Creative You are the davinci of flute cleaning rods. Any ideas what I can use for a 24 inch bamboo flute as a rod. I cant seem to find a commercially available rod of that length
This is great! I am used to just blowing the spit out of my Native American Flute, but clearly this is a better solution. Friendly suggestion: tighten up your videos by shortening up the fumbling around getting the tips smooth - just mention that it may take a few iterations.
Thanks Kurt! I wondered about that--on this one, I decided to leave it in because I sometimes get annoyed with videos that make it seem like the maker does everything perfectly the first time, and I feel like I sometimes want to show people the messy keep-trying-ness of making things. But I appreciate the comment, and I'll try to trim some of that stuff in future videos. Thanks for watching!
I blow the spit and condensation out of my flutes while I'm on stage, but for longer periods I want to get them dried out so the liquid doesn't just soak into the wood fibers. Thus the cleaning rod. How big is the bore on a Native American flute? Are they a single longitudinal piece, or do they come apart in sections?
The size depends on the key and design, but the bore on mine (key of G minor) is about 1" at the distal end and 1/4" at the proximal (blowing) end. They are a single piece, and there's a blockage (wall) where the air gets channeled up over the lip. It only needs to be swabbed from the blowing end. Wikipedia has a pretty good article on them if you want a diagram.
Cool! I enjoyed reading that page. It wasn't entirely clear to me from the pictures--is there a narrowed bore where you put your mouth, or is it the full width of the tube? I generally think that it's worth swabbing any area that touches warm/moist air, but I'm (obviously) not an expert on that instrument! My coathanger rod is just over 1/4" in diameter (in the long axis--it's not perfectly round), so this plastic source might not work for you.
Mouthpiece designs vary widely by designer. Mine is full width at the mouthpiece end, so my upper lip presses against the flat end and lower lip curls around it below. So yes, the end is worth swabbing too.
Thank you! I have a 24 inch low D Irish tin whistle, and for a while I have been looking for a way to make a long cleaning rod.
Thank you for the tip! My little brother recently started the clarinet, and I wanted to find a less expensive alternative to a cleaning rod. 😉
You're so welcome!
Thanks a ton, super helpful!
Good job you had your safety goggles, that was super dangerous ha!
I'm glad you agree that safety is important!
Creative
You are the davinci of flute cleaning rods.
Any ideas what I can use for a 24 inch bamboo flute as a rod. I cant seem to find a commercially available rod of that length
Hi Ravi! Thanks for writing in! How big is the bore on your flute? Would something like a bamboo garden stake work?
Thank you!!! I'm a beginner player so this is really helpful.
This is great! I am used to just blowing the spit out of my Native American Flute, but clearly this is a better solution. Friendly suggestion: tighten up your videos by shortening up the fumbling around getting the tips smooth - just mention that it may take a few iterations.
Thanks Kurt! I wondered about that--on this one, I decided to leave it in because I sometimes get annoyed with videos that make it seem like the maker does everything perfectly the first time, and I feel like I sometimes want to show people the messy keep-trying-ness of making things. But I appreciate the comment, and I'll try to trim some of that stuff in future videos. Thanks for watching!
I blow the spit and condensation out of my flutes while I'm on stage, but for longer periods I want to get them dried out so the liquid doesn't just soak into the wood fibers. Thus the cleaning rod. How big is the bore on a Native American flute? Are they a single longitudinal piece, or do they come apart in sections?
The size depends on the key and design, but the bore on mine (key of G minor) is about 1" at the distal end and 1/4" at the proximal (blowing) end. They are a single piece, and there's a blockage (wall) where the air gets channeled up over the lip. It only needs to be swabbed from the blowing end. Wikipedia has a pretty good article on them if you want a diagram.
Cool! I enjoyed reading that page. It wasn't entirely clear to me from the pictures--is there a narrowed bore where you put your mouth, or is it the full width of the tube? I generally think that it's worth swabbing any area that touches warm/moist air, but I'm (obviously) not an expert on that instrument!
My coathanger rod is just over 1/4" in diameter (in the long axis--it's not perfectly round), so this plastic source might not work for you.
Mouthpiece designs vary widely by designer. Mine is full width at the mouthpiece end, so my upper lip presses against the flat end and lower lip curls around it below. So yes, the end is worth swabbing too.
thank you