion of this jagged end, but first, let's wash it off.

Image Notes1. A thorough rinse-down made the bamboo much easier to work with.

Image Notes1. Now we can see the separation between the root nodes. We will remove thebottom one completely so only two remain.

Image Notes1. Saw right through that third root node.

Image Notes1. Now only two root nodes remain. Notice that this is a very rough cut, andmust be sanded and cleaned up later.

Image Notes Image Notes


1. We must cut down all these roots and runners to about 3mm high. 1. Get out your rotary tool with a cutting wheel bit.

Image Notes1. Use the cutting disc attachment on your rotary tool to remove excess root fromthe base of your future flute. Cut them down so a "ring" of roots is left behindabout 3mm high.

Image Notes1. The "rings". They both need to be sanded down and smoothed out, butalready they look really neat.2. The end of the flute is still very rough and uneven. We will smooth and roundthis out as well.3. Beginnings of new roots are poking out all around the lower nodes on thebamboo.

Image Notes1. Using the sanding bit on my rotary tool to even out the rings of root.

Image Notes1. The sanded roots.

Image Notes1. Sanding away that edge on the bottom with my sander. Be careful not to jitter


your sander onto the outside culm of the bamboo and scratch it up. Image Notes1. A rougher sand with the sander leveled the end of the bamboo, but theedges need to be rounded.

Image Notes1. Using the sanding bit on my rotary tool to round the edges of the root end.


Step 3: Bamboo Flute: End-Blown QuenaThe Quena is a bamboo instrument of Incan ancestry that is traditionally played though out the Andes mountains. It is a straight piece of bamboo with six finger holes,one thumb hole, and a "U" shaped notch at the blowing end. It is similar to the Shakuhachi, but very different in it's sound. The Quena is tuned in a G 7 note major scale,and has a fiery, wild sound. The Andean people use these flutes to celebrate and to mourn, as the sound is very emotional and the instrument is very expressive.

Preparing the bamboo:As any of these flutes, you are looking for a nice piece of bamboo without any splinters, cracks, or suspicious holes. All of the branches must be cut off and their notchessanded down. Specifically, the bamboo we will use for the Quena will be 1.5 centimeters wide (fig.1 ), and the wall of the bamboo must be 3 millimeters wide (fig.2 ). Apiece without any nodes is preferred, however it may be hard to find a piece of such dimensions without nodes. Determine at this point where you would like to place theend of your flute (not the blowing end) (fig.3 ). I placed mine right at a node, so I could have a long stretch of "node-less" bamboo to place my finger holes. Mark it withpencil.

Making the cut:Measure out 40 centimeters from the place where you chose to place the end of your flute. Use pencil to mark this area (fig.4 ), and make sure it is not within 6centimeters of any nodes or bumps. This will be the blowing end of the Quena. Use a hacksaw and carefully cut along the line all the way down through the bamboo,straight and even (fig.5,6 ). Hesitation while sawing or slowing down may cause the blade to catch and rip open the bamboo with splinters and cracks, so saw surely andwith caution. This cut is rough (fig.7 ), but we'll sand and attend to it later. Now saw where you placed the end of your flute (fig.8,9 ). The body of your Quena is almostnow complete (fig.10 ), now to just fill it with holes.Node Drilling:Whip out your drill and rotary tools. Now, because of where I chose to put the end of my flute, at a node, I needed to drill through it. This was done by using a small bit tostart a hole, then using a bit that loosely fit in the bore of the bamboo to open it all the way(fig.11,12,13 ). I cleaned it up further with needle files. The other node, near theblowing end, was removed as well. I chose a bit that loosely fit in the bamboo and pulled the entire piece back upon the drill, which was enough to break through the node(fig.14,15 ). I cleaned up any splinters with a file and the drill. The bore was now entirely open (fig.16 ).The Notch and Blowing Edge:At this point, I attended to both ends of the Quena with a bit of sanding (fig.17 ). The end of the flute was rounded out with my sander and a few needle files, though theblowing end was only lightly sanded, as the notch had not yet been cut. First we must measure out the dimensions for the notch, which will be in a "U" shape, as apposedto the slightly more difficult to play "V" notch. First designate the "Top" of your flute, where your notch and finger holes will go. Once this has been decided, on the edge ofthe blowing end, measure a line 8 millimeters across (fig.18 ) and mark either end. These will be the upper tips of the "U" in the notch. Then, measure 6 millimeters downfrom the edge and make a mark there (fig.19 ). This will be the base in the "U" notch. Make sketch of the "U" onto the bamboo. It should be a parabolic-type curve withboth ends at the edge of the bamboo. You can see an example in figures 20 and 21 .

Carving the Notch: This step is the hardest to describe. Everyone does this a little differently, but It is usually done by machining it with a rotary tool. Grab your rotary tool and use a smalldrill bit to start a preliminary notch. I used a 2mm drill bit and held it at around 45 degree angle to the bamboo, and began to let it carve a small preliminary notch (fig.22 ).


I then moved up to a 5mm bit and repeated this process (fig.23 ). I then used a small, 5mm grinding bit on my rotary tool to carve out the rest (fig.24,25 ). Notice how themeasurements correspond to the notch when viewed from the inside, in other words, the outline we drew prior should be carved out all the way through the bamboo.There should be a 4mm wide slope following the notch at around 30-45 degrees. View figures 26 and 27 to get a better idea. This slope should occur naturally if the thebit is held at a 45 degree angle.

Drilling Holes:I began with the thumb hole, which is on the back of the Quena. Determine at this point where the back of the Quena really is, on the opposite side of your notch. Onceyou have, measure 17.5 centimeters and mark with pencil (fig.28) . This will be the center of the thumb hole. Drill as described previously, using progressivley bigger drillbit to reach the proper diameter, which for this hole, is .6 centimeters in diameter (fig.29-34) . Then, measure out the distances for the finger holes, which must be on thecomplete opposite side of the thumb hole (fig.35) . The first hole's center is 19.2 centimeters from the blowing edge, the second is 21.8cm, the third is 24.9cm, the fourthis 28.2cm, the fifth is 30.5cm, and the sixth is 33.6cm. Drill these holes similarly to their proper diameter (fig.36-39) . The diameters of holes 1,2,3,and 5 is 1 centimeter,and the diameters of 4 and 6 are .6cm. Be sure to clean each cut with a file, or a grinding bit on your rotary tool (fig.40,41) .Finally, just sand down the blowing end so it sits comfortably on your lips (fig.42) .YOUR DONE YOUR BAMBOO QUENA! Now go and make some beautiful music!


Image Notes1. The inner diameter is 1.5 centimeters. (3/5 inch).

Image Notes1. Wall thickness is .3 centimeters (1\10 inch)

Image Notes1. This will be the end of my Quena.

Image Notes1. Measure out 40 centimeters of bamboo and mark each end with pencil.Determine at this point which will be the blowing end. Image Notes

1. When sawing any bamboo, it is important to take extreme care to preventsplintering and cracking. As this will be the blowing end, a precise cut isneeded, or it may render your instrument useless.


Image Notes1. It is best to saw in a circle all around the bamboo before you cut straight downthrough it. This prevents cracking and splintering, but care must be taken to sawin a perfect circle, for an even cut. Image Notes1. The rough cut of the blowing end. Doesn't look too smooth, but we'll sand

this down later. At least It's free of splinters and cracks.

Image Notes1. Sawing the other end of the flute, right behing a node. I liked the way thebamboo tapered out here, like the bell on a professional instrument. If youchoose to cut through a node, please note that the thinnest "bump" is where thewall is, and it is hollow under the wider one.

Image Notes1. Remember all the sawing tips given earlier. I found that I got the cleanest cutwith my dullest hacksaw, which took longer, but gave best results.

Image Notes

Image Notes1. Drilling open the end. The flute should be 1.5 cm throughout.


1. The Quena-to-be! :D2. Blowing end.3. We'll have to drill out this node. Notice that there is the remnants of a branchhere, all sanded down.

Image Notes1. Hmm... it needs to be drilled a bit bigger.

Image Notes1. That's more like it.

Image Notes1. Getting ready to push this bit through the node. You really have to use yourarm to pull it back through the drill bit.


Step 4: Bamboo Flute: PanfluteThe Panflute is simple musical instrument consisting of closed tubes cut to different lengths, each of which produce a specific tone. This simple concept is the reason whymany versions of this instrument have been developed all over the world, from a traditional bamboo Antara in the Andes, to the cane Syrinx in ancient Greece, and eventhe wooden pipes of viking origin. The general name for these instruments, Pan-flutes or Pan-pipes, originates from Ancient Greek legend and mythology. Pan, god ofshepherds, fell in deep love with a Nymph called Syrinx, who was did not return this love and fled from him. She ran to a river and begged the river-nymphs to save her.The Nymphs transformed Syrinx into reeds growing at the water's edge. Pan arrived at the river and was devastated, believing his love was gone forever. While he satand mourned, he heard the wind blow across the reeds that were growing by the water, which inspired him to cut them and make a musical instrument. He named hispipes "the Syrinx" in memory of his lost love, of whom, ironically, the instrument was made. Today, his invention is known as the Panflute.

Please note: No Nymphs were harmed in the making of this Panflute.

Preparing the Bamboo:For a compact and easy to play panflute, select a piece of bamboo that is around 1-2 centimeters in total diameter. Unlike length, diameter does not affect the pitch of thepipe, it only modifies the timbre. Also note that each pipe is closed at one end, which will be achieved using the existing nodes. Note also that as their are two "bumps" ateach node, the one that is solid all the way through is always the thinnest. It is because of this I made each of my pan pipes by sawing slightly behind the wider "bump" toensure the tube was always closed.

Cutting the tubes to Length:As stated earlier, length is the primary factor upon which the pitch of the tube depends. Because I want to give you the option of building a panflute in any key, I won't justtell you the lengths I used. Instead, I'll let you know how to choose yourself.

First, here are the general tube lengths for any pan pipe at ''panflutejedi.com'' These lengths are expressed in inches, which is annoying for me, as I am an American whohates imprecise units of measurement. Use a calculator like this one at manuelsweb.com to convert them to centimeters. (I will add a metric chart as soon as I can.Notice that the higher lengths of the same notes are half of the lower ones. This is true with all closed tubes, so feel free to make lower tubes than shown here.

To begin the actual construction, get your bamboo (fig.1) and measure the appropriate length from the THIN BUMP at the node, which is where the solid end of the tubeis (fig.2) . Mark the length with a pencil (fig.3) . Now, clamp your bamboo down and carefully cut with a hacksaw, as thinner bamboo like this is more likely to splinter thanusual (fig.4,5) .Clean and Test Your Pipe:Though it would make sense to blow on the pipe now to see if it must be tuned and trimmed, you must first clean out the inside. Thinner, higher pieces of bamboo like thisoften have a white, flaky, "skin" on the inside which must be removed before a tone is produced. Use a file or a drill bit to scrape it all out and off of the bamboo wall(fig.6,7,8) . At this point, test your pipe and determine whether it is in tune or not. My first pipe was just sharp of what I needed, so I trimmed it and made it the next pipeon my scale.

Finish the Pipe:Use either a sander or a sanding bit on your rotary tool to round out the blowing end of your bamboo (fig.9,10) . Make sure not to sand off to much, as this may alter thetone. Now, make a mark with pencil just behind the wide node on your pipe (fig.11) . Clamp your bamboo down again and make a cut with a hacksaw where you marked(fig.12) . This cut will be, once again, quite rough, so it is suggested you sand this end in a similar fashion, also making sure to remove any "skin" that is still attached tothe node. Congrats, you now have a finished pipe (fig.13,14) .REPEAT:As stated, you must repeat this process over and over until you have 8 pipes (fig.15,16) . These 8 pipes will only make a full scale, spanning one whole octave. Because Iwanted my pipes to be more versatile than this, I added four more pipes, still in the same key I had chosen (fig.17,18,19) . With these extra four notes, I could now play inboth the original key (G), and the key 3 notes higher (C). This is of course optional, but I feel is a great way to make your panflute more versatile without compromisingportability.

Making the Cross MembersFind a piece of bamboo that is long enough to span your planflute and is around 1cm in diameter. Make a cut within both nodes with a hacksaw so you have a hollowtube. Hold the tube straight up on your workbench, and using a knife, simply slice the tube in half (fig.20) . Not much pressure is required to split the bamboo, and usuallyis cuts like butter. Warning: If too much force is applied on the bamboo with the knife, you may just slice so quickly, you'll catch a few fingers instead (fig.21) . Thishappened to me, so BE CAREFUL!!! So now, lay out your panflute and place the cross members over the pipes as pictured in figure 22 . If necessary, trim the crossmembers so no more than 1cm of excess sticks out from the pipes. Now that you know where the Cross members go, it's time to tie them on.

Tying the Cross Members:Get out a whole spool of a choice color string (fig.23) . Begin by laying the first pipe diagonally over a stretch of string (the end of string going to the open end of the pipe),with the the upper cross member lying diagonally across the pipe (fig.24) . Pull up both ends of the string up (fig.25, 26) , and tie them in a simple loop knot (fig.27) . Tieanother knot above the previous one (square knot). Then loop the spool of string around the knots multiple times (fig.28) . After around ten turns, loop the spool aroundso it is at the opposite corner of the X made by the pipe and cross member (fig.29) . Loop the spool around in this direction for another ten turns (fig.37) . Place the nextpipe by the first (fig.30) , and bring the thread over the cross member and the next pipe (fig.31) . Wrap the spool in this direction for ten turns (fig.32,33,34) . Then bringthe spool across to the other corner as done previously (fig.35) . Loop the spool in this direction for 10 turns (fig.36) . Repeat until all pipes are secure (fig.37-43) . Tie offthe string in a square knot at the last pipe, securing them tightly.


For the bottom cross member, begin as you did before on the upper cross member (fig.45-49) . Continue by brining the string over the second pipe as before, but onlyloop around ten turns in that one direction (fig.50) . Then, bring the string over the second (fig.51) , and loop the spool around for ten turns here (fig.52) . Repeat thisprocess until each pipe is secure. Tie the string off at the last pipe with a square knot, good and tight.

YOU'VE COMPLETED YOUR PANFLUTE! NOW GO ANY PLAY SOME BEAUTIFUL MUSIC! (fig.53,54)

Image Notes1. EXTRA LIFE!


Step 5: Vidstructables: Each step in videoYes, this is the part you have been waiting for. I know there are some of you who are rather un-interested in reading each of my lengthy descriptions on eachinstrument's construction, and have been frantically scrolling each page to find where the demo video is. I won't use names, because you know who you are. Well, Yougot what you wanted. Each instrument's construction was documented in video. The last video is the one, if any, you should see. An ultimate demo of each instrumentplaying together. Enjoy!If you are reading this text, I probably haven't uploaded any videos yet. Don't worry, it's cool, I just have to deal with all the editing and organizing first. I promise when Ihave the videos done I'll post them. For now, just sit tight and enjoy your instruments! For now, enjoy the MP3s below. the recording isn't awesome, but they really do sound phenomenal in person.

File Downloads

bambooflute1.mp3 (2 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'bambooflute1.mp3']

Shakuhachi1.mp3 (1 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Shakuhachi1.mp3']

Quena1.mp3 (1 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Quena1.mp3']

panflute1.mp3 (1 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'panflute1.mp3']Step 6: Playing your Bamboo instruments.As a general rule for all flutes, to play them, simply grin and make a small space in the middle of your lips for air to escape. This flow of air can be directed over theembouchure by orienting your lips differently. Imagine that you are spitting watermelon seeds over the embouchure, making the air just kiss the top of the hole.For links on how to play the specific instruments, look here:How to play the FluteHow to play the ShakuhachiHow to play the QuenaHow to play the Panflute

Step 7: Post Script: Extra thoughts about the project.Hi. This will be the home for my edits and later thoughts about the project that I want to add. I will read each one of your comments, and if I feel you have a good questionof have pointed out a major flaw, I will make amends and post my answer here. So, go ahead. Enjoy the instruments!Warning: The following information describes methods to preserve and increase the longevity of your fragile bamboo instruments. I am sure that these instruments willmake beautiful music without further modification, but if you are willing to try these extra steps, you are welcome to. I am not responsible for an instrument that washarmed by using this extra steps, however I will take credit for one that sings like an angel. Good luck!

CuringMultiple Commenters have expressed their worry about the fact that my instruments are not cured. Cured bamboo is less suceptible to cracking, drying out and becomingbrittle, damage by moisture, and of course has that familiar "tiki" golden color. While I have experimented several times with curing my bamboo, I felt that for thisinstructable, which was for easy bamboo flutes, curing shouldn't take up to much of the space. Curing at first can see very intimidating and dangerous, as it does involvenearly-burning your bamboo. Curing is very easy though, and it will weather-proof and child-proof your flutes pretty well. There are multiple methods.

In India, bamboo is usually cured by soaking it in water for ninety days, then drying it in the sun for two weeks. This is obviously inconvenient for the average maker, andrisks various types of water damage and warping.


In Japan, the classic method is to drain the sugary resin from the green bamboo by heating it over a charcoal fire. The outside of the culm becomes very sticky andcovered in sap, which it then removed with a wet cloth. This minimally waterproofs the material, burns out all bugs and imperfections, and after thousands of years, hasearned it's Skyfinity seal of approval.

However, a charcoal fire may or may not be the best thing for an inexperienced bamboo flautist. It is important to never let your bamboo become black with soot. This willtake a lot of scrubbing to get out, and will stain anything it touches. To avoid this, keep the bamboo turning, and don't let any one area spend to much time in the flame.Simply hold the bamboo in a place where the heat is just enough to get the resin popping and leeching though the bark, which is often accompanied by a sizzling sound.This level of heat can be achieved by use of a blowtorch or even a simple gas stove.

OilingOnce your bamboo is cured, cut, and is finally a beautiful flute, it may be important to "oil" it. Oiling wooded flutes and other instruments ensures their protection againsthumidity. There are many commercial oils that are sold to oil wooden recorders and specialty wooden flutes, but there has been so much argument over which of theseoils is best, that for your bamboo, starting from scratch is better. Go to your local "health" food store, and scope out their selection of natural oils. Always avoid oils thatmention being "boiled" and altogether avoid Boiled linseed oil. Your best bet is probably Flax oil. This type of oil will keep you flute oiled for longer than the "boiled"variety, and is perfectly safe to use with your flute. Oil using a soaked cloth, and run it in and out the body of the flute with a stick or bent wire. Roll the cloth up tightly tooil the finger holes, but not the embouchure, as droplets of moisture here could cause a shrill hoarse sound.

Related Instructables

How to make aShakuhachi byOmegablood

Making SimplePVC Flutes byJnkyrdguy

How to make anAwesometasticalPVC Flute byEastsidePrep

Small scalehomeproduction byOmegablood

Homemade welltuned pan fluteby Drako84

Ressikan Fluteby Lt. Rooney

Comments50 comments Add Comment view all 62 comments

Kasres says: Feb 24, 2011. 10:44 AM REPLYHello Sir!I recently started to make these for a school project, and while I haven't made the Shakuhachi or Quena yet, I have made the Traditional flute and amworking on the pan-flute, and I was wondering if there was any way to connect the pipes other than the method listed as I do not want to spend over an hourtying them together.Thank you!

Skyfinity says: Feb 24, 2011. 1:20 PM REPLYWow! This is the first I've heard of someone making these for a school project!Good Luck to you!I would love to see what you've done so far with the traditional flute. Does it play well? Could you post pictures?

As for connecting the pan pipes, my method was using very fine thread looped around each tube over and over again, which was, as you've predicted,an arduous task. Keep in mind that these flutes were the very first I made, and I have since then learned from my mistakes.

Unfortunately, I still feel the best and most secure way to get the tubes attached to one another is to tie them. I suggest you use a thicker twine, notthread, and tie each cross over only once. Make sure it's good and tight, and you should be fine. You probably were interested in using glue to join them,however If you use a thick twine and only loop once for each tube, you should be fine.

Also, I didn't make this clear in the instructable, but it is very important to cure your bamboo. Have you done that? These flutes were quick, dirty, anduncured, but if you want a lasting instrument to be proud of, you should cure your bamboo. If you haven't, there's still time to cure the transverse flute youmade.

Anyway, please tell me what you think, and I'd be happy to help you in any way I can. Thanks,

Schuyler.

Kasres says: Feb 24, 2011. 2:19 PM REPLYThank you for the prompt reply, that is alway nice :PWe are going to cure the bamboo very soon, and once that is done we are actually going to superglue the support rods onto the tubes, as it doesn'tneed to be perfect, just to last long enough to get to second block :PAlso, I would love to tell you how my traditional came out, but I am no flautist and I cant even make one tone on that bleedin' thing '_' (I plan to haveone of the lases play it and tell me how I did :P) and I will upload pictures at some point (And I did cure the transverse, but I made it look morewooden which I like more than straight green (using the Japanese method and a backyard grill :P))Thanks again!~Kasres


Kasres says: Feb 24, 2011. 10:48 AM REPLYAlso (Sorry for the double post, but I just remembered this question), do you need to use a root end for the Shakuhachi? It seems to me like you can usea regular piece of bamboo to get a somewhat similar effect (Just asking :P)

Skyfinity says: Feb 24, 2011. 1:28 PM REPLYThe Shakuhachi is traditionally made from a root for a reason: the Shakuhachi is it's own type of flute. It's a weird, end blown, mellow instrument thathas an odd traditional Japanese scale and distinct tone. Part of that tone comes from the unique bore of the inside of the flute. The root section of thebamboo used in the Shakuhachi is dense, unlike the hollow areas of the upper sections. This allows the flautist to carve an inner bore that is lesswide than that of the opening. If you do not use a piece of root-section bamboo, you will not be able to bore the base out to the correct diameter, andwill thus compromise the intonation. If you would like to make an end-blown flute that is not like the Shakuhachi, all you would need to do is apply theflutomat program to your end-blown design.

Do what you want, but I suggest a root.Thanks,

Schuyler.

Kasres says: Feb 24, 2011. 2:24 PM REPLYWell, I'll try the root, but my major issue At the moment is how to knock out the nodes, as I don't have a piece of metal long enough and none ofmy drill bits can make the cut (No pun intended)I figured I'd have to make one smaller. but the issue is the dimensions; intonation isn't too important right now, but is very nice to have, If youknow the right placement on them I'd appreciate it for it :P (I'm guessing about a 13" (Sorry bout using imperial, I'm just a dumb American :P)piece? Maybe 15-18?Thanks!~Kasres

keithmusic says: Jan 21, 2011. 12:02 PM REPLYAny help. I came across about 40 feet of dried bamboo and would like to tryto make some flutes. A lot of info I have read speaks of the diameterbeing somewhat important in relation to the length. The i.d. of thisbamboo is approx. 1.25 to 1.375. Is this to big around ? I am a bassplayer so I do like the low keys. But I am not sure how to proceedwith such a diameter ( ex. how long to cut it, where to put the holesetc. ) Maybe it is to big of dia. ? I would appreciate any help.Thanks for your time. Keith the music man.

Skyfinity says: Jan 21, 2011. 12:55 PM REPLYHey Keith!

I appreciate your interest and am delighted that you want to make some flutes. I will have give you a full answer later though, as I am not currently able tohelp you based on your specifications. Also, I acknowledge that I wrote this instructable a long while ago, and my instructions contain several things thatmay now have been improved upon. I would love to help you, and will write you a full reply soon.

Thank you!

Skyfinity.

xxyuki88 says: Jan 15, 2011. 3:49 PM REPLYvery nice dizi!! i am so impressed~but where may i find bamboo, or buy bamboo, i live in canada, around TO area..

Patman27 says: Oct 14, 2010. 6:51 AM REPLYI have read that it is better not to drill bamboo, as it may split later on. What I'm doing for my flute is heating the end of a metal rod (or drill bit for the holes)with a blowtorch and burning the nodes and holes out..

Skyfinity says: Oct 14, 2010. 4:45 PM REPLYI have heard similar things. It isn't something that I myself would ever try though, but if you want to, go right ahead!

piratejosh05 says: Sep 20, 2010. 11:20 PM REPLYThis is a really stellar instructable! It's obvious that you spent a lot of time & effort on it. I just finished making a pan flute a few days ago, and it turned outreally well. Thank you!

Skyfinity says: Sep 22, 2010. 12:41 AM REPLYThat's great news! I'm very glad it worked for you. This was my first instructable, and even though I haven't posted any of my new ideas, I amconsistently surprised when people continue to draw from it. I would love to see what your flute looks like.

Skyfinity.


Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah says: Jul 25, 2010. 1:06 PM REPLYWow, I really want to try and make one of these now, great instructions! They sound so beautiful, it would be wonderful to learn how to play them as well. I'monly wondering now, because I'm artistic and I love the little details, if carving a small design into the flute after it's done would mess with the diameter andruin the sound? Or would it not matter if the inside diameter remains unchanged?

Skyfinity says: Jul 26, 2010. 7:48 AM REPLYYou a correct. Any additions to the outside that dont compromise the inner diameter, or the pieces overall structural integrity would be fine. I am gladyou liked the way they sound, but MAN oh MAN are those recordings terrible. At the time I didnt know how to use them well and had a terriblemicrophone. Unforunatley I cannot record new ones as I no longer have any of these flutes. If you do intend to make a design, be sure to cure thebamboo first, and make sure you dont cause the "splintering" that occurrs so often with these. Please post your results. I would love to see them.

ericocean says: Jun 30, 2010. 10:26 AM REPLYI absolutely love your instructable. It is clear, well written and well documented and the love for what you do oozes from your words. I have just found a nicepiece of bamboo along the side of the road and I will try to turn your passion into my pleasure. Thanks and peace.

supersumo says: Jun 15, 2010. 2:27 AM REPLYThanks for the tutorial, hard to find one of these on the web! About the flutomat program. I didn't like it, and it doesn't make sense. The finger holes diameteris always the same. This doesn't seem right to me. Besides the calculator doesn't accept values for bigger flutes. I tried to input my flute values(1.7 cm bore;and 0.4 wall thickness) and the holes distances don't show up! Do u know another way of calculating fingerhole diameter?

Skyfinity says: Jun 17, 2010. 7:10 PM REPLYYes... It is a bit of a finnicky program. I've noted the following flaws with it: -It says it can work in both cm and in., but you really need to just convert thevalues to suit it. -It appears that the calculator can calculate the diameter, but this isn't so. The values are changed by the user. The calculations fordistance are calculated based on these sizes. The defaults are completely bogus for extra big or small flutes. It isn't ideal, but if you fiddle with it,consistently good results will be calculated each time. Good luck!

Kaminari25 says: Aug 27, 2009. 4:28 AM REPLYHey this is excellent to tell you the truth but how can i make a small bamboo flute? also i want the sound of the flute to be just a bit airy so which note do iuse? Thanksssss :)

Skyfinity says: Jun 17, 2010. 7:02 PM REPLYAny size is welcome, so long as it can be put into the calculator. An Airy flute? sounds a bit like a Fipple-Flute, and I'll be doing a recorder instructable ina while. Maybe I'll also do one for a really tiny flute called the Koudi, from China.

Sumdude says: Mar 21, 2010. 8:29 AM REPLYHave you (or whoever was playing in the recordings) been trained as a flutist prior to this or did you learn what you know to play on these bamboo flutes?

Mr. Bricoleur says: Nov 6, 2009. 4:07 PM REPLYWoW!!! This is one of my top favorites now. I am going to make panflutes once i get some bamboo... Very well explained. Thank you! fived and faved :D

Skyfinity says: Nov 8, 2009. 9:43 AM REPLYThat is very kind of you! I really appreciate your enthusiasm about it, and please post a picture of your finished panflute! I can't wait to see it.

Mr. Bricoleur says: Jan 2, 2010. 9:20 PM REPLYHm, when I have time I will give one a shot... This summer, maybe. :D

jestaer says: Nov 3, 2009. 2:55 PM REPLYI bookmarked this ible for when had time, but now the text for each step is gone. There are only pictures. ANyone know where the text went?

Skyfinity says: Nov 8, 2009. 9:42 AM REPLYText has returned! Apparently, the site suffered a hard-drive faliure, to which this could be attributed. Now go ahead and build one!

Skyfinity says: Nov 3, 2009. 6:31 PM REPLYOh my gosh.... I have no Idea!O_OThat can't be good!

I'll ask the Instructables Crew what it's all about, although I could probably retrieve anything using the "Way Back Machine" and bringing back the text.That'll be a last resort thing, and I'm pretty sure I can get the text back for you. Thanks for showing such interest!


SGplayer says: Oct 14, 2009. 6:02 PM REPLYamazing! i loved it! one of the greatest instructables ever! see being acollector of instruments, it can be hard to get some nice ones formoderateprices. butfor FREE?!?!?!?! you my man are truly amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

Skyfinity says: Nov 3, 2009. 6:28 PM REPLYThat is tremendously kind of you. I appreciate that a lot!An instrument collector you say? Of what kinds? Thinking of making one of these?

SGplayer says: Nov 4, 2009. 4:26 AM REPLYall kinds. andyes im gonna make one of these. already have the bamboo

sjoobbani says: Oct 8, 2009. 10:19 PM REPLYAMAZING!

Skyfinity says: Nov 3, 2009. 6:26 PM REPLYThanks! That really made my day!

sjoobbani says: Oct 8, 2009. 10:19 PM REPLYwould it be possible to do with synthetic materials?

Skyfinity says: Nov 3, 2009. 6:25 PM REPLYYes, it is very possible to use synthetic materials, such as PVC or artificial bamboo. The only dificulty I forsee is creating a synthetic Shakuhachi,which requires a tapered inner bore caused by the use of root-end pieces. Otherwise, the math and dimentions would work for a multitude ofalternative materials.

TC71 says: Sep 7, 2009. 7:53 AM REPLYYour instruments are extremely creative. Just read about the green beetle shells - amazing.

ke7aqp says: Aug 27, 2009. 9:31 PM REPLYTo burn your holes as you put it, have you thought about, instead of a candle, using a wood burning pen with a small round tip? This will allow you to seal theends of the holes with out the discoloration caused by the flame. Word of caution though, this method might open the hole more and cause tuning problems,so it is suggested that you start with smaller than needed dia. hole and let the burner open it to tuned dia.

edsternet says: Aug 16, 2009. 7:19 AM REPLYHave you managed to record some sound samples from these at all? It would be interesting to hear how they turned out. Thanks

edsternet says: Aug 16, 2009. 9:42 AM REPLYWay to go! They all sound great. What a fantastic result :)

Skyfinity says: Aug 16, 2009. 8:54 AM REPLYYes, samples have been recorded! Go to the "Vidstructables: Each step in video" step and scroll down to find four MP3's. The recording quality ismoderate, but I think it gives you a good Idea of how these guys sound. Boy do they sound great in person though... As you could probably guess fromthe title of that step, I do plan to post videos on the construction of each video. The trouble is that right after I finished this project, I was swamped withactual work to do, and editing all the video I took takes so much time! I'll keep you posted as to when they will arrive. Also, you seem relatively new toinstructables (not that it makes you any less awesome, and I hope you take no offense, I know you've been here 6 months) but if you do need any helpwith anything instructables related, you can go ahead and shoot me a private message. Anyway, Thanks again! ~Skyfinity

edsternet says: Aug 16, 2009. 6:36 AM REPLYFirst of all, thanks for taking the trouble to post such a comprehensive instructable. its one of the best I have read. The Boo needs to be cured first though Ibelieve for a better end result. This is all great, but where do we get the bamboo from to begin the process. Could you get some for me? or recommend areliable source? Thanks again for posting this. :)

Skyfinity says: Aug 16, 2009. 8:47 AM REPLYThank you SO MUCH! Your comment just made my day. This did take a lot of work, and I'm so glad it is appreciated. :DYes, to increase the strength and protect the "Boo" against cracking, it can be cured and oiled. Information on how to do this has been added in the "PostScript: Extra thoughts about the project." step. I didn't add this originally to bog down an otherwise very simple approach.Finding bamboo varies from person to person. All of my bamboo was completely free and "found". I have neighbors that use the local forest behind theirhouse as a dump for all their compost and garden clippings. A short hike from the trail brings me right to their stash, which is full of bamboo of all shapedans sizes. Another place I found it is growing by the roadside though out my neighborhood and beyond. Again, it only took a short hike to commandeersome perfect bamboo. I live in relatively temperate Pennsylvania, and have seen it growing everywhere. It can grow outdoors as far north as Minnesota,


but may not be quite up to "flute standard". I know that various hardware stores carry various sizes of cured bamboo, but since I am not privy to yourlocation, I can't really offer much more insight. It would be nice to be able to give another maker some, but I doubt that would work out :).Thank You for such a nice comment!~Skyfinity

manutea says: Aug 9, 2009. 5:16 AM REPLYNice job, thank you.

Skyfinity says: Aug 9, 2009. 6:37 AM REPLYYour welcome! :D

friger says: Aug 5, 2009. 9:44 AM REPLYGreat detail, I am anxious to hear how they sound! I've been playing tin and bamboo flutes for years but never attempted to make one. Now if only I couldfind some quality bamboo. Nice work

Skyfinity says: Aug 8, 2009. 5:55 PM REPLYThank you so much. Your appreciation really means a lot. I posted the sound samples up, so you can get an Idea of what they sound like. The micdoesn't really do the justice, they sound great in person! All bamboo is quality bamboo. Just treat it nice, clean it up, and be careful, and your instrumentswill sound great. Skyfinity

CapnChkn says: Aug 3, 2009. 11:43 PM REPLYWell, I have to take my hat off to you Sir! I really haven't gone as far as building more than my little flutes. I do have to point out you are using material thatisn't cured, and the insides should be cleaned to as smooth a finish as possible.

Curing Bamboo is as easy as it comes, the wood being hollow allows the air to circulate around the material from both sides. I like to heat treat the blanksbefore all the cutting goes on because the pores and moisture will then be about consistent. Bamboo sure does get brittle when dried out to that degree. Atthat point the wood will not, figuratively speaking, change it's shape during the creation so tuning will stay true, also "playing in" won't change the shape asdramatically.

When the whole thing is finished to your satisfaction, get "Flax Oil" from the health food store. This is the food grade for Linseed oil you will find in hardwarestores. It doesn't "dry" as quickly as the "boiled" kind, but you can eat it. The stuff in the hardware store contains chemical additives to enhance the curingprocess, ok for your walls, not for your flute.

Here's a page with all the chemical information you can stand on Oils, Maintenance, and the "Playing in" process.http://www.woodenflute.com/maintaining

Got all that on my site. I haven't updated in a long time, but it will give you plenty to think about.http://www.captainchicken.com/flute/index.html

Skyfinity says: Aug 4, 2009. 1:41 PM REPLYThank you so much for your kind words. I did work really hard to make all these, and I can't wait to make some more for the next few instructables I willmake in this series.

Thank you for all the great info about curing bamboo and oiling the instruments. I had researched these a fair deal before making my flutes, but decidednot to bother, as this was an instructable for simple flutes, and It seemed complicated enough. I would have done this, but I just wasn't really sure Iwanted to take the risk. I've experimented with it a few times since, and made a couple cured whistles for friends, but I eventually will get around tocuring the bamboo for these... more professional instruments. I think they will stick around long enough without being cured, but I do understand that theystill haven't been fixed up perfect.

Also, I had tried to explain various ways to hollow out the bore of the culm. It took me a combination of needle files, drill bits, rebar, sandpaper, andsticking a dangerously spinning wire in my rotary tool and using it as a miniature auger.

I really do appreciate all the info you gave, and I hope anyone who is curious about this will scroll down and see your comment. Thanks again!~Skyfinity

fireman115 says: Aug 3, 2009. 9:32 PM REPLYif you change it a little it could be a blow gun

Skyfinity says: Aug 3, 2009. 9:55 PM REPLYIt could, which made me nervous when going through security check at the airport with these babies. I wondered if they would request a song. Alas, ablowgun is not what I was intending. Just a flute, to make beautiful music.

shantinath1000 says: Aug 3, 2009. 7:35 PM REPLYIn the drilling- try a brad point bit- it will start its own pilot hole.

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Make 4 Easy Bamboo Flutes for Free

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