Still having fun messing around with turning whistles!! My wife has not had a chance to "bling them up" with her artistic magic but once she has decorated them, I will post the finished pieces in the members forum photo gallery,
-
July 2025 Turning Challenge: Turn a Multi-axis Weed Pot! (click here for details) -
Congratulations to James Seyfried for "NE Red Oak II" being selected as Turning of the Week for July 21, 2025 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
captive .... squares??? sure - why not?!
- Thread starter David Croxton
- Start date
So interesting, I would like to make a whistle, is there anything I should know? what are the variables that affect performance? depth of the hole, size, etc?
Mark St. Leger’ article from 2000 AAW Journal. Just do a search in articles for “whistles” on the AAW website. Pretty sure his whistle is based off a drilled 3/8” hole.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
- Messages
- 9,238
- Likes
- 5,896
- Location
- Lakeland, Florida
- Website
- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
American woodturn has several articles
We have used the Mark st ledger whistle in lots of kids classes it use a fipple
On kid wanted to do captive rings so he put them on his whistle
Hi Isaac,
Honestly I did not research anything about making whistles -- I saw this article a while back and saved it, just thought it was kinda neat & that one day I might find time & try making one. I had forgotten all about the article until I was scrambling to come up with a project a week before I was due to demo at the NM State Fair this year. Also, the Friday before my demo, I saw a video on the Craft Supplies site that had Matt Monaaco turning captive rings on a top --- a light bulb went off in my head - and that's how I thought I would combine captive rings on a whistle - I wanted to do something different -- something other than a top. I was just glad that I came up with an idea for something fun to give away to the kids at the fair... I knew absolutely nothing of the article Hockenbery references in the above post - I'm glad I did not claim it to be an original idea!
Those are great!
Here's a different design.
When assisting at a woodturning class at John C Campbell Folk School almost 15 years ago (Mike Stafford was teaching box-making), the native American flute-maker/instructor Billy Whitefox visited the woodturning area and asked me if I could make a small flute on the lathe. Sure, why not?! He provided the specs, I did the turning.
He uses a piece of bamboo or carved wood over the first hole which directs air over the second hole to make the note. I don't know if this is rightly called a "fipple" since it doesn't have the internal structure of what I understand is commonly referred to as a fipple, but it's function is to direct the air. It sure worked though. This is the way he made many of his flutes, some quite large.
I made a sketch before turning. Simple design, 2-finger-hole flute, open on both ends.
You can see the first hole is angled to better direct the incoming air across the hole that creates the sound.
The adjustable wood piece was shaped with a knife to better hold the tie ribbon, adjusted to get the best sound.
It was surprising how little air it needed.
After he saw my 'magic" wands, the next evening he asked if I could make what he called a "spirit whistle" in the handle of one. Sure, why not?!
It uses the same design to make the sound - he heated the bamboo in a flame, I think to shape it a little.
Since the cavity volume is small the pitch is high but it works fine! (I kept that one.)
It might be hard to see but I drilled several vent holes just after the two finger holes so the end wouldn't be closed.
The turning shop was popular that year. We had after-hours visitors most evenings, including a number of folk school staff.
JKJ
Here's a different design.
When assisting at a woodturning class at John C Campbell Folk School almost 15 years ago (Mike Stafford was teaching box-making), the native American flute-maker/instructor Billy Whitefox visited the woodturning area and asked me if I could make a small flute on the lathe. Sure, why not?! He provided the specs, I did the turning.
He uses a piece of bamboo or carved wood over the first hole which directs air over the second hole to make the note. I don't know if this is rightly called a "fipple" since it doesn't have the internal structure of what I understand is commonly referred to as a fipple, but it's function is to direct the air. It sure worked though. This is the way he made many of his flutes, some quite large.
I made a sketch before turning. Simple design, 2-finger-hole flute, open on both ends.
You can see the first hole is angled to better direct the incoming air across the hole that creates the sound.
The adjustable wood piece was shaped with a knife to better hold the tie ribbon, adjusted to get the best sound.
It was surprising how little air it needed.
After he saw my 'magic" wands, the next evening he asked if I could make what he called a "spirit whistle" in the handle of one. Sure, why not?!
It uses the same design to make the sound - he heated the bamboo in a flame, I think to shape it a little.
Since the cavity volume is small the pitch is high but it works fine! (I kept that one.)
It might be hard to see but I drilled several vent holes just after the two finger holes so the end wouldn't be closed.
The turning shop was popular that year. We had after-hours visitors most evenings, including a number of folk school staff.
JKJ
Hi John,
Those are really awesome - when I get a chance, I will try a few with the multi opening variation. Thanks for sharing!
Those are really awesome - when I get a chance, I will try a few with the multi opening variation. Thanks for sharing!
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I did some captive squares on a table leg I did for my sister about 25 or 30 years ago.
Hi John, that's really cool - i'd bet the ones you made look far better than mine -thanks for sharing!
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I was new at turning and had made a few captured rings. I was making a small end table for my sister with square tapered legs. I thought it would be fun to turn a small section and put a captured ring. It started out square so I just left it.