How do I make a wooden tube/pipe?

[Retired Member southey]

I had good success making whistle with bark i had split off of lime by slicing a line straight down the back to peel it off just make sure you wet the inside to plump the fibres when you put it back on.

 

[Stanleythecat]

Elder is great but have you considered using bamboo?

If I could find a cheap supply of 1/2" - 1" bore bamboo I'd jump at the chance... Anyone know where I might get some?

I have tried garden centre around me but they only seem to have small canes for pea sticks and stakes, nothing near the size I would need. The one piece I did manage to get was from a butchered garden lantern! Lovely sound though and you can make a flute pretty quickly with the right bit. And although not native if it was easy to obtain it would be a start whilst I hone my skills on the natives!

Leo.

 

[Robby]

try old carpet shops, apparently they used to use bamboo poles to roll the carpets onto. That's where I got mine from.

 

[EdS]

have a go with Angelica

 

[dr jones]

I realise that what im going to suggest is larger than what you want but im sure the same procedure could be scaled down. Afew years ago i made a didgereydsoo by selecting a piece of dry branch about the thickness of my arm , and splitting it length ways . then witha gouge i hollowed out each half without touching or altering the outer edges of the split so that when the two halves are put back together they matchup perfectly. Apply the glue , reassemble the halves and bind with a loop of rope and tension it like a garote the more of the tensioning loops you use the tighter the join and the more invisible the join. Hope you find this useful.

 

[Stanleythecat]

have a go with Angelica

I tried with a hogweed stem (pretty dead so not a danger), it worked but it was quite hard to get a clean edge for various holes. Do you think angelica would dry any harder?

Leo

 

[Stanleythecat]

I realise that what im going to suggest is larger than what you want but im sure the same procedure could be scaled down. Afew years ago i made a didgereydsoo by selecting a piece of dry branch about the thickness of my arm , and splitting it length ways . then witha gouge i hollowed out each half without touching or altering the outer edges of the split so that when the two halves are put back together they matchup perfectly. Apply the glue , reassemble the halves and bind with a loop of rope and tension it like a garote the more of the tensioning loops you use the tighter the join and the more invisible the join. Hope you find this useful.

Thanks, this is the method used for the Native American flute too. I might have to go down this route... but haven't quite thrown in the towel on the naturally hollow materials available.

Leo

 

[mrcharly]

I tried with a hogweed stem (pretty dead so not a danger), it worked but it was quite hard to get a clean edge for various holes. Do you think angelica would dry any harder?

Leo

:-0

Really, really don't do this. People have died from inhaling some of the irritant sap.

I got some on my ankle once - brushed against a plant. The bruising from the chemical burn travelled down through my foot, turned my sole black. The GP seriously considered packing me off to A&E, the swelling was coming up so fast and combined with so much bleeding under the skin.

 

[Stanleythecat]

:-0

Really, really don't do this. People have died from inhaling some of the irritant sap.

I got some on my ankle once - brushed against a plant. The bruising from the chemical burn travelled down through my foot, turned my sole black. The GP seriously considered packing me off to A&E, the swelling was coming up so fast and combined with so much bleeding under the skin.

Thanks Mrcharly, I've had the misfortune of strimming common hogweed when I was younger and that gave me a nice peppering of blisters. This hogweed was the bleeched over wintered stems left from the previous year. Very dead. In truth a bit too far and did not give the crisp edges needed to get a note.

Was your reaction to giant hogweed? It sounds quite extreme.

Leo

 

[mrcharly]

Yes, Giant Hogweed.
TBH, I didn't read your post very carefully and leapt to the conclusion that it was Giant Hogweed you were using.

I have seen blistering on a child's skin from common hogweed, but suspect that was because:
A) they were rolling in it.
B) they had very sensitive skin.