2 – The Process - Summary

Your tool inventory will to some extent determine the actual details of the flute making process. I'll describe a more or less handmade method and mention the specialized tools as we come to them.
 Here are the basic steps:

• Select appropriate stock and cut it to a workable size
• Drill the long hole down most of the length of the blank
• Locate the center of the bore on the 'closed' end of the blank
• Rough trim the blank down close to the bore, making it a rough tube
• Turn the tube down on the lathe until the tube sidewalls are about 1/8" thick
• Mark the locations of the mouth-hole and six finger holes
• Drill the holes
• Clean up the inside of the bore
• Play each note and adjust its pitch using a piano or electronic tuner
• Fine-sand the outside of the flute and apply oil finish. Whew, you're done!