How to Make a Flute Out of PVC Pipe

Flutes have been around for hundreds of centuries. They come in many different shapes that produce a variety of tones. Purchasing a flute can be expensive, so a lot of people opt to make their own. This is a good idea if you're handy with wood carving or have a woodworking shop set up in your home, but you can also make a flute if you have limited resources and minimal skills as a craftsman.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hacksaw Knife Hand drill File Sandpaper Rubber cement

1. Cut a 3/4-inch piece of PVC pipe with a hacksaw: The length of the pipe, including the end cap, should be between 15 and 16 inches. The diameter of the pipe should be 7/8 inch outside and 11/16 inch on the inside. The wall thickness should be 3/32 inch. This will produce a great tone. Use a clamp to hold the PVC pipe in place to achieve straight cuts. Make sure the pipe comes with an end cap, which you will use to fashion the mouthpiece.

2. Cut a mouth hole into the end cap using a knife. Use the knife and a very small file to shape the mouthpiece. Glue the mouthpiece to the flute body with rubber cement. Do not allow the glue to get inside the flute or mouthpiece.

3. 
    

   Drill holes in the flute. There will be six in total. The specific dimension of the holes is important. The first three will be drilled to 3/8 inch in diameter. Drill the first hole at the 6-7/8-inch mark, the next hole at the 8-inch mark, and the third hole in the first set at 9-1/8 inches, with a 25-degree offset.
   
   Then start the second set of three holes. Drill the holes at 10-3/4 inches, 11-1/2 inches (offset set by 10 degrees) and 12-3/4 inches. Use a zero-rake bit to avoid getting hung up in the holes when the bit breaks through the body. These drill bits can be ordered through most hardware stores, or you can grind them yourself from regular drill bits.

4. Finish your flute by lightlysanding the inside circumference of each hole. Do the same with the mouthpiece openings. A PVC-pipe flute requires no maintenance, and will provide you with many years of enjoyable play.

Resources

• Mark Shepard--Make a Flute, Play a Flute