About the Native American Flute (F#)
Native American-style flutes are among the easiest wind instruments to learn. They're usually tuned to a minor pentatonic scale, and F# is one of the most popular keys. They're normally made of wood, but this four-part printed version plays clear, in-tune notes once it's printed correctly, according to the designer, a flute maker who runs a site with free flute tutorials.
The three main sections join with printed male and female slots. Print each one upright, with the slot and mouthpiece facing up. The files come lying flat, so rotate them 90°, and then no supports are needed. Use at least 3 walls to stop air leaks, and 30% infill. Print the block (the 'bird') on its side, with supports between its two wings in front. The designer added that step after the tutorial video, which forgot it. You may need to sand the block and its nest a little. Glue the sections with a hobby base glue for an airtight seal. If you like, glue a thin flat piece of bamboo under the block to absorb moisture.
The tutorial video shows the assembly. The licence allows as many prints as you like, but only non-commercial ones, and the files may not be modified.
What you'll need
Printed parts
- Front, middle and end sections
- Block (bird)
Bought parts
- Glue for sealing the sections (the designer uses a hobby base glue)
- Optional: a thin flat piece of bamboo
Tools
- Sandpaper
Build overview
- Print the sections upright. Rotate each section 90°, slot and mouthpiece up, and print with no supports.
- Print the block. Print it on its side with supports between the wings.
- Sand. Lightly sand the block and the nest.
- Glue. Glue the three sections for an airtight seal.
- Fit the block and play. Tie or fit the block over the sound hole and play.
Print settings
- Walls: At least 3 (0.8 mm wall thickness)
- Infill: 30%
- Layer height: 0.2 mm
- Orientation: Sections upright; block on its side with supports
Video
Play video: 3D-printed Native American flute: free model and assembly (loads YouTube)
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. Video thumbnails are © their creators.
Photos
All photos: FluteCraft, from the design page on Printables, licensed CC BY-NC-ND. Shown unmodified apart from resizing and conversion to WebP (no crops), as the no-derivatives licence requires.