How to make a Native American style Flute in “G”   using PVC water pipe for about $1.50

 

Before using any shop tools, be sure you read, understand, and follow all operating and safety instructions.  Most important is the use of eye protection.  PVC is inert and will not degrade, so take particular care in avoiding inhaling or ingesting any PVC dust.

 

PVC material required

Material for (1) flute:

(1) 3/4 X 24-inch long PVC sch. 40 pipe  $.94

(1) 3/4 coupling PVC sch. 40             $.24

(1) 3/4 end cap PVC sch. 40              $.35

 

Cut one length at 17-inches.

 

Cut one length at 4-inches.

 

Clean up ends, and clean up one end of the coupling.

 

 

Wax & polish the coupling, it’s done.

 

Place the flattened end of coupling onto 17-inch pipe and mark where it bottoms out.

 

Back off coupling 1/16-inch and make another mark.  This will be the top of the sound hole.

 

Mark the sides of the sound hole and ramp 5/16-inch wide.

 

Mark the length of the sound hole 3/16 long.

 

File a flat on the tube to the width of the sound hole and flue.

Bottom end of flat can just taper out.

 

Use a hack saw to cut both sides of the sound hole flue.  Saw at an angle and stay out of the sound hole area.

 

Use a Drill and/or a dremel and shape sound hole to lines 3/16 X 5/16.  File and Sand smooth.

 

 

 

File and sand smooth flue.  Follow hack saw taper except for last ¼-inch, which needs to be flat and only 1/16-inch deep.  Sand to as smooth as possible.

 

Top end of ramp should leave a ¼-inch gap for air passage from the soft air chamber, which is the 4-inch pipe section.

 

File a 45-degree ramp on the inside of the bottom edge of the sound hole.  Sand smooth, leaving a .005 to .015 flat on the splitting edge.

 

Mark and cut and sand smooth a 7/8-inch wood dowel for the plug.   A 7/8 dowel will just press inside the ¾ sch. 40 PVC pipe.

 

File and sand smooth the inside of pipe.

 

 

Wax the wood plug thoroughly, and don’t wipe off the wax.

 

Drive the plug into pipe until it is flush with the top of the sound hole.

 

 

 File and sand plug to match flue ramp and sound hole

 

Coupling can be mounted to check sound at this time.

Final sand sound hole and flue ramp smooth.  Sanding should be in direction of air flow. 

 

 

When smooth, wax inside of pipe and all surfaces of sound hole and flue.  Polish with clean rag.

 

Drill a ¼-inch hole in the end cap, or a hole sized for whatever is being used for the mouthpiece, if anything.

 

File and sand and use 0000 steel wool all components, wax and polish and assemble.  Flute is ready for base-note tuning.  “G”.  No glue is needed as the wax will seal it just fine.  And it can be taken apart to fit into your backpack easier.

 

Flute will probably sing somewhere in F# at this point.

 

Cut ¼-inch at a time off the end until the flute is tuned to a base note of “G”.  Last little bit should just be sanded off on the disk sander.  Tune to “G”-center, or 5-cents sharp as the base note will go flat a little when the finger holes are added.

 

Mark a center line for the finger holes.

 

Measure the distance from the end of the flute to the lower edge of the sound hole.  This one was 14.9 and all flutes will be a little different.

 

Make a mark at the ½-way point. This on this one was 7.45.

 

Add a mark ½-inch toward end of flute.  If you like larger holes, make this .7.  See the tuning tips at the end of this document.

 

Add another mark .2 from the ½-inch mark toward the end of the flute.  This will be the 3^rd hole up from the end.  Add two more marks 1.2 apart for holes 1 & 2.

 

Add a mark 1.2 up from the ½-inch mark for the 4^th hole from the bottom of the flute.

 

Add marks spaced 1.2 apart for the remaining two holes.  Circle the finger hole marks so the wrong ones don’t get drilled!

 

Drill a 3/16-inch hole on the bottom mark for the first finger hole, and open the hole up a little at a time to tune it to an A#.

 

I use a plumber’s reamer.  A second reamer with the tip cut off will continue with larger holes.  After a couple of flutes, you will learn how much you should open up each time.

 

Continue this process with each hole, one hole at a time, to tune the rest of the finger holes, C, D, E, F#, and G#.  Champher the holes, steel wool smooth, wax and polish.  Wax and polish the inside again.

 

Tweak the holes if required, but it should be good the first time!

 

Play, enjoy, or give it away.  Heck, it only cost about a dollar-and-a-half, and was a really easy and fun project!  I like to offset my finger holes a little from the center line as shown.  Any questions?   Then email me at lesbec@lesbec.com

 

Les.

 

 

Tuning chart

 

Here are the two most important rules for tuning:

 

A hole will give a higher note if it is placed closer to the mouthhole. It will give a lower note if placed farther away.

 

A hole will give a higher note if made larger. It will give a lower note if smaller.

 

These rules mean you can “raise” a note by enlarging the hole or by placing the hole closer to the mouthhole. You can “lower” the note by using a smaller hole or by placing the hole farther from the mouthhole.

 

It also means you can change the hole size and its placement without changing the note. A larger hole could be placed farther from the mouthhole, or a smaller hole placed closer to the mouthhole.

 

For tuning, the notes of the flute can be compared to the notes of a piano, pitchpipe, or other tuning instrument. Or you can simply tune the notes of the flute to each other, in the do-re-mi pattern, with the low note as do.