Ugly Boy Flutes

2011-06-17T08:51:00.004-04:00

***NEW WEBSITE UP AND RUNNING!!!!!!***

www.UglyBoyFlutes.com

(redirects to ooakart.com
as it always has)

2011-05-08T21:34:00.002-04:00

(click on pics to enlarge)

This is a post that might not trip your trigger in details, but it does paint a larger picture of how one of my singing sticks comes to life, which you may find interesting. A good many are made and finished in fairly short order, and those are almost always more simple in design.

Then there are the 'specialty' flutes, flutes that have some unique, detailed design element that requires a lot of extra work and, correspondingly, command higher prices. I basically build only what I envision and feel, taking custom orders very, very sparingly. I can and will only work when I'm inspired and 'feel' I'm in a good spiritual place. On those days where I'm out of sorts, I just don't touch flutes. Not a good mojo and mix of efforts. Sometimes they come to 'life' in a reasonable amount of time....and then, well....

And so I had this Ambrosia Maple closed end flute that I blogged about....get this...February 18, 2009! OMG, here I was thinking I've had this flute a year and it's well over two. Talk about how time flies when you're stuck in "writer's block"! Find that post by clicking HERE. Eegads.

This is the flute as it has pretty much sat since then, with only minor shaping at the 'foot' where the woodpecker was going to go....

The above two shots show my pics of a Downy Woodpecker feeeding, up against what I was 'envisioning' for the flute. Originally the flute was going to be an F#4, but as I honed down the woodpecker and tweaked the tuning, it was much better suited for a G4, up a half step.

Voila, the flute finished off with the woodpecker detailed and painted. NOW came another big hurdle...what to do for the block? The main interest is the foot of the flute, and I didn't want a detailed block that would compete with the focus of the woodpecker. Conversely, I didn't want such a simple block design that it detracted from the focus...and so I sat with notebook and pencil and sketched. And sketched. And sketched.

I've done this with only a very few flutes, where I take scrap wood and glue up a composite shape of the pieces. Above you see scrap Bloodwood and Ebony, my actual pencil sketch (cut out) of the main tail sweep bordered by two 'wing' pieces, once of which you see cut out.

The three pieces weren't quite wide enough for the flute, so I glued on 'side bars' on the outer edge, knowing I'd sand their width down some. Too, you don't want a pure Ebony bottom exposed over the flue as such a design would lead to quick wet-out...so I thought I'd incorporate the red with the Bloodwood for a bottom choice. The bottom above was rougher than normal as a couple of pieces fractured off, but I knew I'd slap it on the belt sander and flatten it all before adding the Bloodwood.

With some shaping and careful sanding, the block took on an elegant sweeping design of a bird of sorts, with tail and wings, the Ebony and Bloodwood repeating the colors in the Downy Woodpecker. Only one thing left to do.....

The new G4 Downy Woodpecker flute fresh off the press as of today, as I write. Still a couple of more finish coats to put on, and the most minor of touch-up...goes to prove that I don't just whip these 'kids' out without a lot of thought and intentional thought! This one is close to a record, I'll admit. Worth the wait, though, eh? ;-)

2011-04-19T08:13:00.002-04:00

Severe computer issues FINALLY overcome after almost a year...hope to get back to posting much more regularly!!!!!!

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It was another snowy, travel-trouble winter here, much akin to the previous winter. 50"+ of snow, made all the more frustrating by my lousy snow-driving car with only front wheel drive. May this will be the year I can afford a reliable used 4x4 so I can tame the slippery mountain roads here! I can see it now, scrimp and save to barely be able to afford a 4x4, then next winter there will be only two 1" snows and that's it! HA!

Anyhow, in response to the snow and cold (I still have to work in the still-unenclosed carport), I decided to celebrate the warmer weather by pulling out what I call my "Cadillac" woods, very rare, special pieces that are one-of-a-kind, most pieces good for only one flute. Many moons ago I restored a gorgeous 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood that, while possessed by the Devil, brought me much joy and appreciation for a while. Hence my moniker of these flutes pictured...

Pics SHOULD enlarge when you click on them....this is but a sampling of some of the more unique pieces, starting with THE most stunning wood I've ever worked before...tilt it in a strong light and it's downright holographic. There is over $100 in wood, mostly for the extreme curly Hawaiian Koa, and for the Gaboon Ebony endcaps and block...

A4 Curly Hawaiian Koa and Ebony drone

A4 Black and White Ebony with Gaboon Ebony drone

Bb4 Redwood Lace Burl w/turquoise heartline inlay

D5 Curly (rare) Pink Ivory with figured White Oak block

C5 Flame Birch with Bubinga inserts and block

C5 highly figured Ash with Massarunduba block

D5 Myrtle Burl with figured White Oak block

G4 heavily figured Myrtle

B4 heavily figured Red Oak with Narra block

2010-05-11T19:31:00.001-04:00

What's black and black and, uh...black all over?
The answer is now posted....

Ya know, Bill had a great idea with the oil spill....what a hiddeous Medusa that situation is becoming! No, nothing along the lines of injuries or things negative...just the production of my first Ebony flute.

Now, you may not be aware of how unusual that is, an Ebony flute. First and foremost you're talking $$$ as good Ebony starts at $75/ board-foot. Too, setting aside the expense, the sound you get from such a dense wood is in it's own little category.

And you may think Ebony is pure black, but that's not the case. Most Ebony has chocolaty ribbons in it, but when oiled and finished most of it goes very dark, indeed.

Meet "Nighthawk", named for the actual bird. This mid "A" (A4) is 20.5" long with a composite block of 3 thinner Ebony strips, with the end result being a bird silhouette that for me resembles a nighthawk.

The pictures are with the flute sanded and finished with one coat of Walnut Oil....I may re-oil and finish with wax, or may try a shiny poly coat on it, though Ebony can be fickle with finishes.

I suppose I need to qualify a 100% Ebony flute...the block actually has a 1/16" layer of Poplar on the bottom to help absorb a little moisture, as Ebony simply doesn't....should help this flute avoid super-fast 'wet-out' since Poplar will absorb some moisture. I coated the edge with a Sharpie to darken it!

The 'video' below is simply my means of attaching an MP3 file for you to hear the flute. My laptop speakers are horrid, so I will have to assume the sample sounds fine on your computer...just something I threw together and added in a little 'echo' for effect. Enjoy!

2010-03-09T19:44:00.001-05:00

New flute: "SPIRIT HORSE"

Finally, here my latest creation, one I've named "Spirit Horse". It's a closed end flute of Papua New Guinea Walnut, keyed to mid F# (F#4). It's got a beautiful voice, if I do say so myself, but as I write I've not made a sound file of it yet.

(click on pics to enlarge)

I don't have any deep hidden meanings in any of the designs, although the thunderstorm on the forehead is just that. For me it represents the Thunderbeings, and the supercell storms of the Plains. To the Native Americans, the horse of the west wasn't on the scene until the early Spaniards brought them. Once tamed, the horse transformed many tribal cultures, not only for transportation but also for hunting and certainly warfare. Spiritually, the horse represents freedom and power, a spirit that cannot be broken. It also represents safe passage into the 'new'.

When I finally decided to make a horse from the solid wood end, I immediately wanted it to look like it was at full gallop...I wanted that movement, that freedom, that unbridled spirit (literally and figuratively!)...and I had this abstract idea of color and designs instead of a 'normal' look, more representative of the Spirit/Dream world. (Too, it may have been a hold-over from painting the Hippie Flute!). But what to do for the block?

I certainly didn't want a second horsehead...and a regular sweeping bird didn't seem to work. I thought about an old style geometric block found on the oldest Plains flutes, but then I had this idea to stylize the mane flying in the wind...

I wasn't sure how to get the effect, but since I decided to keep the mane black, I knew I had some flat pieces of Ebony. I chose a basic block for the base, angled for aesthetics...could have made it 100% Ebony, but it absorbs no moisture and makes a flute 'wet out' under the block where moist breath travels. I cut four long rectangles of Ebony, and then used my oscillating drum sander to make the 'waves' for the flying mane, hitting the corners as well to round each over. Too, I wanted a tad separation between the tips of each piece, so I sanded a little off the sides of each tail. I actually made about 6 pieces, and then sat down and played with it like a puzzle. I wanted each to look different and not be aligned in the same way...I thought that would be easy but it took some real manipulation to get the four pieces I liked in a precise order. With a little glue and more sanding, the concept came to life.

I was orginally going to leave the Mahogany base natural, but the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of reintroducing the turquoise, so I painted it. While I had ideas for doing other ornamentation, once the block was finished, I had that feeling of peace that my new 'kid' was just as it needed to be.

2010-02-12T09:01:00.002-05:00

"KINGFISHER" mid-G

quartersawn Southern Red Oak

Claro Walnut bird, Walnut hole rings

Ebony band insert in SAC
~27" long

(CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE)

Another flute hot off the cold winter's press, and this is one fine playing flute. Closed-ends can be odd flutes to voice and tune sometimes, but this one has a voice that just jumps out of the flute. All solid at the foot, of course, woodburned and painted, the eyes of hematite beads painted black.

2010-02-10T08:01:00.001-05:00

A whale of a flute...and it's no fluke! Well, part of it is, I guess...

(click on pics to enlarge)

I think it was 1.5 years ago that while walking Mercy on a trail I found a little 3-inch plastic Orca some child had dropped. At the time I thought I should make an Orca flute or make a block like the toy, as it had a neat shape. Basically, I just started messing around with ideas. I had a foot-long chunk of Sapele (suh-PEE-lee) that I mused could serve as the body for a very different style of flute, building the flute mechanism into the body itself.

I cut the large rectangle about a third up from the bottom, lengthwise. I routed only the thinner section, given my limited flute length, which makes the design like one of my flat-bottomed half-pipes. As you'll see in the photos below, to play this flute you roll the Orca over and blow through its mouth.

The fins and fluke are made of Bubinga, and only until a week ago I had no base on which to display the flute. I was originally thinking of driftwood, though I didn't have any on hand. But I did unearth a big piece of Manzanita root I'd forgotten about, and decided to scoop a big piece out of the top to look like a wave and hold the flute. Some hand-rubbed finishing set it off handsomely.

To hold the Orca in place, I added a small wooden peg that goes into one of the two top playing holes. The large hole in the photo below is simply the 'end' of the flute...air has to exit somewhere for these flutes to work. The bigger challenge was to design a block that was integrated into the flute and didn't use a leather tie...the answer was to take small thin pieces of wood, angling the inner edges to 45 degrees, thus building a snug slot for the block. Once I got the design working properly, I sanded down the outside so it blended beautifully.

With a simple pressure the block can be slid out easily...

The flute is a tad under 12" long, and is tuned to ultra-high Bb Verdi tuning (A432). The aerosol can gives a good size reference...

...and it was 'adopted' just last night! Haven't even made a recording with it yet, but that's on my to-do list before I mail it.

As a good friend suggested, could you call this an orcarina?.... :-)

2010-02-03T19:20:00.000-05:00

(EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS WAS A RECENT POST IN MY MANUSCRIPT-IN-PROGRESS, "MILEPOST 50"...worth the read to understand where this ol' flute maker is coming from...)

The “UGLY BOY” Story

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Among the many hats I wear is that of a flute maker. On occasion someone will quip, “that’s an interesting hobby you have there.” It’s at that point I quietly know they don’t ‘get it’.

It’s no hobby. It’s no ‘just something I do in my spare time’ (whatever THAT is….). For me, it is my very Soul’s work, not only crafting instruments but creating music with my singing sticks. Devotees to the Native American style of flute almost to a one use the expression “how the flute found me”… for me (and many others) it represents things spiritual, medicinal.

This chapter is about how my flutes got their name. How the flute ‘found me’ could be another chapter in itself, but to quickly explain that it is to give you a keener insight on how purposeful everything is for me as it relates to the Flute.

At the time, I was full-timing in a 31-foot RV on top of a mountain north of Asheville, NC. Cozy quarters for me, my 2 dogs and a stray cat, which you can read more about in Chapter XX. A Native American arts and craft store was going out of business in town, and while I had very little spare money, I wanted something special for the RV and my small altar I kept. For as long as I can remember I have felt a deep connection with Native spirituality, though in this lifetime I’m as white as Wonderbread.

As I talked with the store’s owner while perusing various items on sale, he suggested, “How about a flute?” Being a long-time singer and piano player, it struck me as odd that I’d not thought of that before, going with something musical. He had two flutes left, and took them out of the case to show me how easy it was (and is) to play…and within seconds I was making ‘those Native American flute sounds’ that we know when we hear it.

I was hooked. But my wallet began groaning, so I took a few days to think it over and possibly re-prioritize my budget. As luck would have it, I returned to purchase the flute only to find it had been sold. The one flute left was a higher key, and I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to go with. Already in my head were visions of all the campfires I’d be playing around, all the sunrises I’d be communing with, all the while mentally hearing the lower key. The groaning wallet took advantage of the opportunity to make me take yet another couple of days for pondering.

And so it was that I was going to get the remaining flute, knowing I could get another lower one down the road (NOTE: collecting flutes is a powerful addiction!). Well, I was going to get it had it been there. Strike two. The salesperson assured me they could have a flute drop-shipped to me quickly, and that’s when the proverbial lightbulb clicked on as I gave my thanks and left.

I didn’t know anyone who played the flute. I was clueless about flute circles, which abound. I had no idea that one of the greatest flute makers had lived right where I was before he lost his battle with cancer earlier that year, Hawk Littlejohn. Clueless. I did a quick internet search for the flute maker, found his site…and found out that I could buy that flute for about half of what the store was going to charge me!

Sold. I was giddy with excitement…the very thought of my new way of living, and integration of the Flute, the daydreams that flowed like a peaceful river, it all felt like a master design. I also knew this loud and clear, deep within, as I chose the flute: the Flute was going to be an instrument of healing and medicine, not only for me but for others. I was going to be a Messenger, that I knew with the most resounding of convictions before the flute arrived. To add, all of this was coming together at a time of a massive personal, spiritual rebirth and divorce. It felt good. It felt right. The flute arrived and I began trying to play it before reading the instruction sheet.

I should have started with the instruction sheet. Excitement levels exceeded poorly produced music, and I squawked away in oblivion. Little did I know what was to happen the very next morning to forever change my Life’s path, yea an event that changed the world in many respects.

9/11.

As I watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center that morning, live, I looked through my tears at the flute lying on the dinette table. I can only explain it as a deep peaceful ‘voice’ that spoke quietly yet loudly, if that makes any sense. With distinct clarity I remember seeing a mental image of the flute vibrating at high frequency, with these five ‘spoken’ words: “You have work to do.”

That was it. I had work to do, whatever that was. And that’s how my Flute Journey go started.

Still not knowing anyone who played the flute, I taught myself how to play, alone in my own insular world. Mary Youngblood’s music was suggested to me at a local store, and when I first heard her melodies I felt like I was heading ‘home’ somehow. Without flute keys matching, I had to memorize the songs in my head then hunt and peck the notes until they could be strung together (successfully). It was a slow process, indeed.

With spring came a new work opportunity and a move closer to Charlotte, NC. There I discovered the local flute circle that April. By then I’d picked up another couple of flutes, and was able to play without making stray dogs run away. However, I kept wanting to hear a cleaner, more precise sound than I was hearing in most flutes…after all, when you pay good hard-earned money for an instrument it should play well and accurately, at least in my mind. There are plenty that don’t.

At that meeting were 3 flute makers there that happily chewed the fat with me…I began casually asking questions about crafting flutes, and my mind started racing. “I can do that,” I mused…and thus the seed was planted. Mind you, I didn’t have a shop, much less the tools I needed to even try to make some flutes, so I kept thinking my way through how I could do it with the least possible trouble and expenditure, at least for the time being.

I didn’t have any guidebooks or plans…as I often do, I like reinventing my own wheels, as I learn most effectively that way. I took a 24-inch piece of good ol’ yellow pine that would have been a typical resident in anyone’s firewood pile, and cut it in half. With two twelve inch pieces, I marked off nine inches for the barrel, left one inch uncut for the flue area, and with the remaining 2 inches I marked off all but 1/2” at the end for the blowhole.

I did have a router, and had one bit, a 1” round-nose bit, with which I cut out the barrel and SAC or slow-air chamber you breathe into. After gluing up the two halves, I began whittling away at the corners to round the flute, and as I went along, that yellow pine would give off big chunks, so much so that after I while I quit for fear of cutting into the barrel. I’d already put a hole in the SAC by accident, and had to put a piece of duct tape over it to make it airtight.

I didn’t look at it as crude or Neolithic…I preferred the phrase ‘folk-art’ to describe that short, stubby, unsanded, ugly flute. I guessed where the finger holes needed to go, and didn’t guess as well as I should have. I refer to the finger holes being large enough for spawning salmon to jump through. To complete this oddity, I had to use green twine to tie the block on as I had no leather ties to do so.

I had only one goal in mind that day: to put two pieces of wood together and try to produce a musical note. Little did I know I had many aspects of flute-making wrong, with dreadfully incorrect ratios. But it played! Oh boy did it play, a very loud high C, dead –on in the meter. The chills, the goosebumps, the adrenalized excitement was overwhelming…I made a musical instrument!

‘Twas a red-letter day for my record book. The flute circle was meeting the following weekend and I wanted to unveil my, shall we say, ‘unique’ flute. At the typical flute circle gathering, there is a time called the play-around, where everyone sits in a circle and one by one play a song. The rule was even if you didn’t play the flute or play it well, you still had to blow 3 notes before moving on to the next person. As each person played, everyone else would supportively listen. That’s where my unveiling would occur.

Sitting on my sofa and holding the folk art, I smiled lovingly like a dad upon his newborn kid. “You are one ugly boy!” As the old saying goes, the rest is history. With a black marker I signed the flute “Ugly Boy” with the its birthday, July 7, 2002. As the chairs were pulled into a circle that Saturday, everybody had chosen the flute that they were going to play.

Flutes of all woods, shapes, sizes, styles, keys, you name it, it was probably there, many in fancy cases or bags. I had put Ugly Boy into a most appropriate case: a brown lunch bag.

I was a little more than halfway around from where the circle started. The closer it came to my turn, the harder my heart beat in my chest. “Deep breaths,” I thought, lest I get too excited and talk too quickly and play my special song too fast…and it was a lightning-fast song I’d written just for this loud, wild child.

“Hi, I’m Bob and I am going to play my first flute I just made, “Ugly Boy”…”

“Oh, you’re going to play the beer bottle?” as laughter rolled around the room. There was no disputing it appeared I was brown-bagging refreshments as I held the sack up. If you thought there was laughter with that last comment, you should have heard it when “Ugly Boy” saw the light of day. One of the flute makers immediately said, “That’s not supposed to play!” as the barrel should have been closer to 18” long instead of 9”. Little did I know. I let ‘er rip, loud and fast, and that’s how Ugly Boy Flutes sprouted wings.

Not that I was certain that’s what I’d call my flutes…it was just done in humor at first. But in pretty quick order I realized how perfect that name actually was. Catchy, yes…search for flute makers and you get all sorts of spiritual, earthy sounding names. “Ugly Boy” stands out in a crowd much as a purple penguin would. The hidden beauty is what invaluable Life lessons are embedded in that crude piece of folk art.

I can talk a blue streak about my flute world. When I finish telling the Ugly Boy story, people always remark what a passion I have for what I do, and they couldn’t be more right. For in that homely foot-long piece of yellow pine are two very important lessons we would all do well to put into practice:

1) Never judge anyone or anything by their appearance. It’s what’s inside and is produced that matters.

2) Each of us has a ‘song’ in us, which is a Life Passion, musical or not…and we have a responsibility to search within, find our ‘song’ and let it out loud and clear. “Ugly Boy” transformed from a discarded piece of pine into, well, my whole world of Ugly Boy Flutes. So, too, should our personal passions be discovered, developed, and shared. Always and all ways.

That’s why I kept the name. At any point in time, many find themselves at the searching stage, which knows no age limit...searching for their purpose and meaning in Life. When asked, "How do you know what your 'song' is?", my answer is a rather simple but accurate one: when you get up in the morning, you can't wait to go and do it, to get going, to get creative.

It'll put a smile right in the middle of your heart.

2010-01-25T08:19:00.006-05:00

COMING REAL SOON....

Mid G closed-end Kingfisher flute in quartersawn Red Oak...

Low E Half-Pipe one-of-a-kind experimental flute that is only 16" long!?!?! Walnut over Poplar...

Mid A Half-Pipe in African Mahogany over Ebony base...

High F (?) Half-Pipe 5-hole painted black...fun and bright!

2010-01-16T13:35:00.005-05:00

My "HIPPIE FLUTE"

(CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE)

The 'Hippie Flute' has landed in the hands of its happy owner as of Saturday morning, and here are the pics I had waiting in the wings to publish. You think I would have thought far enough ahead to record a song with it, but nooooooooooo that would have required me to think ahead! Oh well, you can only accomplish so much when things get hectic, eh?! I photographed it without any finish so I wouldn't deal with reflective glare, etc. Paints are acrylics in multiple coats, topped with a wipe-on polyurethane finish. The black lines were originally done with a Sharpie at the 'coloring book' stage, but finished off with a Rapidograph pen before sealing.

The particulars are it's made of spruce, in the key of low C, and I built an in-bore constriction about 5 inches from the foot of the flute to make this a much more compact low C flute. The short SAC (area behind the block) makes for a more comfortable hand placement, closer to the player. Typical of softwood flutes, it's oh-so-mellow...perfect for the theme, dudes.

The new parent Sharon mentioned something I'd thought about...whether one would be comfortable playing Native songs on such a flute, would it feel right, etc. While I was alive for Woodstock, I was too young to remember much about it or anything going on then. But was it not an era that stood up against government control and lying, covering up 'truth' and strong-arming those that refused to play by the Fed's rules? Was it not about truly loving peace and acceptance of everyone as they were? Can't encapsulate such a significant cultural movement, of course, but I would have no problems playing serious soulful songs with that baby.

I did tell Sharon that she needed to buy a pair of glasses with round yellow or rose colored lenses, as well as a cheap afro wig...be in a somber concert, start talking, put on the glasses, then the wig, then pull the flute out...wouldn't that be a hoot?!

2009-10-28T04:13:00.001-04:00

DON'T FAINT...THE NEW WEBSITE IS UP!

Check back for updates like sound samples and
other pages in the days ahead!

2009-10-08T20:38:00.000-04:00

I put my eggs into a couple of show baskets this month, so letting the sawdust and chips fly as I finish up some new stock. Thought the natural scree of shavings was rather artistic, myself, from the jointer I set on top of my 13" planer. One day I'll have a bonafide shop and space to not piggyback the tools...in this case, the near-100 pound planer is not fun to constantly move around, so it served a dual purpose for some quick jointing...

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10
26th Annual Church Street Fair (LINK)
Waynesville, NC
downtown, Main Street
10a - 5p

High-quality art show that I wish were a 2-day show but instead is a one-day wonder. Ugly Boy Flutes is booth #29 very close to Mast General Store (on a line to the famed Whitman's Bakery), easily identified by the two 6-foot tall turquoise kokopelli figures that guard the entrances. I wish it weren't so, but it looks like showers are likely all day, so bring rain gear. The one day you want dry is the wettest of the week...c'est la guerre!

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SATURDAY/SUNDAY OCTOBER 17/18
2nd Annual Arts & Crafts Fall Festival (LINK)
Tryon, NC
373 Harmon Field Rd.
10a - 5p, both days

This is my former stomping grounds and where family lives...QUAINT area to explore, and while it is not a huge show, there are some neat artists in the region. The Tryon Arts & Crafts building has a wonderful museum and shop, as well, at one end of the Harmon Field area. Fall colors should be doing their thing, too!

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Insofar as new flutes, I'm stocking up on half-pipes in myriad keys as the economy has created a higher than normal demand for that less-expensive style...uncompromised sound quality, just in a unique design that won't roll off a table! There is one 'bagpipe' drone available, an unusual design...and the Green Heron will have a special display as well (hoping a discriminating collector might want to adopt it!).

Cheers, y'all!

2009-08-21T05:34:00.001-04:00

(click on pics to enlarge)

Here's another one of the 5 flutes I turned in Tuesday for jurying, and one of my all-time faves: my Great Blue Heron flute, that is now part of a Charlotte school's museum. They graciously loaned it back to me for a couple of weeks...always a thrill to see an old 'kid' of mine and take it out for a whirl!

The body is Quilted Maple from the Pacific Northwest, capped on both ends with Madrone burl. Black Walnut was used around the finger holes...to put those in, you tune the flute, then drop a 1/2" drill bit into the center. Add in a 1/2" plug of your wood of choice, sand to the barrel, then redrill the original sized hole in the center and fine-tune. Makes for a nice touch.

The block is a single piece of Poplar, carved and burned to it's final shape. I didn't have taxidermy eyes back when I made this so I painted inserted beads. When I get into fragile territory like the breeding plumage off the back of the head, I impregnate it with a watery superglue to strengthen it.

The inlaid dragonfly was made with Turqouise and Lapis for the body, and crushed Abalone and Aluminum dust for the gossamer wings. The Heron and Dragonfly make a nice totem tandem. (FYI, the holes below the dragonfly are simply tuning holes)

2009-08-20T06:37:00.007-04:00

(CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE)

"THUNDERBIRD"
mid G modes 1&4
figured Black Walnut body
(birdbeak design)
inlay: Turquoise

Block: Claro Walnut "Thunderbird" with Turquoise

Bold player this one, and fresh off the press. Not available for sound samples or sale until September 1 (out of town for judging); email for more information.

2009-08-18T01:12:00.002-04:00

DELIVERY DAY!

I think I could tweak and tweak and tweak myself into trouble with flutes...the more you look closely, the more you can see you want to diddle with, seeing things that 999 out of 1,000 would never ever see! Alas, gussying up the 5 flutes to take to Asheville Tuesday for judging later this week,for potential membership in the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Too, the day has been a squirrely one that I won't go into detail about...except to say when you're looking for a break for things to slow down so you can catch your breath, that's when a bevvy of other things flare up like a California wildfire! Can I get an "AMEN!" from the choir???!!!

For now, I'm posting detailed pics of just the freshly finished Green Heron flute (low E), complete with carved creek and trio of Grandfather rocks. The body is figured Black Walnut, and the block is a single piece of Basswood (plus the glass eyes).

(click pics to enlarge)

What's peculiar about photography sometimes is how certain colors don't translate exactly; while the Heron's head looks rather light and blue, it's grayer and darker...tweak as I might I couldn't get a great match, but you get the idea!

Lastly, I took a group shot of the 5 show flutes I'm turning in:

From top to bottom they are:

1. "Praying Hands" (mid F#) in Papua New Guinea Walnut, Dogwood and Bloodwood

2. "Jonah and the Whale" (low E) in Makore with a Galilean boat of Peruvian Walnut

3. "Great Blue Heron" (low E) in Quilted Maple, burl caps, dragonfly inlay and Poplar head

4. "Green Heron" (low E) per above

5. "Thunderbird" (mid G) in figured Black Walnut and Claro Walnut T-bird w/ turquoise

The top 3 flutes are already in private collections, and generously loaned for this review. The bottom two are new but won't be for sale until early September. Email me for more details on either.

Carpe diem, y'all!

2009-06-26T07:34:00.002-04:00

QUICK SHOW NOTICE
Sat. June 27 & Sun. June 28
MAGGIE VALLEY, NC
"Pretty Crafty" grounds, Hgy. 19
9am - 6pm both days

Drop by if you're in the area and try out some cool new flutes!

2009-06-21T12:04:00.007-04:00

NEW WEBSITE UPDATE

The old website ( www.UglyBoyFlutes.com ) recently became 'toast' and the new one should be up in a matter of days.There is a front page up for the moment with one of my favorite songs that plays on it, a song on which I multitracked all the instruments. You can replay it manually at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for your patience!!!

2009-06-04T06:11:00.004-04:00

DOGWOOD BRANCH FLUTE
HIGH F (VERDI) 6-HOLE

I'm really liking the dead Dogwood branches I've found at this one place. I had already cut this branch in half and glued it before I realized I should take a picture of it. Too, just because someone had suggested it one time, I glued up the flute and then used lots of cheap electrical tape to hold it together instead of my army of clamps I normally use...(I greatly prefer clamps!)

In the picture, the mouthpiece is to the left and the exit holes to the right...the block and sound board area sits just to the right of the knob area, top left. Again, just a good ol' dead branch I picked up where I walk Mercy sometimes, with one significant crack/split that runs the length of much of the bottom of the flute.

First, the finished pictures of the whole critter (click on pics to enlarge). It's approximately 24" long...the SAC (slow-air chamber you breathe into) is about 9" long, 1" for the sound board area, and about 14" for the barrel. As you will see, there are getting to be what are my trademark tuning holes making this a short playing barrel, holes that I really like creating as they add another artistic flare to what is a truly unique flute...

It's in the key of high F (Verdi tuning), which explains the rather tight and staggered spacing on the 6 playing holes...interesting, too, to see a decent size flute play such a high key (the earlier Dogwood branch flute post was in the key of B, significantly lower but the same overall length. All a function of bore diameter and length of the 'musical' barrel, up to the tuning holes)...

Now, it just so happens that I've tuned all my branch flutes to Verdi frequencies...probably won't keep that up, however with this flute I didn't put it to a tuner until I took these pictures just yesterday (notice I've not even signed the flute yet). One reason why I didn't care about knowing the key is I make flutes for the joy of making them...I let this come into its own voice, and it's beautiful.

Consider the 'normal' A440 tuning that we all hear in virtually any music today...a note can be sharp or flat, sort of in between notes...however, that is basically where the Verdi frequencies are, the quarter-tones in between A440 notes. Sooooooo....putting those two ideas together, when I tune a flute, it's either going to be nicely in an A440 scale or an A432 (Verdi) scale. A bit simplified, but you get the idea...which is why I decided to let this flute (and a crop of others) come into their own voices and let their keys be what they are.

"Ooooh, I'd like a flute like that in high D#...can you make one?" Could, if I had the right piece of wood, I guess...but with these branch flutes I don't want to force the bird to land in any key tree, so I don't take such orders on. They are what they are...and this one has some neat details in it...

This is my tuning hole group...I cut the first one closest to the end (right) and check the flute's fundamental...through experience I can just tell if it's too low by the qualities of the root note. So I cut another....then another...until I found a really sweet, strong note that 'spoke' to me.

In the earlier Dogwood branch flute post I mentioned, I cut it along its major crack line and discovered some inherent problems compounded by doing that. For this flute, I cut the branch in half on a plane perpendicular to the large crack. I could have done the ol' cedar dust and runny CA glue trick as before to fill it in, but I felt like adding a splash of color this time. It's actually green Malachite, but I didn't compensate for the blue-shift in the shaded area I photographed in late yesterday...

The boring insect 'designs' made for neat patterns...this one the letter "V" which I'll say is for Verdi...the crack did go all the way through to the inside of the barrel I carved out, so I put a layer of thick CA glue on the inner opening to give me a base to pour in the crushed stone and powder from the outside.

The 'foot' of the flute is neat in that I opened up the two holes at the split...and learned the hard way that when you work with a flex-shaft power carving tool that you canNOT let the cutter head hit two surfaces at once, lest you eventually break the inner shaft from the resulting sudden torque and chatter when you get too tightly in on an area (should have gone to a smaller bit instead of one that was only a tad smaller than the hole).

"Hey, Bob, sounds like you broke the shaft!?!"

Yep. You live and learn, and I found a couple of affordable shafts on-line, now en route to me as I type. While I use a Wecheer, I've been told it's even a problem for the much pricier Foredoms...basically any flex shaft carver. They have powerful motors turning a core-shaft of tightly wound wires, and if the bit gets stopped hard by the material you are working on, the motor keeps turning briefly until the wire stops it...only if you do it repeatedly, the wire breaks. learned a lot in that lesson of a few days ago, I did...

Well, that's all for now. I've also been salvaging older flutes that were collecting dust, unfinished for some technical design or musical issues, and have had good successes 'repairing' them. Been kinda sorta like the old adage I'm reminded of...

"There are no 'problems', per se, just opportunities for solutions."

Have a blessed day, all y'all!

2009-05-27T05:57:00.002-04:00

The analogy of a Cracker Jack box comes to mind, where you get a cardboard box that is full of not only sweet things but a surprise that delighted me as a little kid. OK, point taken, I spent little of my life actually 'little'...but this particular 'kid' (as I call all my flutes) has thoroughly done that, delighted me. In case you didn't see yesterday's post, here it is in all it's fibrous glory...

(click on pics to enlarge)

...the now-Ugly-Boy when it was just a throw-away stick...

[Lest I forget, it's a high B tuned to Verdi frequencies (A432) and is ~24 inches long] Once glued, then tapped for sound and voice, the careful sanding began. I wanted to remove the oxidized stuff and yet I didn't want to remove 'character' that I was seeing, and there was a lot of it. With a magical break in the weather, I quickly photographed what I now call "The Howler"...as I was photographing some of the wonderful intricate detailed grain patterns, this one jumped out at me as a ululating wolf...see if you can see it, too...

For those that had any trouble seeing it, I did a little key fer ya...

This flute is just loaded with interesting patterns...

As above and below, there were voids that I had to fill in...while I could have used something like Turquoise or malachite, I decided to stay 'natural' and used cedar dust. I simply would add a watery superglue and press the dust in, then 'water' the top with the watery glue. Makes a rock-hard and pretty inlay, if I do say so myself.

I mentioned in yesterday's post about avoiding sticks with pronounced splits, as such cracks are rarely singular in nature or on the same plane. Case in point for this flute as a couple of large pieces flew off when cut with the saw and also with the Kutzall bit I used to rout out the chambers. In this case it was easier to fill it in as opposed to go look for the wood or try to custom fit some odd piece in the void...all part of the 'on the fly' decisions I have to make.

The mouthpiece ended up being quite wide where I had decided to cut the branch...so instead of boring the hole and then shaping down to the opening like I would normally do, I left it as-is and had this flash to simply use a sander and make it concave. Never done it before, never seen it, but it is really easy to play and so I've given the design an appropriate monikor: "The Kisser". That's how you play it, just 'kiss' it and blow...

Here are a few views of the almost-finished flute, the High B "Howler"...

Not too bad a transformation of kindling, eh? Carpe diem, y'all!

2009-05-26T08:36:00.002-04:00

THE MAKINGS OF A BRANCH FLUTE...

(click on pics to enlarge)

Ah, even the best laid plans...

Our Carolina weather pattern of late has been the pits for getting stuff done outdoors, including putting on flute finishes indoors, thanks to the sky-high humidities. I was hoping to do a cute little 'family tree' post on my new family of 'branch flutes', but the photography I want to do isn't going to happen any day soon, so it appears...

So I thought you might find it interesting how this new little offshoot began for me, and I pulled together some pictures to put it all into perspective. To set the stage, there have been flute makers that do nothing but make natural branch flutes, so it's nothing new...what is new for me is the 'look' and 'approach' and 'technique' as well as the sheer joy of seeing and hearing the finished product.

Going back a couple of years, a very special wooded area was 'harvested' in a very ugly manner, all due to a tiff between a local doctor and his local municipality.

I vowed to collect some of the 'trash' Cedar and Dogwood trees and incorporate them into flutes, so that they could be a part of healing music to go back out into the world in a positive way. I wasn't thinking branch flutes at the time, but I would still start at the same place regardless of what flute style I made. After the dust settled, I began to scout for good specimens...

Of course, the possibilities were almost unlimited...what was limited was a space to store selections since it would take a couple of years for 'green' wood to dry. However, this area had some 'dead standing' trees already, which is preferable to dead trees lying on the ground where they can rot more quickly over the years. I was able to use some of the dead Cedar immediately as it was already dry, and just recently began incorporating Dogwood. Now that I've started making some branch flutes, I go back to the area and still rather easily find some pretty good wannabes, which is why I carry a handsaw under Mercy's quilt in the back of the car!...

This post is about just one particular piece I began to finish up last week, a piece I could have easily argued wasn't worth looking at twice and passed over. I think it might be an old Dogwood branch, but it was so 'dead' already I couldn't tell with much confidence. It was a hardwood that was now softer inside thanks to initial drying and decay.

Today will simply be the beginning images...the finished flute (well, except for a couple of more finish coats when I can get 'em put on!) is sitting ready for pictures...and it turned out beautifully, all things considered. That last phrase is because these flutes take a LOT of handwork, especially for hole and crack filling, and then the whole unique sound 'issues' that have to be calculated and solved especially for curvy pieces like this one...

I did lightly knock off what bark was left on this dead branch so that I could get a better look at what cracks and blemishes were where; too, you have to envision which end will be the mouthpiece...which will be the foot...where the sound hole 'nest' will go...which will be the more ergonomic placement for finger holes...where the musical 'end' of the flute will be so you can drop in a tuning hole(s) to keep more of the stick for aesthetics...

Since this is all still new to me and a constant work in progress, I will be shying away from flutes with noticeable cracks, unless they are solitary ones. The process is that I cut the branch in half with a band saw, cut out the insides with various tools to specifications I draw up for a particular branch, then glue it back together. With large cracks, they are rarely straight up and down and in one plane; rather, they usually exist in groups on multiple planes, and when you make a cut with a band saw, which is one plane, or even in the hollowing stage, you risk cracked pieces flying off as you cut into the flute, many times making the wood firewood!

Here is what I came up with for this particular piece:

I'm obviously leaving a lot out about, say, how I know I need a tuning hole in that particular location, etc. That's a function of the approximate diameter of the bore I'm cutting out versus length of barrel I cut out...which has as the starting point at the 'nest' area and the TSH (true sound hole, in front of the block)...if you think there is a lot of blind trust and faith in this process, you are correct! But that's the beauty of being an artist and making unique creations: there ain't no guide book. You go within and listen to your intuition and follow your inspiration.

Last week I was adding the four new branch flutes to the 'family tree' (below), and today's 'kid' is the one closest to the anaconda-size 'trunk' flute at the bottom. I had not yet split it, only cut the mouthpiece area (which is on the right end) and sanded the rough areas off the flute

It just so happens I tuned all of these to Verdi frequencies..today's is a high B...the top one pictured is a high C#....followed by a lovely straight, bright mid G...and then the bottom Bahama Mama is a bass A# that would astound you by how very little breath it takes to play and still get a rich, full tone.

Not to tease you, but I'm not taking just any ol' snapshot of the finished product just to include it in this post...this was more to give you an idea of what processes I work through. I tap the 'nest' sound holes just like a regular flute, 'guess' at the tuning hole and tweak until I get a solid fundamental note, just like a regular flute. I then measure and drop the finger holes where they need to go, though it is a bit trickier with a curvy piece with uneven wall thicknesses...still, pretty close to how I do a regular flute. The difference is that when you get it all done and then add all the finishing work, I have something rather extraordinary when I compare to the old stick I found lying on the ground. This particular piece has some gorgeous coloration and patterning in it that I'll get close-ups of...it's worth the wait, I promise!

Well, when the weather cooperates, the pics will come forth...I will be unable to do a video insert for a few days due to a few temporary technical issues, but I think you'd like to hear and see them being played. As I always say, "Stay tuned!"

2009-05-07T07:02:00.004-04:00

NOTE: IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE NEW STYLE OF VIDEO LINK AT THE END OF THIS POST IS "ACTIVE-X ENABLED", AND FOR SOME USING INTERNET EXPLORER YOU MAY NOT SEE THE LINK AT ALL UNLESS YOU "ENABLE" ACTIVE-X FOR THIS VIDEO. IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN GO TO "TOOLS", THEN "INTERNET OPTIONS", THEN "SECURITY" AND LIST THIS WEBSITE AS AN 'ALLOWED' SITE. FUTURE VIDEOS WILL THEN SHOW UP, AS I PLAN ON DOING MORE IN THIS FORMAT. SORRY FOR ANY TROUBLE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME OF YOU!

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(CLICK ON PICS TO ENLARGE)

PigPen is who I looked like last weekend as I was carving out this particular walking cane branch flute. It's now ready for sanding and finishing, and I thought I'd share it with you and try something new: shooting a video and putting it on the website. I'm sure those will get better, but at least it's a start and a nice new twist to the blogs.

Inbetween showers I went on the back deck to shoot the video below just once. Looking for more storms today, so not sure if and when I can get the sander outside to start finishing up. I'll start with a pic of the flute that is presently 38.5" long/tall. For my first 3 branch flutes (and next 2) I'm using relatively straight pieces of old, downed/dead cedar that I pick up on occasion when I walk Mercy. While I didn't take a picture of what it looked like before, I took a picture of it up against another potentail walking cane 'branch' flute that has already been cut in half and retaped for later carving...

"Branch" flute is a bit of a misnomer as this particular piece is not a branch but the main trunk. As a result, it has more of the white sapwood around the rich red heartwood center...as I sand the red streaks may or may not show up, so it's always fun to 'see whatcha get' and, regardless, it's always pretty when it's been sanded and rubbed down with oil. Nothing like the texture of wood...

If you want to shoot a tricky shot, hold a cane in a left hand and stick your right hand out and blindly shoot back at yourself!

Though it doesn't show up too well, I scallopped around each finger hole using the edge of my orbital palm sander, and it makes for a very comfortable grip. May try that more in the future with the branch flutes...the flute is also surprisingly light in weight, not only because it's mostly hollow inside, but the old dry wood is light weight to begin with.

I never was sure from the start what I was going to do with this flute, so I played it safe and did not bore all the way to the end of the flute...if I do let this be a cane, the added 'beef' at the bottom would be good to have. I have the option of not going with a 'cane' idea and cutting off the solid section and it won't effect the flute as I've already established the 'musical' barrel length by putting in tuning holes. Yet another option is to use the 4" long solid area to carve something neat and let it be an ornate branch flute...things that make you go 'hmmmmm.....'

It may be that the 'red' is not far under the surface, but there is plenty of character in the wood as it is...and I definitely want to oversand and change the 'natural' look and feel of it...

Flute-making is a on-going experiment...and on the next one I think I'll 'de-shag' the bark before cutting it in half...the reason is that with these particular pieces I've picked up and used for flutes, they have numerous cracks in them. The one below just happened to run along the top of the flute, but I didn't see it until after I'd cut out the 'nest' where the block sits, establishing the 'top' of the flute. It's easily neutralized with one of 3 viscosities of professional CA glue (cyanoacrylate or 'super' glue) that I allow to soak into the fibers over a few doses, and it looks neat when done. It's just that this big 'un had a whole lot of little cracks and openings and it took some time to get them all. You would be amazed how the tiniest of air leaks, cracks, can stop or significantly alter the sound quality of a flute...

I kept the end rounded off for now...still at that experimental stage on whether to make a leather bonnet to go over it while you use it as a cane, or get fancier with a 'handle' of sorts that pops on and off...mulling all that over. Plenty of rich, purple-red heartwood in the center, for sure!

And now for your viewing pleasure, the cane flute in action. At first it was a low B, but after tapping holes the fundamental was just not comfortably solid enough for me, so i lifted it a half step to low C. And without boring you with details, it all came together as a low C# using Verdi frequencies (I'm tellin' ya, I really like the stuff!). Enjoy! (FYI, videos don't enlarge, and you have to hit the arrow in the bottom left to play...audio comes out surprisingly clear!)

If this works well enough, I'll go back and make samples of the first two Verdi flutes I blogged about, the low E and my first 'branch' flute in A. That is, as long as more tornadoes aren't whipping around close by today...!

2009-04-28T06:23:00.003-04:00

One of the most important states of being in creating a peaceful, harmonious life is practicing 'detachment'. True detachment. It doesn't mean being a hermit and cutting yourself off from everyone...it means not letting people, objects, feelings become so 'attached' to you, mentally, that they meld with your sense of identity...that any idea of 'losing' that 'attachment' will somehow 'take away' from who you are...

Easier said than done, I know. Masters know the simple beauty and truth in it because they practice it. I think we've all heard/read the 'love' verse that says if you love something set it free...that's the idea, anyway. And so I come to those questions from time to time with certain flutes. I am often asked, "Have you ever sold any flutes you wish you'd kept?" The honest answer is 'yes', but knowing it's a necessary 'step' since the beauty and medicine of this sacred instrument needs to be shared and spread around, not hoarded. OK, and bills need to be paid, who's kidding whom!

I had been corresponding with a prospective 'parent' over particular flutes and keys, getting a feel for what they were looking for...and as is oft the case, it gets into matters of Spirit and the Heart. There's a lot of 'gut feeling' involved, messages from beyond...a lot gets 'spoken' without ever being written. It's a neat thing, really...quite vibrant. I say 'parent' as I view my flutes as my 'kids', so I refer to them as being adopted, not sold. They're much more than pieces of wood that play sweet music.

When I had completed the (low E-flat) Praying Eagle flute below, I knew it was a keeper. Oh, it was offered to a select few people that ultimately passed on it...it is one of the most amazing playing flutes, too, with an upper register that can be cleanly played with the lightest of breaths...for experienced flute players with superior breath control, this instrument will play just about anything any way. How could I offer it for adoption now?

Well, I did. It's Iowa-bound as I type, along with a couple of other siblings. Deep down I know there will be other really great flutes that will be created, and I'll cross that dilemma-bridge all over again. Actually, I already am with my first two Verdi-tuned flutes, the low E and branch flute from an earlier blog post. I am not releasing those at this time, and may not...they will let me know if and when there is such a time to move on. The Praying Eagle did.

(click on pics to enlarge)

I'm applying for membership in the prestigious Southern Highlands Craft Guild, and should I make it to Stage 2 I will need to deliver 2 flutes for their close scrutiny...the Eagle was to be one of them, so I had to tell myself to get my rear in gear and crank out a couple of real beauties should I need them for a summer drop-off. I could recreate the eagle, but the natural piece of Ironwood it's sitting on is most unique and helps 'make' the look complete...I'd have to search really hard to find something that would work as well.

One of the other siblings traveling with it is a flute that I've had since last spring or summer. It's a true North Carolina flute made from figured Cherry from Asheville and a block and end cap of Ambrosia Maple from Rowan County north of Charlotte. It was a nice playing low E...pretty to look at, pretty sounding, but no one went for it. Because this new 'parent' was looking originally for low D/E flutes, I pulled those flutes and put them through their paces. I thought the others were flat, but what it was was that this next flute was actually a tad sharp.

Long story short, I had an "aHA!" moment and shifted the flute into a Verdi-tuned F a few weeks ago. It's yet another story of something 'magical' that defies quantifiable description as that flute exploded in personality and playability with it's new 'voice'. It's bouncy and bright and delightfully responsive. All I can do is smile since I can't explain it.

The Ambrosia Maple was gifted to me by a fellow flute-maker Mark...it was this hefty rectangular chunk that I decided to cross-cut into pieces for blocks and caps, and it came out with these wonderfully wild designs. Part of the joy of woodworking!

The third of the Three Amigos is one of my specialty flutes, a high F# with an extended slow-air chamber. The body is Black Limba (Africa), a wood known as a great 'tonal' wood and used in many acoustic instruments for its resonance properties. The flat-bottomed design ("Half-Pipe") allows for a lot more variation in finger hole diameter and placement than a round-bore high F#. A beginner player would have a bit longer adjustment period to get used to the odd finger hole pattern, but even with my big paws I can toodle along quickly with it, as tight as they are.

In the above pic, the mouthpiece would be to the left and the 'foot' end to the right. This is for those who play left-over-right, which is the vast majority of players...in flute-making, a hole is placed 'x' distance from the sound hole, or at least the dot for the hole. If you were to draw a line perpendicular to the barrel at a particular dot, that represents the line on which the hole can be dropped and still play the same note. I have developed the above pattern after a lot of trial and error and playing time, and it's a pretty ergonometric design, very comfortable and natural. If I were to put all the holes in one line, they would be way too close together to play...fingers wouldn't fit tightly enough to prevent air leaks at the holes.

Now to the drawing board for today. Lots of ideas on paper that I need to translate into wood, once I decide on the particulars. The weather continues to be user-friendly, for which I am thankful!

2009-04-21T01:51:00.003-04:00

"By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea..."

Ah, my good ol' barbershop days...hearing in my head the Cincinatti Kids quartet singing the 'title' song on a CD of theirs...

Well, my mid-F# "Sea Flute" (made of spalted, quartersawn Sycamore) is finished. I blogged about it recently on how the key shift left me with a predicament, where I had to cut a perfectly good flute and make some critical adjustments for a customer. In that blog I had not talked about the block or shown it (because it wasn't completed!)...a neat creation on how it came about.

I'm glad I opted for the turquoise bird inlay at the flute 'foot'...from the older post you may remember the bottom was too thin for a band inlay all the way around due to oversanding of the tuning hole I had to remove. I'm pleased with it's look and balance.

For the block, a seagull of sorts was requested. At first I was thinking a simple shape that maybe was painted in the motif of a gull...and, typical of how I approach a lot of what I do with my art, I started going to town. I used a general but more 'involved' design I'd used on that stunning piece of Cocobolo with the head-down Eagle (prior post), and I figured I'd paint it like a gull.

The only problem was that as I went to research pictures of gulls, there are myriad pattern and coloration variations...so I picked one and began painting. I hated it. OK, hate is a little strong, but I knew that wasn't going to satisfy my 'vision', and so I took the wood burning pen and roughly put in feathers and such. I tried to realistically paint it again. Nope. Wasn't working either...in fact, the burning lines made painting much harder on that small surface...and then it hit me.

I'd done it before on other pieces of art and flutes...you paint something and then 'distress' it by taking fine sandpaper and lightly going over the piece, letting some bare wood show through and ending up with a piece that looks folk-artish and weathered...and what is more weathered than things exposed to the salty sea air? Once I did that, I really really liked the look of it. While the flute has a gloss finish, I opted for a satin finish for the gull, as it 'fit in' better. Too, where the lace is wrapped, I left the wood wavy to mimic beach sand (though little is visible with the lace in place)...

(click on pics to enlarge)

Now I wait to simply hear back, since any custom order client has the opportunity to say yay or nay. By the way, did you hear about the love affair at sea? A classic case of 'buoy' meeting 'gull'...

2009-04-13T04:07:00.002-04:00

I collected/reclaimed some cedar and dogwood logs from a forested area that was ripped down a couple of years ago. I held on to this particular stick of cedar thinking one day I'd split it and make a 'branch flute'. There are some flute makers who do this exclusively, and it's a neat concept. Certainly some of the earliest aboriginal flutes were made this way...split, hollowed out, and the lashed back together using sinew and natural adhesives. Ah, if it were only that easy!

Anyway, I had a hankering to split it and try my hand at it...next time I'll take pictures of all the steps, but in this case I just flew into it rather quickly. I used a Dremel tool and cutter heads to work at hollowing out the heartwood (thankfully, cedar is quite soft and easy to work)...get's tricky because you don't want to cut too close to the outside.

Long story short, I hollowed it to my satisfaction and glued it up overnight. Making the 'nest' area for the block and sound hole mechanisms creates some obstacles to overcome. I have various tools that will make it easier in the future, but I chose a flattish area and filed it to a usable size. Given the length and the bore I cut, I knew I had to drop a tuning hole somewhere down the flute, so I found a small knot area that seemed to be about the right proportion that I needed, location-wise, and burned it out. Very natural looking hole, if I do say so myself.

The wood had a significant number of long cracks, the worst of which I filled in with CA glue (super glue) and a little bit with Bali Coral powder. I at first used varnish to fill in the smaller cracks because it dries so quickly; however, I didn't like the 'look' and took 400-grit sandpaper and sanded it off, being careful to preserve as much of the woods natural form and beauty as I could. Once I got it off, I went back to multiple hand-rubbed coats of "salad bowl finish", a nice penetrating oil that dries hard and 'safe'. The lustre of this flute is really gorgeous.

Well, wouldn't you know it...when I checked the flute for a fundamental, I got a perfectly clear note that was a hair under "A", and given this happened right at my "Verdi A432" epiphany, I tuned this puppy Verdi-style. I really do plan on getting a video/audio sample of my playing it, maybe today, so I can embed it into the blog (stay tuned!)

(click on pics to enlarge)

In the pictures you notice there is no block/fetish...I kept trying different blocks but they just didn't go with the flute. I returned to the same area and picked up old pieces of cedar to see if I could come up with a unique but naturally shaped block...

Alas, I took a small, simple piece and 'roughed it' into a modest, low profile bird...and it seems to fit the flute perfectly as the body gets to stand out front and center...

It's a dream-flute that I will keep in my stead, along with the original low E Verdi I blogged about earlier. They are not only special but 2 of the finest playing flutes I've made. Too, they're matched Verdis, so I can record them together. Ah, where are those 36-hour days I need???

2009-04-08T08:05:00.001-04:00

This new flute is in my flat-bottomed family of flutes I call Half-Pipes. They're simply a more affordable alternative to the traditional round-bore flutes. This one is a mid F#, which is about as low as I can make these due to physics and equipment limitations. The wood is unknown (gifted to me), though I suspect it's one of the more dense varieties of Mahogany (and Poplar on the bottom)...this one has some heft to it. Normally I don't adorn these flutes as it adds to the price a little, but I had this crazy idea to relief-burn a giant Kokopelli since I had good wall thickness in the flute. The block is a firetail made from Zebrawood...I like the wood for blocks and endcaps, but I've never felt the urge to buy it to make flute bodies, for some reason. Maybe one day I'll change my mind. As always, click on pics to enlarge:

2009-04-07T10:52:00.000-04:00

Two new flutes to share with you...shortly I'll put up a sound sample, but it's just pics for now. First up is my new Low E with the Verdi A432 tuning. The body is Papua New Guinea Walnut and the block is Sapele, though it's mostly the whiter sapwood (see second flute for Sapele heartwood). I wanted a block with a "V" in it to stand for Verdi and as I took the wood and began shaping it, it came out like a geometric ram/goat:

(click on pics to enlarge)

A couple of years ago I purchased a board of Cocobolo that had some of the most stunning patterns I've ever seen in that wood...and it did not disappoint as I rounded it all down. Cocobolo is an oily wood but sands/polishes to this glass-like surface. Many finishes don't adhere well to the wood, and this is simply hand-sanded to 1,200-grit and a coat of Danish wood oil applied. It has a gorgeous natural lustre just as it is. The Praying Eagle fetish is from Sapele (heartwood) and helps bring out the oranges in the flute.

Carpe Diem, y'all!!!

2009-03-31T04:59:00.001-04:00

Admittedly, with the warmer weather (when it hasn't been raining!) I've been letting the sawdust fly. Besides my crop of flutes I have chosen to make at this time, there are a couple of custom orders embedded therein. I just delivered "Coyote" to a customer Saturday and thought you might like to see it and how it came to be...

If someone really wants a particular flute, we talk about all the details insofar as keys, woods, styles, budgets, etc. This person is fairly new to the Native American style of flute and wanted a special flute that had to do her attachment to coyotes. In native lore, Coyote is the quintessential trickster, revered for its cunningness but also it's wild-card factor since Coyote keeps you on your toes! All I had to go by was she loved textures of unusual woods and left the art details to me. I explain that I do not take prepayment or deposits...in order for this to work I have to 'feel' like working on it, and I make no promises in the 'time' category; once the flute is finished I send photos and sound samples. That person has 'dibs' if they want it; if for some crazy reason they don't, I have a very sellable flute on my hands.

And so Coyote (mid-G) was put into motion. I chose to go with this wonderful piece of Black Limba for the body, an African wood revered for its tonal quality in mandolins and other acoustic instruments. I knew I was going to use some inlay somewhere somehow, and before I decided on the design I knew Turquoise would look smashing against that rich cocoa-y Limba. Pawprints came to mind quickly, and I decided to have them come up the flute from the end instead of heading the other direction (don't know why, just did). I next thought about thin inlay bands at either end, but had this crazy left-field idea to put in a curvilinear band just ahead of the block. Never done one before, never seen one before, but the picture popped in my head as clear as a bell and so I put it in.

(click on pics to enlarge)

As is the case with virtually every flute I make, the block is made after the flute is finished. I never really have thought why that is, just how I comfortably operate, and it feels right to do it that way, I was well pleased with the flute and inlay to this point, and the voice was clearly top-drawer. It was ready to go. But the block? Hmmmmm....the pawprints could be dog as easily as wolf as easily as coyote....the block needed to say 'coyote' in particular.

I did ask ahead of time for the client to email any pics they had seen they liked, and I also went snooping on the 'images' tab of Yahoo!search to see if anything struck me. I created a folder of images that I collected and then looked at them until something spoke to me. While I did have a few options in my head, one was a little different that I knew would be coyote-like: layering thin woods for a 'scene'. I liked the idea of a howling coyote silhouette against a skyline, and added in a small sihouette of a cactus which clearly spoke Desert SW. After poring through my thinner pieces, I opted for Ebony for the silhouette, Yellowheart for the sun or moon, and then a mountain ridgeline in Bubinga that had a bi-color thing going on:

Cool block. Hated it on the flute. Just didn't like it at all, like wearing plaids and stripes together. Don't know why I didn't see that train coming, and not sure exactly what it is except the busyness and colors of the block were in direct competition with the Black Limba and Turquoise patterns and textures. It was as if I immediately knew that block belonged on another flute and I had to go back to the drawing board. Matter of fact, I have several bodies it will look great on immediately...just not Coyote. Stuff like that happens once in a while.

Before the Flute 'found me', I had collected some Zuni animal carvings, known as fetishes. They are rather well-known, Zuni carvings which embody animal spiritual energy. Some are simple, and some are more intricate than you can even imagine (as well as the price tag!). Navajo carvings are less popular, but early on I picked up a Coyote by Navajo carver Herbert Davis because I just loved the tongue it was sticking out. I have long held the idea that with the right fetish for the right flute I might use them for that, and this Coyote looked like a perfect fit. In very short order I whipped out a base from some unknown burl piece and put it together:

I did contact the person and explained what I felt and sent the two composite shots above; they agreed that the Coyote carving was awesome on it, and so "Coyote" came to life much as you place in the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle:

And so another one of my 'kids' has come to life. Lots of others about to spill out anytime. I will soon blog (tomorrow?) about a brand new 'kind' of flute that came to fruition yesterday, thanks to an inquiry from a valued friend, Mike, owner of "Jonah" and "Praying Hands" if you've been following this blog for a good while. I have my first flute that has been tuned to Verdi frequencies, and it's a honey. If that doesn't mean a tinker's damn to you, worry not...it needs a lot of explaining and I'm rather excited about making more in like tuning. I still used the pentatonic scaling, but Verdi frequency tuning (A432 instead of the now-used A440) has been quite a long-running 'topic' in the world of classical music as well as sound therapy and healing schools of thought...stay tuned for more, as it's pretty cool stuff!

2009-03-05T06:15:00.000-05:00

7.3 pounds of one gorgeous chunk of curly Maple, this is. I bought it off eBay something like 5 years ago. At that time I had just made the first of my little ultra-high flutes and drones, and figured this would be a good piece to resaw for those. It's a hair over 15" long with each face being a hair over 5" wide...only the slightest of wane is the only 'flaw' I see, and that would disappear with the slightest of working.

And so it has sat inside a climate-controlled house ever since, and as much as I'd like to hang on to it until I get a shop built, this economy is having most of us look closely at what we really need and what can be sold to help pay bills. I took these pictures in preparation to list it on eBay, though as I write this I've not yet done it. Every time I look at these pictures I want to grip the wood a bit more tightly!

Just thought you'd like to see the pics of each side, rubbed with a little water to bring out the grain...and see for yourself why I'm having a hard time letting this one go...if I do....!

(click on pics to enlarge)

2009-02-18T07:04:00.001-05:00

"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....

2009-02-12T02:45:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-02-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

(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....

2009-02-07T10:41:00.001-05:00

Nice slab of figured Myrtle...

(click pics to enlarge)

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.

2009-02-05T07:51:00.000-05:00

A little shop humor...

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

2009-02-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

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)

2009-02-02T13:09:00.001-05:00

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!

2009-01-29T21:07:00.000-05:00

A little tool talk...

It would take many volumes to go through all I do and use and why and how I came to those decisions...but in this forum/format I can throw out tidbits willy-nilly that will give you a fuller picture of what drives me in my flute-making.

ALWAYS remember that, to coin the phrase, there's more than one way to skin a cat. In flute making, there's no one way to do anything...we all find our groove and hone in on our 'truth' and the chips fall where they may. And with those chips fall all that fine dust that gets EVERYwhere...

I don't use a lathe. Never been around one or used one. No doubt they significantly speed up the rounding process, but I don't go that route. I use my DeWalt 735 13" planer for squaring up a glued-up flute blank, a pricey but invaluable tool for me. A Delta router-shaper table knocks off a 45-degree angle to take my flutes to a hexagon stage, ready for rounding.

I'm leaving out the voicing and key determinations...'nuther post for a 'nuther day. Skipping to rounding the flute out. My go-to tool has for years, now, been the Ridgid Oscillating Belt Sander. Slap on a 80-grit belt and I can start shaving off the corners and getting a general roundness to the flute. It's not a quick process, mind you, and you have to constantly remind yourself to let the tool do the work and not to force extra pressure, etc.

Once I'm content with the general shape (albeit rough), I switch to a Porter-Cable oscillating 5" palm sander, starting with the same grit. Even with an anti-vibration glove, you can only work with this tool for so long before the vibration gets to you (that and the grip needed to one-hand the tool). I may can work 2 hours with it, but that's about my limit. Whether I lay the flute in my lap or hold it in my left hand and brace it into the upper part of my left arm, I constantly move the sander in small circles that wrap around the barrel as I go. There are no short-cuts to these steps. Move to a grit too high too soon and you'll have to back-track to the lower grit. There really is an art and science to the sanding process.

In an earlier post I mentioned the water stage I do at 320-grit, so I won't repeat that here...I do have 600 and 800 grit discs for the sander, but once at the 1,000 grit stage I'm working it by hand. Total sanding time will vary with flute size and wood type. Cedar shapes quickly and easily, where an equal flute in Bubinga will take a minimum of twice as long given the hardness of that wood.

I had used an oscillating spindle sander that Ryobi used to make, but I haven't seen it in years. I like the Ridgid, though in 5 years I've burned through 3 motors. I wish it were more industrial and beefy, but in its defense it's the only sander like it on the market. There are some 'tougher' spindle sanders out there, and in time I just might switch to one when I burn out my current Ridgid sander. A matter of when, not if, unfortunately.

Anyway, that's how an Ugly Boy gets its shape!

2009-01-28T08:22:00.000-05:00

A little flute philosophy...

Each of my 'kids' has had all 4 elements put into them: earth, water, fire, air. While it may seem like no big deal, I like to think it's kind of neat. Those of us in love with the Native American flute appreciate it's spiritual roots, and almost all of us sense that each one has its own spirit. Once I began making flutes, I quickly realized just how much spiritual energy is in each piece of wood. To that effect, I refer to flutes/woods as 'talking to me' as I'll get these constant intuitive 'gut' calls to do something one way or the other, or choose this key or that key, or make it with this motif or that...it is most interesting. Oh yes, there have been those flutes that sit for months and give me the message of 'don't touch me right now!', so I expect nothing so I can be ready for anything.

I begin with 'earth' in terms of the wood. I use 'fire' in the form of a burning tool that I do all of my sound holes and flues with, as well as tapping finger holes. Take off the block and you'll see signs of the fire used...once I get that perfect sound quality I'm looking for, I quit filing, leaving the marks where they are. What's really neat is that as I burn openings, then stop and file away the charcoal, then burn some more, I hold the flute up at an angle and blow to send the smoke on its way (away from my eyes!)...so here you have these early flutes with thick coils of smoke going through the entire flute, as if smudging it clean. I use stones to finish out the finger holes, so more 'earth' involved.

As I sand the flute down (and sand, and sand, and sand!) I stop at the 320-grit stage and sponge a light coating of 'water' over the flute. You don't want to soak it, of course, just lightly wipe it on and shake off the excess. I put it on a dowel rack to dry...very important step, this one. The water 'pops' the grain...320 is smooooth, and after the water it's 'rough' again. When you sand at 320 again, the surface starts to feel like glass...and as you move to higher and higher grits, it's more glass-like. This is especially important when using woods with a lot of curl and figuring in them, which I will hand sand down to 1000-1200 grit.

There is the voicing which is the 'air' part, of course...and outside of creating a honey-dripping voice in a flute, my favorite part is when I put on an oil coat after all that sanding. WOW! There's nothing like that instant rush of beauty. I'll detail particular fluids I use in a later post.

And so when a flute is done, it's the 'earth' to begin with that has fire, water, and air run through it. The player adds their spirit to it and, voila, sweet music goes out into this world. And we can never have too much of that, eh?

Blessed be.

2009-01-25T06:21:00.000-05:00

New 'kids' in the making!...

Just some pics of flutes I've recently taken to the hexagonal stage for further voicing and finishing...

(click on pics to enlarge)

First is a group of open-end flutes that are right at the key of G. The Walnut has a bird beak end and by the looks of the figuring will be gorgeous when sanded down to 1000 grit! The Ambrosia will have one larger tuning hole cut on the bottomside of the flute, while the Yellowheart has the more traditional 4 tuning holes around the flute. The Black Limba is a wonderful compact 'standard' flute. FYI, I almost always make my blocks last and don't know what I'll make for each flute until I get to it. The Black Limba may look snazzy with couple of turquoise bands...and the Ambrosia and Yellowheart will have added length at the foot ends, which would be good for some inlay.

Next is a trio of 7/8" bore closed-end flutes that will key out in the G-A# range, more than likely. My closed-ends usually pitch a little higher than open-end counterparts, for some reason. Each flute has a solid rectangular foot for carving 'stuff'...I'm pretty sure I'm going to use the Ambrosia one for a special carving of a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker...closed-end flutes are truly unique, but they are labor-intensive!

Above is a group of flat-bottomed "Half-Pipes" of mine that will be fairly high in pitch. The Aspen neck flute will probably be a high F# or G...not sure where the Makores will fall, but they'll be lower than that. Note that all the Makores are the same length in the playing barrel (going left)...they differ in the lengths of their slow-air chambers (SACs). Makore is a wonderful tone wood, and I imagine these will be quick, lively players.

These are 2 slightly larger flutes...the quartersawn Sycamore is a special order flute...nice lightweight wood with great marbling. Papua New Guinea Walnut has a gorgeous light tan luster, and is a fairly lightweight wood, itself. When it's finished, you just twist it in the light and it really glows. I added some detail pics of the spalting below:

For you inquiring minds, you can read more about spalting (caused by fungus) by clicking on it's fancier scientific term:

intraspecific antagonism

-----------------------------------
As always, stay tuned for more!

2009-01-24T06:23:00.000-05:00

Experimenting, here...Blogger is doing some funky things this morning, and as I write this the title bar is missing. Ugh.

Below is a real sweet player, a mid Bb (A#) in Brazilian Cherry with Bloodwood end caps and bird. Playing holes are slightly champhered and quite comfortable

For being a higher key flute, tt's got a little heft to it given the density of the woods involved. Just over 21" long. 190-

2009-01-24T06:01:00.000-05:00

I have this idea to use the blogger format to post pictures of works in progress as well as finished flutes...sure is a lot easier to update! Just my preliminary thoughts as I am ramping up my flute-making activities. Keep checking back for new 'stuff' as I get around to it, which I hope to be daily or close to it!

Woke up thinking about the above flute I made a good while back for a museum display...one of those flutes I wish I could have kept! Too, remember that any picture in a blog post cana be enlarged by clicking on it.

Enjoy!