How to Carve a Train Whistle
Children and adults are fascinated by trains. The sounds, sights and structure of train sets are as captivating now as they were years ago. Being able to produce the train whistle sound is a great addition to a child's enjoyment of his train set. Carving your own train whistle is a fun woodworking project and a great way to give train lovers of any age a great train set tool. Read on to learn how to carve a train whistle.
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Instructions
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Purchase 1-inch poplar stock for the whistle housing. Poplar is a better option than pine because it's a harder wood. Cut your poplar stock 4 1/2 inches long.
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Use a 1/2-inch drill bit to drill into your cut poplar 4 inches deep. This hollows out the whistle all the way down, leaving 1/2 inch at the end to drill a hole for a string or strap.
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3
Measure 5/8-inch from the end of the whistle. Cut a notch halfway through the bored center of the whistle.
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4
Make a second cut at a 45 degree angle from the tip of the notch to the top of the whistle. Sand all these edges smooth with light sandpaper.
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5
Drill a 1/8-inch hole in the end of the whistle to insert a string or strap for holding. Be sure not drill through the 1/2-inch bore.
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Trim a 1/2-inch dowel to 3/8-inch long and glue into the 1/2-inch hole. Make sure the leading edge of the dowel is flush with the vertical edge of the notch cut in the top of the whistle. Use only non toxic white school glue, as this is where you'll put your mouth.
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Test the whistle before the glue dries to see if the sound is right. If it isn't working properly, remove the dowel piece and sand lightly on the leading edge. Reinsert and try the sound again. Keep tuning the whistle in this way before you allow the glue to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
It is possible to use pine for this project, however, the harder poplar will be easier to produce the sharp edges needed for a good whistle sound.
Make sure the dowel is completely dry before giving to a child to use.
