How to Shape a Native American Wooden Flute

The Native American flute is an expression of spirituality and deep emotion. The actual construction is simple, but the feeling it inspires is complex. The wooden flute is soothing and brings peacefulness to uneasy souls. There are varieties of styles that produce the same magical tones. A solid piece of wood makes the Native American flute; cedar, walnut and birch are just a few choices in wood.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chop saw
• Table saw
• Band saw
• Tap
• Planer
• Joiner
• Clamps
• Wooden board

1. Select a piece of wood at an independent dealer or private lumberyard. Crosscut the board with a saw into various lengths.

2. Measure out various lengths for your flute—21 inches, 23 inches and 25 inches. Remember, the wooden flute is an extension of your mouth, and your hands must reach the final hole for complete harmony.

3. Run the cut wooden pieces through a wood planer so that each piece is the same thickness from top to bottom.

4. Calculate the bore diameter of your flutes, and then rip-cut them on a table saw—the normal width of a wooden flute is 1 5/8 inches.

5. Cut the wooden tube in half with a band saw—make sure you can match the grains of wood together when you finish the construction. Label them to make your life easier later.

6. Generate the hole that runs through the flute with a router. Use a table and a clamp so that your boring is smooth and accurate. Reconstruct the flute on a joiner for accuracy.

7. Tap air chambers near the mouth all the way down to the end of the flute in an exact line. Use 5/8-inch and 3/8-inch bits to create various pitches.

Tips & Warnings

• Spend the extra money and time to select the best piece of wood you can find.
• When handling any type of saw, use extreme caution—fingers can be lost very easily.