Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hi Ben,  I would suggest that you sand incrementally until you get the sound you want and are happy with.  It seems that you might just create a different problem if you take everything down.  Aside from any possible unforeseen problems that await, it just seems like you might be doing work that doesn't necessarily need to be done.  Good luck.

Hi ben,
This is quite a boring topic for us shakuhachi makers! When I visited John Neptune in 2002, he gave me a sheet with illustrated pressure points in the bore. There were also a few notes on his thoughts as it applied to shakuhachi bore work. It was titled An Interesting Bore.

Benjamin wrote:

I was working on a flute yesterday and decided to run some thin epoxy down the bore to build it up a bit,  but as it was almost cured I tried to blow Ro, and could not get a sound. It felt clogged and stuffy. I started to panic, this was a flute that had been 4 years in the making and felt compelled to try and get the epoxy out. I started to take off as much as I could with knives and home made flexible chisels. Then I started to sand and brush with some shotgun cleaning rods and brushes.  Most of the epoxy came off, but there is still some left near the end of the flute and is hard to get at.  The flute still sounds somewhat stuffy but it is better.

The first time this happened to me was also the last time. I did exactly what you, around 1998. I poured two part Alumilite epoxy into the bore of a flute thinking it would only thinly coat the walls. It cured quicker than expected and left huge uneven lava-like blobs in the bore. I did exactly what you did trying to remove it. I was able to salvage it after some time, but in the end I never found it's original effervescent voice.

I guess I'm just wondering if there is any other makers who have run into similar problems?  I feel a little foolish with the incident; I knew that a flute should be about 95% done before fine tuning and lacquer work.  This flute, I thought, needed just some more substance, turns out a little epoxy goes a long way.

If you are making Jinashi flutes, it's better to use Spot Tuning.

So from this point would it be better to sand the entire bore down flush and then rebuild with material? or Sand down until I get a good tone and build up with lacquer from there?

I am at a loss

Ben

Jeff and kerry has some good advice. The flute may still be OK (or even better than before) but your style or level of playing may not allow you to discover it. Many fine shakuhachi flutes are "stuffy". They have to be blown specifically to work at their potential.

That being said, if the flute plays "sluggishly. You may want to examine the utaguchi area (angles, sharpness), the upper part of the flute, choke point, and the bottom opening. Generally, if those areas are too small, the flute may feel sluggish.

I came across a reflection on death the other day. It basically, went "...do not mourn the passing of a soul with sadness, it will naturally be reborn again into a higher plane of existence.  Your next shakuhachi will probably kick b*tt!

Let us know what happens.


Best, Perry

Benjamin wrote:

Thanks Perry, Kerry, and Jeff!

I did a bit more hole tweaking, and blowing and found a good tone. (panic subsiding)
Then this morning I decided to give it one coat or lacquer all over, and the flute is back to good vibrations! (contentedness rising) The joint fits snug and needs a bit more exterior work to bring it flush to the surface of the bamboo, but everything is falling into place.  It will need some more work and probably a good look over. (which will probably be done by Perry when I can work up the nerve to see it in a USPS box)

Another thing I was wondering about was the thumb hole. I have not drilled it yet. This flute has been chopped up, plugged up, reworked, rebirth, death, and rebirth again.(I don't want to put the thumb hole in another wrong place)

The debate between the 1.0 sun and 1.3 sun spacing (on a hassun) is my dilemma.  My old Myoan is what I have used for a gauge with this flute, but that is a myoan and this is a kinko.  This flute has a wider bore and its own character.  The old myoan adheres more to the 1.0 sun spacing above hole #4, but it is not exact. what to do?  I have been sticking to the spacing method which Chikamitsu describes in Kudo's book.

Ben

Ben,

I'd argue that it's best to have all the holes drilled first before you do too much tweaking.

Also, I know this is easier said than done, but you'll have many more flutes after this. Since you mentioned this flute has been through a lot of changes, what if you just drill the thumb hole where you think it's best? If you are right, great! If not, (which in the long run would be even better) you can fill it and re-drill where needed. I'd start by taking what I've learned from the first four holes and apply it to the fifth hole.

One great lesson I continue to learn from bamboo is that I can let go of the stress and just do what I think is right. If it doesn't work, it's no big deal. Plus, I learn something important. Some surprising discoveries are possible with this attitude!

Good luck!

Ken