Making a Native American Flute from Pallet Wood

[@BrianTownsendFundy]

It’s wonderful the way you are always expanding the possible ways a person can make a flute. Also that the materials don’t have to be perfect in order to make a good sounding flute. When I think of how many people all over the world you have generously helped and encouraged to learn about the Native American Flute, flute playing and to make their own flutes. The scope of that is just amazing. You are an amazing person, Charlie.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thank you kindly my friend. It is certainly an honor to receive your praise.

[@offairhead]

I love that you care about the kind of wood. I love wood.

[@strathamer]

This videos is full of lessons ! It's great to see you working and to see each step of the process. Thank you.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks my friend! We have sooo many other videos, too!

[@strathamer]

@@BlueBearFlutes I have seen, I have already looked at some of them. It helps me a lot, as does your book. I only made a bamboo flute, functional but perfectible. Learning this art takes time but it is exciting. And as I do this for fun, I have no pressure. I'm still going to make some bamboo flutes before I get into wooden flutes. These resources are invaluable in understanding the process and I think things are gradually clearing up in my head. Thanks to you and the online community too for sharing.

[@craftinganewworld1674]

🙏thank you for sharring your knowledge and skills.

[@trmwyldshade1482]

Years ago I made a coffee table out of red Oak because of its unique, imperfect beauty. You made something out of red Oak, that is not just nice to look at but is also wonderful to listen to. Thank you.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thank you my friend!

[@jeanpierrecarpentier]

Wowww,, i am speechless, so much beauty and knowledge encrypted in the making of the native flute. Gratitude for all the makers. This makes me value even more the ones i already own. Thank you for sharing this

[@K0GEL]

Very satisfying to watch. Thank you!

[@TPOTThePowerOfThoughts]

Great craftsmanship! I love to hear the native flute being played. Thanks for sharing!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@germona]

Thanks Charlie, you are a real artist. Many blessings to you and your family.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thank you my friend!

[@funkyblue3166]

OMG I love the music on this video. Reminds me of Klaus Shultze and Jean Michael Jarre at times

[@edzejandehaan9265]

Beautiful craftmanship. A joy to watch.

[@davidmurphy6884]

Curly Maple, Walnut, Osage Orange, I have salvaged them all from pallets. Places that get marble or granite slabs delivered get some good, sometimes exotic woods on the crates. I also used to get nice Mahogany from motorcycle crates, too. Great video, Brother.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Fantastic my friend! Great info! Power to the people!

[@charlesknight3204]

Charlie ... What a BEAUTIFUL work of art from another man’s trash. I am in awe of both your mastery of the craft of flute bass making and your absolutely outstanding musical talent. Beautiful build; better video!!! Me and mine wish you and yours all things great and good!!!!! Take care, be safe, all my best and God bless!!! Chuck Knight from Buffalo, Texas. PS: I have received my fingering charts and supporting materials!!! Thanks so much!!! You and your flutes are both the best!!! CK. 🤠🐩✝️🖖

[@jasonwalton1985]

That's really cool. Looks and sounds beautiful. I need to get my hands on some equipment. Lol

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I do have videos on making flutes without equipment and have one coming out very soon that will be a great resource.

[@jasonwalton1985]

@BlueBearFlutes I've been watching those too. But equipment would be a lot nicer when working with hardwood stuff. Lol I'd like to mess around with some tiger maple or rosewood, something like those. Or even some Koa, I have a Koa guitar that I absolutely love the look of.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

@jasonwalton1985 the video showing how to make a flute out of regular wood by hand will definitely help... coming soon...

[@jasonwalton1985]

@@BlueBearFlutes I look forward to it.

[@geo14er1]

Wonderful video Charley! Better than watching a lot of things on TV! It was so cool to see a start to finish! Old pallets are amazing! I made a tofu press out of one once using handmade dovetail joints. So pretty in oak. Keep going man!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

That sounds too cool! Thanks so much for watching, too!

[@mdz0739]

Excellent craftsmanship! I enjoy your videos!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks my friend!

[@slowerpicker]

The scars on the wood tell a story of toil, The grain sings the old song of rain and soil.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very good Charlie! Thanks for sharing.

[@savvybe]

Hey !! You can get wood pallets for free next to the trash at breweries, furniture places, cosco ect :)

[@billyjeffersoniv4344]

Wow. What a great video. Thank you so much

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks my friend!

[@tomverdiktus4254]

That was amazing

[@AdventuresInWetShaving]

That is beautiful and it's made just from scrapes, well done! Wow! :) #Heart

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks my friend!

[@paullapper8702]

great video Charlie

[@Tuttodunfiato.N.A.F]

Huauuuu, this is one of the best videos I've ever seen, about building a NAF !! Have you made any videos explaining how to tune the flute? I see you use cyanoacrylate glue to plug imperfections and holes, but then how do you cover them? With two types of sawdust? If I ask you questions it's because I want to learn and become as good as you! 🙏🙏❤️🙋🏻‍♂️

[@billyjeffersoniv4344]

Havent been here in a while, I missed ya! So happy to see you broke 20k subs!!! Congrats!!!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Mmmm, subs....

[@billyjeffersoniv4344]

@@BlueBearFlutes Hahahaha! I love you!!!!!

[@CharlieRockRock]

MAy I suggest that you invest in a pallet buster. Using one has caused me to not damage countless boards as I detached them from the pallet

[@BlueBearFlutes]

My friend, I am so glad you mentioned that here! Although I am likely not going to make much more from pallets, anyone else wanting to will appreciate it!

[@OtterLakeFlutes]

Great video, thanks. The flooring panels store Lumber Liquidators gets in pallets or crates with some kind of other pieces of expendable wood associated with them (nothing like randfom scraps from exotic wood companies!), with a channel in the piece like for a strap or something. I've seen cheap, little versions of the same disposable piece at Home Depot (like it serves the same purpose, to ease and widen strap pressure surface area on a crate from digging in?) but at the flooring place, sometimes on the ground out back or by the dumpster, this sort of piece is much chunkier, like they bear weight under a crate of exotic wood shipment. I found a pair that is the nicest wood I've ever found when searching or even buying for making bows, knife handles, or carving figures. These had gotten wet but were mostly OK (perfect salvage in it). It looks like curly maple (but the curls are series of double-helix-looking braids side by side!) but is almost as hard as purple heart. No idea what it is. If I can sand it without browning the sugars in it the almost irridescent, 3-D depth of it, with a little tung oil it makes people think it is figured quartz stone like included agate! I cut one (of 2) into knife scales, but the bigger one is tempting to make a flute. I just don't know if it's too hard. An ink stamp said "Sequoia" on it, but it is certainly not sequoia. Some kind of company or QC name. I do not have a router table but my nice two-hand router has screws to mount it upside down...?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hmmmm...

[@PasqualeGalasso]

Oh fantastic, fantastic Charlie. Charlie what glue did you use for repairs? loctite? Many Thanks.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

"Super Glue"

[@bennyhill3642]

Oak is a tough wood to finish. But because of the way you process, the finish product came out Very Nice.. I wonder, like acoustic guitars the wood you used makes a diff in the sound. Do you notice a diff sound from the oak wood?

[@alirezaghadiani6103]

Hello Thanks for sharing this great video Can you tell about dimentions ? Holes positions and ... ??

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I have other videos for that! 😁 (and an optional book)

[@Malcoladdin]

Pallets here in New Zealand are almost always made from radiata pine... Which is sadly no good for flute making. I will have to check with places that handle heavy materials and see if their pallets are any different. It is awesome to see you are using these pallets where possible instead of burning them!

[@demetriolabador3902]

Many are posting how to make Native American Flute but no one can post a complete course how to play Native American Flute. I have the six hole From Utah when we visited the Wind Whisperer Museum

[@BlueBearFlutes]

No need to buy a course on how to play, I have them for free on this channel.

[@karene9131]

Why did you torch the inside of the flute? This was a really interesting video...thank you for sharing this!!! ☀️😃

[@BlueBearFlutes]

The smoother the inside of the flute is, the better quality the sound it will produce. Also, hardening the wood helps to make for a nice flute as well! Charred wood is more water repellent in comparison to others as well. Thanks for watching!

[@daviddejulio863]

Thanks for sharing. I'd love to give this shot. What is the purpose of all the wood burning? Does it act as a seal for the wood on high condensation areas?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hey, that's a great question. Please be sure to check out my hundreds of other videos for the hundreds of answers! 🙂

[@noahpantaleon2293]

So cool...but why didn’t you play a sample of it?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

3:03 I was just checking to see if you were listening to my babbling. Through the flutes playing in the middle of it.

[@rickywalker7171]

Wat is the best kind of wood to use hard are soft.I have bodark , elm,an red cedar witch one will work the best

[@tomcartmill401]

G'day Charlie. I was watching you new video and was totally engrossed thinking yes I have a lot of old scrap wood from pallets and packing cases. Then the music changed. Please Charlie, use some of your own music tracks for backing. You could use it as an advertisement for your CD"s (No charge for that revenue raising tip by the way).

[@BlueBearFlutes]

You're the best my friend!

[@Sheepdog1314]

I have soo many saved pallets, most are maple and cedar, with some oak cross beams - a lot of work to take them apart. So many pallets made of nice wood get thrown away where i work...how did you build the routing jig for the inside of the flutes? Thank you for showing your way....

[@rickywalker7171]

Dose a thick wall are thin wall sound. Better

[@paulvelarde6165]

Hey Charlie which sawdust gives your coffee better taste ha ha!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Sweetgum! 🤣

[@paulvelarde6165]

It’s just funny how I see in your videos your coffee mug in the areas your working thought a certain sawdust give it a better taste.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

@@paulvelarde6165 to be honest with you, the tea is usually gone by the time the sawdust begins!

[@stargazer7358]

Where can I find the music in this video!?

[@amitjungerman5356]

May I know which song is playimg on the 31 min

[@Pualleng]

Can you make a tutorial of Toyo the big pan pipe

[@rickywalker7171]

1. Wat side are the holes on the noise bridge 2 wat is the spacing on the key holes,an wat side are they

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I do have other videos and a book for that information. This one was more of a proof in concept video.

[@deborahlevey8527]

Hey beard flute man, I forgot ur name ,can u tell me what that machine is that made the holes of the inside of the flute? Got everything else at my son home .now I need that other machine for the inside of the flute I hope u answer .once I'm done I will vedio u a tape... debbiedo

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hey beard woman. I too forgot your name. I believe you are talking about a drill? Or a router?

[@alexandremasse9831]

what is the oil that using for this

[@BlueBearFlutes]

This will give you some options: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIDcfoxtjcunaaMsi=DRWjsYeSIVuXjR3k

[@elizabethbresett996]

do you sell any of the pallet flutes ?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

No however we do sell a great line of wonderful instruments made of other woods! bluebearflutes.com

[@newtoatheism5968]

I don’t have any pallets and I think most of our trees are pine I have fandom branches around here

[@BlueBearFlutes]

There's always this... kzbin.info/www/bejne/h364iGVnn6eAjsk

[@charliechrist7537]

What about carcinogens used to treat the pallets?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Anyone concerned about pesticides should do a quick Google of "do pallets have pesticides" for more information.

[@KGatLC]

Lowes has red oak.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Likewise, specialty wood can be bought from all around the country however in this video I make a flute from something that was used already and is a pretty quality find! I hope you enjoyed it!

[@rickywalker7171]

Wat side an kind of router bit do I need

[@BlueBearFlutes]

It is called a core box, sometimes called a flute and the size that I use in this video is 3/4 of an inch in diameter or 3/8 of an inch radius. I have hundreds of other videos of making flutes that are more detailed. I don't recommend you making flutes this way however it is very dangerous!

[@bluesfrets3927]

I enjoyed your video, however the way you handle hot iron is very unsafe!!

[@colson8327]

I absolutely love your videos but please consider replacing the music with some of your beautiful flute playing instead. It would be dramatically more pleasant to listen to!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Consider it considered! 🙂