How to make a wooden ocarina with simple hand tools.

This is a video where I make a wooden ocarina out of black walnut wood. I take you through the whole process step by step using simple hand tools. I hope you enjoy the video and learn a little something too!

[@splintmeow4723]

Such a great shot of the little insect walking on it ❤

[@tristandrover270]

ive been playing the ocarina for about 5 years and have never made one myself. your video has helped me alot and i hope you continue to make really cool things and achieve your wood goals >;3

[@sukikurai]

how was the quality compared to purchased ocarinas?

[@robertcornelius3514]

Young man, you did a really good job.

[@TheDrut666]

That’s my next project ,thanks for the inspiration and tutorial

[@felipefierro3517]

That was amazing, thank you for the inspiration. The second ocarina sounds fantastic!

[@russellsage4953]

This guy knows his stuff Ressspect☮️🙏

[@rhysfontaine]

thanks so much!

[@SuzanneBarrettJustisArtist]

those are beautiful Rhys.....I love the sound. What I can't believe is how refined an instrument you can make with such crude tools....I would be afraid I would lose a limb wielding the machete like you did....wow. great video.

[@rhysfontaine]

Thanks so much! It was pretty nerve racking hacking at those little pieces of wood. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@flolorm2349]

these are far from crude tools

[@manmarumusic]

Thank you so much brother, and very well done!! I can tell we share the same love to carve wood and keep it simple. Thanks for showing me more tools that are super helpful and simple. I'm inspired for my next project! You rock!!

[@Emeklitospik]

Great job. Thanks a lot to sharing.

[@beneditowagnergarciafaria7840]

Very good! Ótima explicação e trabalho bem feito! Saudações do Brasil!

[@Dadmadeit]

Good video. Thanks.

[@paodelannoy7351]

thx man. I really want to make mine, your topic was useful.

[@elb4rto965]

I need a piece of wood right now ! 😁 Thx man !

[@terryqueen3233]

That was pretty cool

[@rhysfontaine]

Thanks!

[@LSDANNY7x]

Liked 4 bug on ocarina near the end

[@AxelGamerMC95]

i really enjoyed your video, thank you

[@rhysfontaine]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@SimOmega47]

Is it really so "easy" to make an ocarina...? I'm sure if I try to make one, it'll sound like a half-dead smoking crow lol Anyways, thanks for that awesome video! Very detailed and well made!

[@nagiri6768]

😂😂😂😂

[@frogsoda]

Making it look easy is the hardest part.😊

[@DaveCollierCamping]

Awesome

[@rhysfontaine]

thank you!

[@backyard.craftsman]

thanks for the good video

[@rhysfontaine]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@zoramtharafanai4749]

Very interesting. Just found your channel after these 3 years. 🎉🎉

[@rhysfontaine]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Pualleng]

I'm cleared in this video thank you

[@rhysfontaine]

Glad it helped!

[@extraintelligence]

If the inside isn't treated somehow, won't it eventually rot from the moist breaths going into it?

[@jade_capricorn]

yes, thankfully its easy to treat with oils

[@extraintelligence]

@@jade_capricorn It's been a whole year. I'll try adding some oil, but my homemade ocarina is mostly mush at this point. Seriously though, thank you. If I get around to making an ocarina, I'll keep that in mind.

[@jade_capricorn]

@@extraintelligence Aww, that's unfortunate! Good luck in the future!

[@extraintelligence]

@@jade_capricorn I was joking, I haven't made one. I just found the idea of someone pouring oil on a half rotten pile of wood to be funny.

[@jade_capricorn]

@@extraintelligence oh lmfao

[@aaronforsythe8556]

You should pick up a Japanese pull saw they work great

[@costsman24]

Good job you inspired me to try to make one by the way 2/16 is actually 1/8 for the measurement incase someone was wondering

[@sabelch]

fractional measurements have got to be the weakest part of the imperial measurement system.

[@ActuallyKun]

On one half you carved the air way and the 45 degree angle sound hole. On the other half it looks like you hollowed out the chamber up the neck so that when pieced together the sound hole on one side lines up with the chamber on the other. Is that correct? Cause my question then is when hollowing the neck chamber on the other piece where should it align with the 45 degree sound hole? Does it come above, halfway or below the sound hole?

[@rhysfontaine]

good question! What you want is the neck chamber to go above the 45-degree angle soundhole. Just above it, and when I say just above it I mean that the neck of the top chamber is extended closer to where your mouth goes when playing just over the sound whole. hope that helps!

[@gd5956]

You should use a rubber or wood mallet so you don't mess up your chisel handles

[@rhysfontaine]

sounds good

[@ohkeydokeythen]

What are the mini files you are using?

[@usernamesrhatd478]

can i ask whats the rough size of the wood you used?

[@konekumar5260]

This is really great job. My apreceation to you. But sorry about your wounded finger. Nice of you.

[@rhysfontaine]

Thank you kindly

[@TheGugy]

I know this was a while ago but hoping you can help. How deep did you hollow out each side of the ocarina?

[@rhysfontaine]

I would estimate it’s maybe 3 quarters of a inch deep but it’s extremely critical that it is that depth perfectly

[@fazeeztaj1618]

Bro I am also making ocarina I want to ask what oil do you use for finishing???

[@rhysfontaine]

Its a blend of several nut oils but mainly walnut oil. Good luck on your ocarina!

[@syddog5552]

I’ve been trying for a while and it hasn’t worked yet it just sounds like air any tips

[@tosiakluszewska7357]

Dude you’re kinda like an American Legolas

[@sammysmokies]

LOL or thor?

[@kevunderwood5976]

Great video. Can you help me, I was making one of these I got the first note to sound then glued it up. Once dried I drilled out the finger holes and now I get no sound at all, well other than the sound of air escaping. What do you think went wrong?

[@rhysfontaine]

It could be a number of things but it is most likely that your soundhole is to large and when you add the extra holes the airflow going over the lip of the soundhole is less powerful and direct and won't make a sound. The one I made in the video is slightly larger than I typically like them to be and I had to blow into the ocarina just right to make it sing. The little red cider ocarina had a very small tight soundhole and plays much louder and more clear than the black walnut one. It's also very important that the ocarina is glued and sealed completely. The area around the soundhole and air channel is where a lot of people slack off on the gluing. If any air escapes around the seal it won't be direct enough airflow over the soundhole and won't make a sound. I hope that is helpful information. Best of luck!

[@kevunderwood5976]

@@rhysfontaine thank you so much for the help and quick reply.

[@MetalChipps]

So, would one end up with a higher pitch if they made a smaller sound hole? what are the factors that go into how high the pitch is?

[@rhysfontaine]

The smaller the ocarina the higher the tone. The sound hole shouldn’t effect the tone much at all

[@CoffeeCakeNation]

@@rhysfontaine smaller the sound hole the deeper the ocarina

[@Southeastsends]

How do you guage the size and spacing of the holes to have the instrument be in pitch?

[@RustyShackleford420]

The spacing doesn't matter that much just place the holes where you fingers rest. The size of the holes is how you tune it. You'll need a good ear or an electric tuner and just slowly make each hole larger unti can play its corresponding note.

[@MetalChipps]

Hey, what brand of chisels did you use for this? I'm trying to find some decent ones, but I can't seem to find any that suit my purposes. If anybody has any suggestions, I'd be totally open to them.

[@rhysfontaine]

I actually don’t know the brand for sure. They were really cheap. I would recommend something nicer then what I used. I only paid like 30 dollars for the set

[@drawing498]

hello really well explained video. But unfortunately I still have a problem. I've finished building my ocarina and already glued it together. Then I drilled the finger holes and no more sound comes out with the finger holes? can I somehow still make the sound come out?

[@fernandsavoie6641]

Hi, it sounds like they are plugged…maybe if you try sucking the sawdust out of the holes with a vacuum cleaner, that might help…good luck!

[@fernandsavoie6641]

Great video! This is the second time you amazed me today…will definitely try this. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work!

[@jungbechtospk40]

I have done very similar with woodglut designs.

[@MartinD9999]

I don’t do musical instruments or woodwork but I watched the whole video. Idk why. Just got sucked in...

[@rhysfontaine]

Well im glad you enjoyed it!

[@fieldmarshalfidget6876]

I have followed the video and got a larger sized ocarina to sound. One issue: It plays very quiet. More air results in a slight whistle. How do I make it louder?

[@christophermarchant2294]

So from start to finish about how long does the process take?

[@rhysfontaine]

It takes me about two full days

[@shicruisin7004]

Where can I buy one of these????

[@rhysfontaine]

I don’t currently sell these but you can find some being sold online

[@alistarkus]

Very interesting. Thanks to post your video. I have just a little concern about the wood glue you used: it is probably not made to be put in mouth. Maybe some disclaim is needed.

[@PKrawzakProductions]

Waterproof glue might be more appropriate for a wind instrument also

[@Hoellewood_Solutions]

Make me nervous with that there machete carving

[@alanlove6324]

One thing missing always in peoples videos is them not telling you how to tune the actual instrument so you can get this far and they dont even tell you what they tuned each hole too then your left with building a half finished instrument that you cant complete. Nobody who makes ocarinas wants to share this information for some reason

[@samaanbuisson2731]

Do you know where to find info on this? I can’t see how make it in a certain key either.

[@pierluigicolotto9570]

Woodglut Blueprints has some very useful blueprints with all the details you need.

[@sabelch]

I'm guessing its finished with linseed/flax oil? Are you concerned about your mouth coming in contact with the cured oil for extended periods?

[@mr-x7689]

Wood working tip. If yo are ever going to glue two flat surfaces together, and want to minimize them slipping around, when you try to glue em. Add some table salt to the glued surfaces just before putting them together. The salt will act like sand on an icy surface, and will later on be absorbed in to the wood, as it "Liquefies" due the water content in the glue. So it wont affect sawing or chiseling later on. Just work fast after adding the salt, as it will melt rather quickly, but as soon everything is clamped you are safe. A good little trick to keep in your tool bag when woodworking. I would also recommend that you get a proper wood working axe instead of using a machete, As a blacksmith i feel sorry for the machete's blade, as this sort of work is really brutal to the edge. + A blad ethat thin will flex while chopping, so it's way better to use a axe. I recommend the Gränsfors Bruk’s Swedish Carving Axe, it's the one with a curved blade. It has an cutting edge instead of an flat'ish chopping edge. I personally use it, and love it. I don't know where you live, but you probably can find a similar axe somewhere.

[@LordCuber71312]

Why in the world would u use a machete instead of a bandsaw

[@Anywhere72]

Ohh yeah. Blood sweat and tears.

[@Vasilkripov1]

that is way too much glue, you just need a tiny dabble then you can spread it

[@MetalChipps]

Actually, the more the better. If you try to spread it around, you may end up with gaps, and then you'll end up not getting the sound you want. The amount he used worked well, but of course you can use however much you want.

[@jorgedelgadotoxotrofogo]

I bet you can use it to smoke weed .

[@rhysfontaine]

haha im sure there is a way

[@GityaLIVEdnb]

I am really into the topic of this video, but i just cant watch it. With all due respect, Can you say "MY" and "OCARINA" maybe 99% less??? Makes me ULTRA frustrated.

[@rhysfontaine]

Can you figure out how not to hate the world and maybe ask why it takes so little to get you frustrated

[@gd5956]

You should use a rubber or wood mallet so you don't mess up your chisel handles

[@rhysfontaine]

sunds good