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FundyBrian’s Explorations
- Thread starter FundyBrian
- Start date
Branching out a bit... OK sorry for the bad pun. Making branch flutes is another avenue to explore. Believe it or not the people originally making these flutes 5000 years ago, or even 1500 years ago, didn’t have power tools like table saws and routers or lathes to make flutes with. They usually used materials that were already tubular, such as bamboo and river cane. However, some trees have an almost hollow centre, or at least a pithy centre than can be easily enough scraped out once you split the branch in half. Then they used pine tar or some other sticky sap to glue the two halves together, usually assisted by some wrappings of leather thong. Apparently, animal hide glue was also in common use.
Here is some of my collection of branches saved for flute making. I have some driftwood, apple tree branches, eastern white cedar, alder, willow, maple, Balsam fir, and so on.
Here is a branch that has been sawn in half lengthwise on the bandsaw. Then the two chambers were routed out on each half. Followed by a bunch of sanding and finally surface burning to remove fine wood fibres, harden the wood and seal the wood pores.
The two halves have been glued together but I found I could not use clamps without distorting the wood because the hollowed out parts are fairly thin. The only place I could use the clamps was the two places where the inside of the flute is solid wood. Instead I bound it together with cord, and this worked very well.
Here is my hollowed out branch ready for the rest of the process.
However, at this point the story takes a twist.
I had an encounter of the unfortunate accidental kind between my finger and the router. Quite cut up but will recover OK. I won’t show you a picture of the actual cuts. There are about 10 or 12 scallop-shaped cuts all along one side and a couple on the other side, as well as the top corner of my fingernail gone and lets say my fingerprint recognition will need resetting. Knowing what this machine does to wood it is a wonder to me my finger came out as well as it did. A warning I guess. Acknowledged. So I’m out of flute playing for at least a couple of weeks. My finger doesn’t actually need the aluminum but I made it as a “bumper” because I kept hitting my sore finger on everything I reached for.
Edit: It appears I was mistaken about the number of cuts. While putting on a new dressing this afternoon i could see it more clearly. On the side I thought there were only a couple there are actually 8.
Here is some of my collection of branches saved for flute making. I have some driftwood, apple tree branches, eastern white cedar, alder, willow, maple, Balsam fir, and so on.
Here is a branch that has been sawn in half lengthwise on the bandsaw. Then the two chambers were routed out on each half. Followed by a bunch of sanding and finally surface burning to remove fine wood fibres, harden the wood and seal the wood pores.
The two halves have been glued together but I found I could not use clamps without distorting the wood because the hollowed out parts are fairly thin. The only place I could use the clamps was the two places where the inside of the flute is solid wood. Instead I bound it together with cord, and this worked very well.
Here is my hollowed out branch ready for the rest of the process.
However, at this point the story takes a twist.
I had an encounter of the unfortunate accidental kind between my finger and the router. Quite cut up but will recover OK. I won’t show you a picture of the actual cuts. There are about 10 or 12 scallop-shaped cuts all along one side and a couple on the other side, as well as the top corner of my fingernail gone and lets say my fingerprint recognition will need resetting. Knowing what this machine does to wood it is a wonder to me my finger came out as well as it did. A warning I guess. Acknowledged. So I’m out of flute playing for at least a couple of weeks. My finger doesn’t actually need the aluminum but I made it as a “bumper” because I kept hitting my sore finger on everything I reached for.
Edit: It appears I was mistaken about the number of cuts. While putting on a new dressing this afternoon i could see it more clearly. On the side I thought there were only a couple there are actually 8.
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But in between working there is relaxation time when you might want to use your phone for browsing or whatever, like maybe phone someone. My fingerprint recognition doesn’t work then either. Not just when I’m working, but for several days after I have been working. My sanded down fingerprints take quite a while to rebuild. Cuts to heal, glue takes a while to wear off. Overall I really like fingerprint recognition but there are times it doesn’t work. When my hands are wet kayaking, for instance. After washing dishes.
As one might expect, as soon as the weather has begun to warm a little, this evening it is 13ºC, which is a bit warmer than the few previous days, the blackflies have come out like a hungry hoard, chasing us back indoors.
Yikes. That sounds messy and painful (messy as in nice straight clean wounds heal quicker; painful as in ... well, it’s an extremity
). Have you looked after these kind of wounds before? Do you make your own lotions and potions? Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Don’t do that!!!
The nurse who looked after my finger at the clinic gave me the leftovers from the trauma kit she opened to treat my finger. Once opened and partially used they can’t close it up in a sterile way to use on another patient so they have to throw it out. So I got the rest of the tube of antibiotic cream plus some non-stick dressing, a partial bottle of saline solution and a couple of other things to help me change the dressing over the next few days. I will be a good boy and do it properly and on time. Another visit with the nurse on Tuesday to see how it is coming along.Yikes. That sounds messy and painful (messy as in nice straight clean wounds heal quicker; painful as in ... well, it’s an extremity
In the meantime, one sore finger sticking out certainly makes it hard to do all sorts of things. Obviously it isn’t the same magnitude as a major disability or injury but it is always amazing to me how even a small injury can be so disruptive.
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Beautiful start to your flute.... but not so much your finger!!!
I'm glad it's not as bad as it could be, and hope you heal quickly. (Power tools scare me a bit.... and this is why!)
My finger seems to be healing well. Still gets in the way all the time.Beautiful start to your flute.... but not so much your finger!!!
Curious.
I love this time of year when all the spring greens are so vibrant and varied.
We visited another stop on the Fundy Studio Tour route - Farm Life Studio, on a special event they hold each year - Alpaca shearing time. I didn’t hang around the shearing operation very long. The Alpacas didn’t like it at all and made pitiful sounds. But once it was all over, plus a dental check-up, they were released to the paddock where they soon recovered from their stressful event.
Photographed as DNG HDR in PureShot with Moment 58 tele on the 2x lens position. Developed in Affinity Photo, one version tweaked in MaxCurve, another version in Pixomatic and then the two were blended in Affinity Photo
I love this time of year when all the spring greens are so vibrant and varied.
We visited another stop on the Fundy Studio Tour route - Farm Life Studio, on a special event they hold each year - Alpaca shearing time. I didn’t hang around the shearing operation very long. The Alpacas didn’t like it at all and made pitiful sounds. But once it was all over, plus a dental check-up, they were released to the paddock where they soon recovered from their stressful event.
Photographed as DNG HDR in PureShot with Moment 58 tele on the 2x lens position. Developed in Affinity Photo, one version tweaked in MaxCurve, another version in Pixomatic and then the two were blended in Affinity Photo
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Abandoned.
1947 Ford pick-up truck, all settled in for a long winter’s nap, actually, sunk into the ground by several inches. The woods have grown up around this old truck where it was probably a back field. I was lucky enough to get a short period of clouds to make my photos. I made others while the sun was out but the lighting was too harsh and spotty.
Photographed as DNG HDR in PureShot, developed in Affinity Photo, tweaked in MaxCurve.
1947 Ford pick-up truck, all settled in for a long winter’s nap, actually, sunk into the ground by several inches. The woods have grown up around this old truck where it was probably a back field. I was lucky enough to get a short period of clouds to make my photos. I made others while the sun was out but the lighting was too harsh and spotty.
Photographed as DNG HDR in PureShot, developed in Affinity Photo, tweaked in MaxCurve.
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sinnerjohn
IOTM WInner - April 2022
Nice work Brian, I like this a lot.
Thanks, John.
It looks quite green and lush! The alpaca is a beautiful color....
Great shot!
Thank you, Catherine!
Thank you, Catherine!
They have chocolate and vanilla alpacas but none with mixed colours.
Father’s Day Sunrise Walk
I got up at 4:15am and left the house by 4:30, heading to Joel’s Head beach at the end of Alma beach, hoping for a nice sunrise. It was mostly overcast so I didn’t really expect much of a sunrise. The days that sunrise and low tide coincide are very few and I can only get to where I wanted to be at low tide. But I managed to come home with a few photos that satisfied me in spite of the lack of breathtaking sunrise. Joel’s Head is just to the left out of picture range but I’m looking farther along the Fundy coast to Owl’s Head.
Photographed with PureShot using DNG and HDR, developed in Affinity Photo (so far the only iOS app capable of developing HDR with DNG files). I took that finished file to BeCasso and a few others but BeCasso was the one I used. I wanted an effect I used to get with Topaz Simplify. One of the smooth oil presets in BeCasso is sort of like that. Then I blended the BeCasso result with the original back in Affinity Photo using the “Average” blend mode. The blending restored photographic detail but with some of the oil smoothness.
I got up at 4:15am and left the house by 4:30, heading to Joel’s Head beach at the end of Alma beach, hoping for a nice sunrise. It was mostly overcast so I didn’t really expect much of a sunrise. The days that sunrise and low tide coincide are very few and I can only get to where I wanted to be at low tide. But I managed to come home with a few photos that satisfied me in spite of the lack of breathtaking sunrise. Joel’s Head is just to the left out of picture range but I’m looking farther along the Fundy coast to Owl’s Head.
Photographed with PureShot using DNG and HDR, developed in Affinity Photo (so far the only iOS app capable of developing HDR with DNG files). I took that finished file to BeCasso and a few others but BeCasso was the one I used. I wanted an effect I used to get with Topaz Simplify. One of the smooth oil presets in BeCasso is sort of like that. Then I blended the BeCasso result with the original back in Affinity Photo using the “Average” blend mode. The blending restored photographic detail but with some of the oil smoothness.
Thank you, Tom.
Beautiful!!
MotownLarry
MobiPassionista
- Real Name
- Larry M
- Device
- IPhone XR
Brian, I see you’re really into NA flutes and flute making. So here’s my flute story. My cousin got me into it as my carving mentor. He had prepped several flutes prior to his death in 2007. He had a wood shop you would envy with lathes, routers, sanders, saws, and every tool you could think of. And if he needed something special, he made it. He was a master machinist, master carpenter, inventor and artist.
After he passed, I inherited those unfinished flutes and they sat there for more than 5 years. In 2012, during a trip out west, I bought the R. Carlos Nakai CD “Canyon Trilogy” and a flute playing instruction book. I finished a flute and spent some time self-learning with not much success (my musical skills lay with my voice, I guess). The following year I finished 5 additional flutes and gave them to my grandchildren for Christmas.
Attached are a couple of quick photos.
After he passed, I inherited those unfinished flutes and they sat there for more than 5 years. In 2012, during a trip out west, I bought the R. Carlos Nakai CD “Canyon Trilogy” and a flute playing instruction book. I finished a flute and spent some time self-learning with not much success (my musical skills lay with my voice, I guess). The following year I finished 5 additional flutes and gave them to my grandchildren for Christmas.
Attached are a couple of quick photos.
MotownLarry
MobiPassionista
- Real Name
- Larry M
- Device
- IPhone XR
I don’t know what woods these are, but they all have a mellow sound.
Very nice loooking flutes, indeed. I have the same CD from R. Carlos Nakai - it is the highest selling NA flute CD ever made and still sells well. Plus I have several others. One amazing thing about his CD is that the entire CD was improvised.
One of the things I find difficult about learning new songs is that hardly any have recognizable tunes or melodies. Just a few recognizable licks. Everything else is improvisation. Plus, I have spent all my musical years as a bass player so I have not been playing melodies. I’m trying to avoid playing familiar songs and trying to stick to the more traditional NA Flute style. Maybe later I will try other things.
My main mentor is Charlie Mato-Toyela, otherwise known as BlueBear Flutes. Any information I have about making flutes comes mainly from him. He is also a traditionalist when it comes to flute making. He is very generous in sharing what he knows with anyone who is interested. He also has many videos on YouTube about flute making.
A traditional wood for flute making is Western Red Cedar so maybe that is what some of them are.
I’m curious about the white material between the flute body and the block. I see the block is the chimney type.
Another thing I find unusual on your flutes is the countersunk finger holes. Do you know what the purpose of that might be? I’m guessing it has something to do with making the wall thickness at the sound holes as thin as possible. How do you go about tuning your flutes?
One of your totems looks like carved bone. Is that what it is? The boot could be a white wood like basswood?
I presume your flutes are routed out in two halves and glued together?
In my learning process of making flutes I started before I had the equipment to make flutes in 2 halves so I used bamboo, and anything tubular. PVC tubing and even an aluminum shaft from a gas-powered whipper snipper. I now have some cedar to work with and the equipment to make them but I am also quite interested in making branch flutes using any sort of suitable wood that grows around here. I have also collected a couple of nice pieces of driftwood to use. Most of my branch wood is drying at the moment.
I have one wonderful piece of very twisted wood that washed up on the shore not far from here. A couple of people speculate it is a Lilac tree trunk. The bark is gone and the grain reveals the tree made a complete 360º revolution every 4 or 5 inches all the way along the piece of wood. It looks amazing as it is but made into a flute it might be great. The main concern is possible air leaks because of surface cracks following the grain pattern. I cut off the broken part on one end and it looks solid inside with the cracks just appearing at the surface. But, as you know, the wall thickness of a flute might be only 1/8”. So it wouldn’t take much of a crack to cause trouble. I could seal them up of course from the inside.
To be continued - it’s getting late. Zzzz.
Do you still have any more unfinished flutes to work on? And what about some of the equipment to make flutes? Also, I’m wondering about what key your flutes are in. All the same, or different keys?
There are lots of good videos online to learn flute playing. Some might take some searching to find the best ones. Lots of people wanting to charge for lessons. Others saying they can teach you how to play in 10 minutes. To me the most challenging aspect is getting a feel for the pentatonic minor scale that NA flutes use.
The block and track area are the most complicated part of the flute to get right. Even after following a plan some experimenting is necessary to get the best sound out of it.
I see the track area in your flutes uses a square section left un-turned on the lathe. I have seen other flutes like that online. The method I use starts from a completely round flute body. The flat area is cut down into the round surface. Then the track is cut into the flute body. The block on top is just flat, with a slight radius on the sound hole end.
There are lots of good videos online to learn flute playing. Some might take some searching to find the best ones. Lots of people wanting to charge for lessons. Others saying they can teach you how to play in 10 minutes. To me the most challenging aspect is getting a feel for the pentatonic minor scale that NA flutes use.
The block and track area are the most complicated part of the flute to get right. Even after following a plan some experimenting is necessary to get the best sound out of it.
I see the track area in your flutes uses a square section left un-turned on the lathe. I have seen other flutes like that online. The method I use starts from a completely round flute body. The flat area is cut down into the round surface. Then the track is cut into the flute body. The block on top is just flat, with a slight radius on the sound hole end.
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