Carving designs in bamboo flutes

[jwalter227]

Mark, I would like to know how to carve designs in bamboo. I make transverse flute and would like to find a good way to decorate them. I use bamboo from bamboo branch. Some is golden and some is black.

[Mark Meckes]

Hi jwalter227,
Thanks for bringing up this interesting topic!
I hope other bamboo musical instrument makers will chip in, show their work and explain how they did it, as I'm a bit rusty on this topic and have only done a lil bit of whittlin.
There's a lot of ways one could carve or engrave a design onto a flute, and ultimately it would depend on the thickness of the area being carved as to the depth of the carving.
It's also possible to shave off a thin layer of the surface to create a design.
Here's an example, though this is larger bamboo:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/522/thumbs/809Mvc-230f.jpg Carved Bamboo Vase (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=509) - Artist unknown

And here's an example of carving and inlay work:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/527/thumbs/bamboo_key_of_G_with_Turq_red_coral_blue_lapis_and_jet_inlay.JPG Inlaid bamboo flute, key of mid G (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=736) by Darrell Allen

There's a lot of different tools that one can use, from electric rotary tools to fancy carving tools, but I began with these ...

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/537/thumbs/BCarvingToolsJharp.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1370)

Anyway, this is a starters.

Is there anything in particular that you wanted to do?

Mark

[jwalter227]

Mark,
I would like to carve designs on the surface. I have a picture I could not get to attach that looks like they used woodburning to carve it. I guess I need to get in touch with the carvers at Woodcraft. Thanks, Jay Walter

[Mark Meckes]

Ah yes, the technical term for wood burning is pyrography, though I wouldn't put it in the same category as carving unless a very hot and/or sharp bladed tool is used, in which the bamboo is indeed incised and engraved with the aid of heat.
This can also be done after a piece is first carved.
If applied lightly or with a flame/propane torch it's more like painting on a design with heat.

I've dabbled with this a little bit. It has such great potential that I've been intending to start a workshop forum here specifically for this topic. I'll see if I can get it up and running sometime next week.

Meanwhile ... check this out:
Bamboo Arts and Craft Gallery > Bamboo Pyrography (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3057)

Note that there are other categories in the above Gallery which members have embellished their works with pyrographic designs, and copies of their pics will soon be placed in this category as well.

Bamboo Workshop Gallery > Pyrography Tools and Techniques (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showgallery.php?cat=540)

A few pics I found, in no particular order, as I begin sorting through my photo collections ...

Mark