One man's trash is....

[Arkie John]

(you know it) another man's treasure.

I drive a fifteen passenger dodge commuter van to work and back daily. One day last week I noticed that, at one of my stops, by the dumpster, was an old table leg. I didn't think much of it.

As the days went on, I kept noticing it. Then I realized the dumpster belonged to a rather upscale furniture store. I put two and two together and just couldn't stand it anymore. Hey! This table leg might be made of good wood actually, and it is destined to be trash unless...

Well that afternoon I dropped off my next-to-the-last passenger and I turned and said to Ms Deanne, "I HAVE to retrieve that old table leg leaning up by that dumpster. She just smiled, knowing what I was up to.

I thought it was maple when I first picked it up. But once I began to work with it, I knew it was something else...unfamiliar to me. It looks a little like lacewood, but its not. So...I continue to work the mystery wood from trash to (hopefully) somebody's treasure.

By the way, it presently produces a beautiful, clear F#. I'll let you know how it turns out...now that I'm so efficient with these here photos and such.

I'm like the old table leg--just a work in progress! <><

aj

 

[Wayne in BC]

a silk purse already
The wood could be Alder which is quite pale, much of it is used in furniture and it is nearly as hard as Birch. The Alder trees here on the coast get to be six feet in diameter and 100 feet tall, unlike their inland cousins that are mere "bushes".

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

Did you check to see if the wood was ash, birch, or hickory? How do you determine the length and thickness of the flute? Also, how do you determing the size of the finger holes and the hole down the center of the flute. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Sunny]

what you have to know about Johnboy, is that he keeps studying something until he gets it to perfection. He is good at anything he tries like this. I didn't get as much talent as he and Tom. Lil Brother sings like a bird now, and all I can do is get a croak out at best!

I guarantee John studied all of this, researched it all, and comes up with something this beautiful. He is truly blessed when it comes to this and so is Lil Brother!

 

[Sunny]

Crape Myrtle bush that we transplanted two summers ago. I kept the branch, and Johnboy said he would make me something really nice for Christmas out of it if I would let him have some of it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Nice seeing you and Carol tonight!

 

[Arkie John]

It is considered a hardwood but it is soft, like maple.

I found out, through trial and error, by using PVC, how and where to make the holes. If the hole was wrong, I just taped over it with electrical tape and drilled another. They were U U U G G L L Y! But the taught me a lot.

Once you have a good one you can use it for a pattern as long as the bore and the thickness of the walls of the flute remain the same. I use a chromatic tuner (not a guitar tuner) that has each note of the scale. Got it on ebay for 18 bucks.

Start with 1/8 inch hole and drill larger incrementally. Doing so makes the note sharper. So be sure it's flat to start with.

On the hole placement, the Indian method is to use a simple method called the Knuckle method to get you in the neighborhood.

I make mostly 5-hole flutes. Measure the length and divide it by 2. That's where your third hole will be. Then use your index and middle knuckle as a measure and measure down toward the end of the flute (called the south end). The first measurement is where hole #2 is to be drilled and the second measurement is where your first hole will be drilled. Going up, do the knuckle measurement and add 1/4". Thats where the 4th hole would be drilled for a six-hole flute. Do it twice more and that's where your 5th and 6th holes are drilled.

Begin at the south end and tune each note before moving to the next one because each one affects he other.

I know this is way too much information and probably downright boring. Go to cherrycows.com and order his e-book for a mere $18 bucks/ It will enable you to make a first-class flute with few tools. Gimme a call or PM me if you want some in-depth stuff.

Just didn' want to bore folks with the more precise stuff.

Good to hear from you, buddy. <><

aj

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I have always been interested in them since I heard one played when I was a young boy. All that I remember was it was at the county fair and there were some Indians there that held a Pow Wow. They had some Teepees set up and they did some dancing. I also saw some drums that they were using. Years ago, a friend of our family gave me an Indian drum which I have displayed at the present time on top of my book case. Also, many, many years ago, I found what I believe is an Indian flute made from an animal bone. I looked for it this past week and can not find it. I have too many boxes full of Indian things that it is difficult to find some of the things like the bone flute or that tomahawk that was given to me. Sooner or later I will find everything and get it all organized. The one thing that I remember about hearing the Indian flute being played was that it was a sad solo song, but beautiful. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Sunny]

wish you would find some of your other Indian collectibles and post photos of them. Myself? I'm just waiting for fall to go to the Saline River here across the road. I know there are arrowheads and tomahawks, and no telling what else, just don't want to fight the snakes to get to them, so I am waiting on colder weather!

 

[Micheal_R]

How long did that process take? And how do you get it back together? Is it a special glue? Pins?Screws?

That is a beautiful piece!!!!

Fair winds

M

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

How do you know that there are some there? Have you found some arrowheads at that site? I thought that the Saline River was in East Texas? Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Arkie John]

I had to be careful because I didn't have any room for error. The table leg is much smaller (in thickness) than the 2 X 2 x 24 blank I usually begin with. It being tapered presented another set of unique problems, as well.

First, using an arm saw, I cut the end piece off (the part with the metal plate attached). That left me with barely enough length.

Then I had to saw it into two equal pieces, lengthwise using a table saw. Next comes the router table and routing a 3/8" half-round in each piece, making sure that it matches perfectly to make a complete 3/4" bore when glued back.

I then cut the true sound hole (TSH) half the diameter of the bore (in this case 3/8" wide) and 7/32" long. I sand the bore then coat it with a diluted mixture of 3lb shellac. I wipe down the parts to be glued with denatured alcohol, and let it dry.

Then, I use Titebond III wood glue (it's waterproof) for a permanent bond. That's evening No. 1.

Evening No. 2 consists of setting a straight bit into the router table to a depth of 1/64" of an inch (about the thickness of a credit card) and cutting the flue. That is an air chamber from the TSH, back to the hole coming from the slow air chamber. Had enough?

You probably recognize the beads on some of the flutes, eh?

Give Alice my best. I've prayed for her already this morning. <><

Your friend,

aj

 

[Sunny]

Saline River in Arkansas is almost in my front door. All the arrowheads and tomahawk heads I posted from my little old lady neighbor a while back came from around these banks. If you didn't see them, let me know and I will repost.

Also, something that is interesting. When you look down toward the woods from my front yard, you can see perhaps 10-12 raised mounds that appear to be in some short of circle. One of them is at the end of my driveway.

Me and Lil Brother had a discussion about these mounds, and wonder if perhaps teepees were once sitting on them. Only one is on my land, the rest are across the road in a pasture. When the weather gets cooler and I can get some help, we might did the one in my yard.

Scott is not really up for it, because "it would tear our yard up". My fix,......plant more grass after replacing the dirt!

I also have walked the river bank this past summer and have found lots of flint chips..........might be a good adventure! Ya think?

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I did not realize that you lived in the immediate area of so much Indian history and possible arrowheads. If I had known that before now, I probably would not have teased you so much...I now regret using that "P" word that proceeded the word "cat" to get a reaction out of you.

Sunny, those mounds may be burial mounds so be careful if you dig into them. Please go to Google and type in Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma. This may give you an idea of just what may be in all those mounds or something similar. I have a couple of the copper arrowheads that were found at the Spiro Mounds in Eastern Oklahoma.

This is a photo of an arrowhead from Arkansas that I found. How far do you live from where I found this many years ago. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

[attachment 35898 ArkansasArrowhead.jpg]

 

[Arkie John]

...we have TWO Saline Rivers in Arkansas that I know of. One, along with the Little River and the Cossatot, empty into Millwood Lake, near Ashdown. Ashdown is located northeast of Texarkana, I'm guessing, about 35 miles or so.

The OTHER Saline River has its head waters coming from three sources, north and west of the geographical center of Arkansas. THIS Saline River is the one that passed within 800 yards of Linda's front door and continues through Benton, going basically south east through Jenkins Ferry and the like.

Both rivers are magnets for Indian artifacts. If only people would break up the ground the way they once did. But around here, hay seems to be king...requiring no breaking of the ground.

aj

 

[Sunny]

to the top! I can't wait to hear one of the flutes! Also, when Scott and I lost our cherry tree, we had it milled into one by six planks, or maybe two by six. I'll check. Would this make a pretty flute do you think? Dark cherry is my very favorite, but I just thought about these planks that are in the shop! ILY,

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

goes southward into Texas? I may be wrong and the river that I am thinking about in East Texas may not be the Saline River. The river that I am talking about had river boats on them at one time back in the 1800's and there was also some Civil War action there. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I got the Texas "Sabine River" confused with the Arkansas "Saline River." Later today or tonight, I think I will do a Google search on the Saline River in front of Sunny's house and see if I can get some Indian history for her. Sorry for the mistake. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Arkie John]

...especially flutes. I have not made one of Cherry in quite sometime. All I have is 3/4" thick stuff, and I prefer to work with 2" stuff, if I can get it. Working with 3/4" stuff, the grain doesn't exactly match up on the flute halves when finished and I'd prefer that they did.

Your cherry is a couple of years old now isn't it? It should be drying nicely. Ideally hardwood should be a maximum of 6% moisture content, or it could check (crack), shrink or even warp as it dries more and more. That makes for a bad day.

Moisture meters are pricy but you could take a stick of it to a lumber yard and ask them to read the moisture content for you. Maybe even Lowes or Home Depot staff could do that. I dunno.

I wondered what you did with that cherry log, just the other day.


Love you,

Johnboy

 

[Sunny]

Ranging form eight to ten foot long. They have been kept in the shop for almost two years. If you want, I'll give you a plank or two, but I don't know if you want to mess with it. Didn't you say you preferred a 2 X 2 blank to start out with?

 

[Arkie John]

We will "makes" 'em woik.

We might even try to combine some of the crepe myrtle wood to accent. I'll see if I can pull it off.

Johnboy