RISING MOON STORY & PROCESS

Rising Moon Flutes, located in Raleigh North Carolina, are finely crafted Native American style wood flutes. Each flute is individually crafted and tuned using modern standards, but in keeping with native tradition. The flutes are made from a solid piece of wood or multiple kinds of wood joined together, bored out for a precise, solid instrument. All my flutes are made by me alone, all done by hand, without the use of CNC or laser cutting machinery. The visual beauty of the wood, combined with the haunting sound of the flute, and the subtle feel of the vibrating wood combine to offer a multi-sensory experience.

Making Native style flutes is my full-time business and passion. As such I fully guarantee my flutes against any defects. If ordering a flute on-line, you can test drive the flute for up to 10 days and if not happy just return for a full refund. With its unique sound, and easy to play quality, the Native flute is suited for the professional as well as novice players. All Rising Moon flutes are tuned to the minor pentatonic scale, but with cross fingering, can play the chromatic scale. These flutes are ideal for improvising your own songs, and with the six finger holes, can play western style songs. The native flute will provide hours of enjoyment with its relaxing, meditative sound. With a broad selection of woods and flute styles, and with each flute providing its own unique voice and personality, a special flute waits for you.

Note: I am not a member of a federally recognized Native American tribe. As such, I cannot claim these flutes as Native American Made™.

CRAFTING METHODS

A flute starts with dry lumber, cut into turning squares of length depending on the target flute key. The turning square is mounted in a lathe chuck, then bored out using air-cooled, deep boring, gun drill bits mounted on the lathe tail stock.

example woods used for crafting the flutes

Contact

The bored flute blank is then turned down on the lathe to an exact wall thickness. The first pass of sanding takes place at this point. Next a flat nest is milled for the flutes sound mechanism. A sound hole, slow air chamber exit hole, and a flue attaching the two, is milled and filed into the nest area.

After the basic flute has been completed, the flute needs to be voiced and cut to length for the fundamental note (as if all finger holes were covered). This process involves a bit of patience as the sound hole, flue depth, and flute length are incrementally adjusted for a pure fundamental note.

Once the flute can play a good fundamental, the six finger holes are located, then burned in. Each hole is tuned to its required note, gradually enlarging as the desired note is approached. After all the holes are tuned, rechecked, and tweaked as necessary, the flute is set aside to cool. Later the holes are rechecked to make sure the flute is still in tune. Final sanding is done both inside and outside of the flute, cleaned, then inspected. The flute is now ready for its protective coat of finish. The flute is submerged into a tank of salad bowl finish and allowed to soak. This ensures that the flute is completely sealed. Multiple coats of finish are applied to the flute's exterior depending on how glossy a look is desired. Before shipping, the flute is inspected again, tuning re-checked, then placed into its protective bag. It's now ready for someone to give it a voice.