2024-12-04 08:53:29 -07:00
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---
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title: "3D Printed Flute"
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date: 2024-12-04
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tags:
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- music
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---
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I 3D printed a flute!
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2024-12-04 08:53:47 -07:00
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2024-12-04 08:53:29 -07:00
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This is an "Irish" flute, which apparently means it's based on a pre-Boehm flute from
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around the 1600s.
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It was designed by some Russians named Marat Axianoff and Marina Tiik.
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It's open-hole, no keys anywhere, and it was a very easy print.
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I probably used about $5 worth of PLA filament making it.
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For comparison, a new Doug Tipple flute, made of PVC pipe,
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looks to be selling for $135 right now.
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And a used wood flute is about $215.
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I'm not a flute player (yet) so I can't really comment on the tone.
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I can tell you, however, that I'm able to play all 8 scale notes,
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I can easily get into the second octave,
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and everything sounds in tune.
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The flute is tunable by adjusting the head joint,
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although my print appears to be on the flat side,
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so I'm playing with the head joint inserted all the way.
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If I find I need to get even more sharp,
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I will probably re-print a head joint that I've trimmed down by a few millimeters,
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which would not be an option with any other sort of flute.
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I'm discovering I actually like playing the flute!
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It's not a whole bunch more difficult than the tin whistle,
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and the tone is much less shrill,
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so it's not as annoying to other people in the house.
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Interestingly, the bagpipe is turning out to be less annoying than the tin whistle!
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Anyway, that's the news for now.
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I'm learning the flute, the tin whistle,
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and the uilleann pipes.
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They're all pretty similar so far,
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when compared to something like a Mandolin or Guitar or Piano.
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In fact, last night I dreamed about building an Oboe,
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and woke up realizing that I could start with my bagpipe chanter,
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and add a bunch of keys for accidentals and extended range.
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The fingering is, at core, the same on the Oboe (which I at one time played rather well)
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and the flute, whistle, and pipes.
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At some point I am probably going to recreate this design in OpenSCAD
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so I can twiddle it, maybe add keys, or print a flute in a different key.
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But for now I'm having a nice time learning to play some tunes.
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