Children's Bushcraft

[Pattree]

I’ve been making whistles, flutes and pipes for many years. I mostly use plastic tubing or wood.

The windway works best if it narrows in both dimensions along the pipe so that the air is accelerated before it hits the blade.

Your whistle is a closed chamber and so technically a single note ocarina.

Well done!

Can you grind down a piece of solid antler to make a cylinder that fits the whistle’s diameter.

Now I’m estimating from your picture:

Then file/cut a diagonal flat on the cylinder running from a third of the back area to just shaving the circumference at the front end.

I make a little whistle that way.

If you make one open ended then you can play tunes by covering the end hole to different degrees with your hand.

Edited to add:

I don’t know how deep is the main chamber of your whistle but:

Maybe!

if you drilled a hole into the chamber at a point towards the bottom end, you could make a two note bosun’s whistle.

 

[William_Montgomery]

I’ve been making whistles, flutes and pipes for many years. I mostly use plastic tubing or wood.

The windway works best if it narrows in both dimensions along the pipe so that the air is accelerated before it hits the blade.

Your whistle is a closed chamber and so technically a single note ocarina.

Well done!

Can you grind down a piece of solid antler to make a cylinder that fits the whistle’s diameter.

Now I’m estimating from your picture:

Then file/cut a diagonal flat on the cylinder running from a third of the back area to just shaving the circumference at the front end.

I make a little whistle that way.

If you make one open ended then you can play tunes by covering the end hole to different degrees with your hand.

Edited to add:

I don’t know how deep is the main chamber of your whistle but:

Maybe!

if you drilled a hole into the chamber at a point towards the bottom end, you could make a two note bosun’s whistle.

Good ideas. I think I'll have a go at making a two tone one.
This one's primary use is for dog training. I was wondering how to make it distinctive so she can differentiate between me and anybody else blowing a whistle in the woods. A two tone whistle could be the answer to that.

A thread showcasing some of your work would be pretty interesting.

 

[Pattree]

A thread showcasing some of your work would be pretty interesting.

But not exactly Bushcraft.
I teach others how to make a pentatonic (5 note scale) pipe in C minor (ish) out of plastic tube.
You can play your own music on those after an hour or less. Other people’s tunes take longer.

My favourite is made out of aluminium and nylon

In fact I think that the plastic pipes have a better tone than the wooden ones.

Edited to add:
If you made a very high pitched whistle and then drilled a hole at the end of the chamber you could well be producing an ultra-sonic note. Your dogs might inform you when you are successful

 

[Pattree]

I was wondering how to make it distinctive so she can differentiate between me and anybody else blowing a whistle in the woods. A two tone whistle could be the answer to that.

If you tongued your one note whistle it would probably sound very different from most people:

Instead of blowing (deflating your cheeks) try saying “tuh” without using your vocal cords. It’s quite an explosive effect. It may not work on your whistle, it depends on an aspect of the note called the “attack” which is fairly unpredictable in a home made whistle.
If you are getting a good loud note from “tuh” you can send some rapid signals to your dogs. (Or morse code if that’s useful.)

 

[Chris]

If you tongued your one note whistle it would probably sound very different from most people:

Mustn’t…

 

[Chris]

Good ideas. I think I'll have a go at making a two tone one.
This one's primary use is for dog training. I was wondering how to make it distinctive so she can differentiate between me and anybody else blowing a whistle in the woods. A two tone whistle could be the answer to that.

A thread showcasing some of your work would be pretty interesting.

I concur! Would be something I’d like to try, so any inspiration from @Pattree would be most welcome.

 

[William_Montgomery]

If you tongued your one note whistle it would probably sound very different from most people:

Instead of blowing (deflating your cheeks) try saying “tuh” without using your vocal cords. It’s quite an explosive effect. It may not work on your whistle, it depends on an aspect of the note called the “attack” which is fairly unpredictable in a home made whistle.
If you are getting a good loud note from “tuh” you can send some rapid signals to your dogs. (Or morse code if that’s useful.)

I know what you mean. I (intermittently) play the sax, so use that similar diaphragmatic breathing technique.

 

[Pattree]

Mustn’t…

When I am teaching flute making, especially to WI groups as they are the worst, I include the following in my introduction:

We are about to put a pipe into our mouths and tongue it. All entendres leaving my lips are single at the point of departure. If they are double on arrival at your earholes, that is your problem.

 

[DariqWosh]

My buddy and his 8 year old spend weekends building mini shelters from fallen branches - their latest had a pine-needle roof that actually shed rain! But such small, not that some adult human builds. Something rather for a medium-sized dog. They forage safe greens like plantain for "wild salads" and practice feather-sticking with a Mora Kids knife under close watch.

 

[DariqWosh]

Try a "forest sounds map" activity: Give kids paper to draw while blindfolded, marking bird calls and rustling leaves - it sharpens senses and sparks nature curiosity without gear. For survival-lite fun, have them press found leaves/flowers into waterproof notebooks (possible to find in outdoor stores) and "cook" pine needle tea over a supervised twig fire - giggles guaranteed!

 

[DariqWosh]

Well, the best thing to do is just take the kids for a walk in the woods and show them how to identify trees, look for animals/birds with binoculars. Time spent together counts for more than the best survival games.

 

[Laurentius]

I have made one or two flutes, flutes are one thing whistles another. I once had a conversation with Bernard Overton, who pretty much invented the low whistle and I asked him to make me a flute, he said that he could not do that because he did not know how, so I made one for myself, as for making a whistle well I do not know how

 

[Pattree]

A flute player aims air at the fipple blade of the instrument using their lips. A whistle it’s constructed so that the air is aimed by the structure. It’s much easier to play.
I love wandering through woods (or other landscape) playing a flute or a pipe/whistle.

Flutes are easier to make than whistles, especially when you are using “Bushcraft” tools (whatever they might be ). Children often get it straight away where an adult over-analyses and get in their own way.

Edited to reminisce:

As always I got a thrill from hearing folk play pipes that they had made for themselves at the BcUK Summer Moot.
Seeing the children’s faces as their whistles worked for the first time never gets old.

 

[Diamond Dave]

Not sure what I can suggest but a great idea Tony.