"Creation of a closed-end flute"

(click on pics to enlarge)

In my crop of new flutes, I glued up several 'closed-end' flutes. Instead of the regular bore hole at the 'foot' of the flute, you can cut the bore and leave solid wood at the end, giving me room to carve whatever it is I want to tackle.


Of course, I have to tap a hole at the end of the bore, which in this case I opted for an oblong hole on the bottom side of the flute. The air has to be able to escape to make the sound; I could have easily done a more traditional pattern of 4 holes around the flute, drilled in roughly the same area and leaving the end solid, but I prefer the finished view to not see the hole unless you flip it upside down...

I designed this particular flute (Ambrosia Maple, keyed to F#) with a bit longer and wider solid area, as I wanted to carve one of the woodpeckers I've photographed lately. If you follow my "Blah-Blah" blog, you've seen my Downy and Hairy Woodpecker pictures; they are quite similar except in relative size. I'll paint this one as a Downy but make it have a bit sturdier beak like the Hairy...maybe I'll call him "Hairy Downy, Jr." or something like that!

And once the weather clears I'll go outside and start power carving the solid area and shape it into what hopefully will look like a very realistic woodpecker. In this case, the head will be turned chin-up and in line with the body...the wings will be folded over the body, and the tail feathers will extend close to the lowest playing hole. Yes, this is tricky and quite time-consuming, but the results are worth it...

While not the sharpest of my bird pics, this one (rotated) will come in very handy...the one thing I lacked was a clear idea of what the backside of the Downy looked like, since books and photos show mainly side views. This picture was exactly what I needed when I reach the final painting stages.


Now, if I can only find my stash of 36-hour days to get it finished in a timely manner....

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST...

...or at least rolled over dead from it. Yes, yet another RIDGID oscillating belt sander of mine is dead in the water, for which I am none too pleased. I'd written about this tool in an earlier post...it's the only (affordable) one like it, but it just quits running before I've gotten a full, fair use of it.

I'm in the middle of a large batch of flutes and this stalls me for the moment. Grrrrrrrr.

Also, my new website will be up before too long, but still have some tweaking to take care of...keep checking back for that as it will have a totally new look and layout!

(click pics to enlarge)

QUILTED MAPLE
(Pacific Northwest)

You don't even have to get a high grade of Quilted Maple to appreciate it's glowing orbs in the grain. This particular slab will make 2 to 4 flutes, depending on the keys I choose. It's fairly easy to work down, and is one of those woods best sanded to that 1,000-grit level to bring-out the 3-D type of opalescence.

This piece is simply resawn and not fully planed; however, rub on some water and you can see it start to glow in the sunshine....

Nice slab of figured Myrtle...


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I fell in love with figured Myrtle (Pacific Northwest/Oregon) the first time I saw it...it is a rich, lustrous, 3-D type of shimmer that makes a bright tone given it's fairly high density.

However, when I work it into flutes, you see just how wavy the grain is, as it is prone to chipping. I always make sure the planer is set at its slowest feed speed (highest cuts per inch) so as to minimize the tearing. Alas, it can still chip, so I leave a little more 'meat on the bone' before I start the sanding process, just in case there were a deep chip I'd have to sand out.


This is a wood to definitely sand to at least 1,000 grit...yep, it'll take longer to sand as it is quite hard, but worth all the effort! While these pictures show wonderful grain, keep in mind this is re-sawn and unplaned!


One day I'll photograph the behemoth piece of figured Myrtle that is about 7 feet long. That board will yield many flutes, where the piece above will be good for two flutes and plenty of block and end cap material.

A little shop humor...

On my eclectic Blah-Blah blog, I posted some woodshop tool humor you crafters may appreciate...just click HERE.

curly Redwood...

My next piece of 'select' wood is a nice thick slab of curly Redwood that should yield 6 mid-upper range flutes. While a large slab, it's fairly lightweight, typical of such a softwood. When finished, it will yield a 3-D like surface and grain, and be a lightweight flute, overall. I can hear Tim-the-Tool-Man-Taylor now with his little guffaw....!


(plain)


(rubbed with water rag)


(close up of grain curl)

Cinnamon Burl...

I have to admit something. If you talk to me about my flutes, I remain ADAMANT that the overriding mainstay has to be the quality of voice and tuning. Hands down. However, as much as I want to stand on that soap box ad nauseum, there are many who put a premium on 'looks' over accuracy.

I can appreciate that. When you drop good, hard-earned money, you'd like for it to have some aesthetic appeal. I meet all types of flute followers....some want simple and unadorned, others love the bells and whistles. To each her or his own.

I am in the midst of a sloooooooow shop transition, and am operating at mid-capacity and 'stretch' at the moment. In my shuffling of my (inside) woodpile, I unearthed some special pieces that I've yet to touch. I'll be showcasing these boards from time to time to give you an idea of what's 'out there'...

People often ask, "Where do you get your wood?" The answer is: no one place. eBay used to be good, but you really have to hunt and peck anymore given a) the cost of postage, and b) the number of competitive bidders looking for the same thing. I have local professional wood shops in which you have to go inspect each board in person, which is time consuming. I can go to independent web sites and buy individual boards, but they tend to be pricey and there is still the gremlin of shipping charges.

Be that as it may, I snoop from time to time...and I know enough to know when I spot a 'deal' I'll watch it like a hawk and swipe it up if the terms are beneficial. Especially in this horrid economy, all these concerns have become more 'heightened', shall we say.

And so I will present pics of pieces I've picked up and not yet used...pieces that will make X amounts of flutes, that are special in texture and figure, but that will necessarily have to carry a significantly weighted 'price' due to initial investment.

I present to you a slab of Cinnamon Burl I picked up a year ago...only minor checks are in it, and when it is sanded and rounded it will make a mind-boggling beautiful flute. This particular board will yield about 3 mid-to-upper range flutes. It needed additional drying time, and by this summer it will be ready to be dissected.

FYI, I put some alcohol on it to darken it so you can see the 'eyes' and figuring in this jaw-dropping wood.

(click on pics to enlarge)

(plain)


(with alcohol rubbed on)


(close-up with alcohol)

Keep in mind the pic is of a flat piece of wood unsanded. When this is rounded and finished to 1200 grit, it will knock your socks off!