Things You'll Need:
- Gloves
- Protective eyewear
- Bench with a vice clamp
- Hollowed-out flute
- Power drill
- Assortment of drill bits
- Measuring tape
- Waterproof marking utensil
- Pliers
- Metal rod
- Sandpaper
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Step 1
Put on the protective eyewear and gloves, although if you just hollowed out and carved the flute, you should already be wearing them.
Hold the hollowed out flute in your hands and decide which side you want the flute's blowhole to be on. This depends upon whether you are left handed or right handed. This should already be decided if you have attached the cork top cap on one side of the hollowed out flute. -
Step 2
Use the measuring tape, and starting at the cap end of the flute, use a waterproof writing utensil to mark 1/2 inch down from the top. This will be the flute's blowhole. Continue moving down one more inch and make a mark. This will be the first finger hole. Keep making a mark every 3/4 inch down from the first finger hole, until you have seven marks on the body of the hollowed out flute.
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Step 3
Make sure the markings on the flute are dry. Next, place the flute in warm water to soak it for a half hour. This will moisten and soften the wood so it will be easier to drill through the finger and blow holes. Pat it dry.
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Step 4
Attach the hollowed out flute in the vice. Using a small drill bit, drill through the marked holes carefully and slowly. The blow hole should be almost a half inch in circumference, and each finger hole should be about 1/4 inch in circumference. If you mess up here, you can't fix it very easily, so proceed with caution.
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Step 5
Smooth out the edges of all of the holes when you are done drilling. Do this by wrapping the drill bit in sandpaper and inserting it into each of the holes. When finished, wrap tissues tightly around the metal rod and push it through the hollowed out part of the flute to clear out debris and dust.
