DIY: Air Whistles

One type of air whistle is a recorder.

Before you go out and buy an expensive flute, recorder or penny whistle, consider making your own air whistle with a few materials and tools you might have in your own home. This project is relatively easy once you understand the fundamentals of air instruments. These types of instruments are typically hollow so that air can be channeled through small openings. Sound is produced when the air travels through those openings.

Things You'll Need

• Hollow PVC pipe, 1 foot long, 1-inch diameter
• Saw
• Wooden dowel, 1 foot long, 1-inch diameter
• 400-grit sandpaper
• Measuring tape
• Marker
• Power drill
• 1/4-inch drill bit
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Saw off a piece of the PVC pipe that is 2 inches long.

2. Saw off a piece of the dowel that is 2 inches long.

3. Sand the edges of the dowel with 400-grit sandpaper until they are smooth.

4. Mark a point that is 2 inches from one end of the long piece of PVC pipe.

5. Drill through one side of the PVC pipe 1/8 inch under the point you drew in step 4. Drill through only one side of the PVC pipe.

6. Cut a narrow rectangle into the PVC pipe with scissors; begin at the end closest to the hole you made in step 5. The rectangle should be 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide and extend to the hole itself. When you finish this step, you will have a narrow rectangle cut from one side of the PVC pipe.

7. Insert the 2-inch-long piece of wooden dowel into the end of the PVC pipe with the rectangular slit. Ensure the piece of dowel's end lines up with the end of the PVC pipe.

8. Cut the 2-inch-long piece of PVC pipe in half and place it around the end of the long piece of PVC pipe with the wooden dowel. Line up the end of the short piece of PVC pipe with the end of the long piece of PVC pipe.

9. Blow through the end of the whistle with the dowel to make a sound.

References

• GG Whistles: The 'Low-Tech' Whistle: How to Make a PVC Whistle
• YouTube: PVC Whistle in 5 Minutes