Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Nice Chuck...

I've been considering an enhanced Yuu as a back up flute and thought about doing something like that. Derek Van Choice has some pictures and how he didi a very nice Yuu on his site located here if your looking for further inspiration.

http://home.earthlink.net/~soundwave1/Inga/yuu.htm

I would not believe that tea would penetrate the surface of the Yuu.

I think the ethers/acetone of a permanent marker or the petroleum base of the wood stain as Ken used is what allowed them to actually stain plastic.

Harazda, if you try staining with tea I'd love to know how it comes out.

Harazda wrote:

I wish I had some of the material to test with.

Don't hardware stores sell plumbing made of ABS? I think it's ultra cheap too. I'm just guessing, but I think your idea of staining with tea will work.

Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:

I wish they made a yuu shakuhachi in one piece, not two.  Then the flute would be very hard to crack or break.

I also wish they made different sized yuu's.

jason

I was about to say the same thing, but you said it first. Amen!

I agree that epoxy will make a Yuu into a nobekan...like all my other shakuhachi, but what is the purpose of using the "Sharpies" and Shellac. It is, after all a plastic shakuhachi with a great sound. Why try to make things what they are not. Just enjoy them as they are...or not, I guess.

I gave a few lessons to Frank Serpico (the real one, not Al Pacino) and he made PVC shakuhachi and used a blowtorch to give them a distressed look. They were pretty nice. Unfortunately he didn't want to do formal study.

Tairaku wrote:

Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:

I wish they made a yuu shakuhachi in one piece, not two.  Then the flute would be very hard to crack or break.

I also wish they made different sized yuu's.

jason

I was about to say the same thing, but you said it first. Amen!

I remember a thread that discussed the possibilty of making longer Yuu's. One thing that I thought may make it viable is that the casting of a real shakuhachi isn't really necessary because the bore of the Yuu isn't cast, that's made obvious by the fact that the hole is off-center at the bottom of the Yuu. So, all you'd really have to do is get a PVC or ABS tube with the right tapering (I'm assuming that the Yuu is a tapered bore). As it is, the outside bamboo look of the Yuu is just decoration, without it the Yuu could probably be much easier to make, but might not sell as well. So the question would be if you could make 2.4 tapered plastic tubes cheap enough to meet the limited demand due to it's not looking like a shakuhachi.

Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:

I wish I had a pic for ya, I used a black permanent marker to color my yuu.  At first it was shiny and looked like a marker colored the flute in.  3 years later the marker has faded and rubbed in.  The flute looks like an antique now untill you hold it and look closely. 

I wish they made a yuu shakuhachi in one piece, not two.  Then the flute would be very hard to crack or break.

I also wish they made different sized yuu's.

jason

I am quite curious about a picture of your flute. I am thinking of coloring my Yuu as well.
What alternatives are there to the permanent marker to paint a Yuu (or ABS plastic).
I want it to look natural or 'Shakuhachi-like'; no pink or purple one's

greetings,

Bas

Hi Derek van Choice,

Your shakuhachi yuu work looks very nice! You mention stain in your post, English not being my native tongue...but a stain is a dirty mark to me...but I guess you mean alcohol soluble powder dye stains (the material you use to give wood a darker color)?
I will start on the outside...maybe later I'll try more advanced stuff like the clear lacquer or inside lacquer...I just got my Yuu.
greetings.

Derek Van Choice wrote:

Hi, Bas,

Thanks!  Yes, it is just a standard "wood stain" available at most any hardware store.

I believe [correct me if I'm wrong] Derek means oil-based stain, as opposed to water or alcohol based, which
I also think would work better, as it dries more slowly, and can be 'worked' on the surface more easily. Has
some odor, which dissipates when the stain is cured.

Derek Van Choice wrote:

Concurrence.  If a clear-coat is to be applied after the stain, I guess the key is to be consistent with the base of the stain and finish, i.e. both water-based, or both solvent based so there is not adverse reaction between them.

FWIW: I've had no problems putting water-based clear coats over oil stains (not on Yuu's, just in general); the stain must
be completely cured, though: 24-48 hours, depending on local humidity conditions.

Egad!

Isn't that Tairaku, the Tasmanian Mountain God?