Tools for Carving a Wood Flute

Series Summary

A member of the woodwind family, the flute is a reedless instrument that plays music when air is blown over the opening or an edge. Early flutes were made of bone and date back 30,000 to 50,000 years in certain parts of the world. There are different types of flutes including piccolo, treble flute, concert flute, soprano flute, bass flute, hyperbass flute and contra-flutes. The concert flute is the most common flute and is played using the fingers to push down “keys” that let air escape from certain holes. Each combination of keys makes a certain note. These flutes all vary in octave, range and pitch. There are bamboo flutes and double flutes that are made using organic materials and played by covering holes with your fingers.

Flutes can be expensive, but for those of us who still want to learn to play the flute, or learn a new craft, there's a simple solution: make your own! In this free video series, a wood carving expert will teach you how to make a flute out of wood. You'll learn what tools and materials you need, safety tips, and how to cut nodes, carve apertures, and file it down. You'll also learn how to drill holes, sand the wooden flute, and how to grind a wooden flute. By following these tips and techniques, you're a piece of wood and a knife away from having a flute of your own!

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Vlad Cardema. Today I'm going to show you how I make these Peruvian flutes. I specialize in making these flutes, and I make didgeridoos and drums. But today I'll show you how to make a Peruvian flute out of black bamboo. In order to make this beautiful flute, these are the tools that you need: a drill, a Japanese pull saw, a round file, a small file for fine tuning, a tuner for tuning the flute, a grinder, and an assortment of drill bits. Before you start a project, you have to make sure that you're prepped, so get all your tools in position, and your materials available. "