Things You'll Need:
- protective eye-wear
- handsaw or miter box and back saw
- masking tape
- bamboo
- drill
- sandpaper
- ½ rounded file
- wood glue
- kabob skewers
- rounded wood dole or cork to fit the inside diameter of the bamboo/PVC
- Filler of your choice - rice makes a nice sound, you can improvise with sand, pebbles, beans for a different sound
- paints and bits of leather and leather cord for decorative trim
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Step 1
Safety first, be sure to use protective gear when handling saws and other hand tools and chemicals.
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Step 2
Choose the bamboo. Keep in mind, length and diameter may change the sound quality so experiment with different sizes. And also choose a piece that feels comfortable in your hand.
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Step 3
Bamboo is a delicate wood. You might want to apply masking tape around the area you intend to cut to protect the bamboo from tearing.
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Step 4
Clamp down your bamboo to keep it from wriggling as you cut, then using a medium blade saw cut to your desired length.
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Step 5
Remove the tape.
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Step 6
Hollow out the insides with a long drill bit or metal rebar.
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Step 7
Smooth the cut with a rounded file.
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Step 8
Using a drill bit the same diameter as the wooden skewers, drill 2 rows of holes in the bamboo, roughly one inch apart.
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Step 9
Apply a bit of wood glue to the skewers and feed them through the bamboo. Allow to dry.
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Step 10
After the glue has dried, using a sharp knife, trim the ends of the skewers that stick out of either side of the bamboo. Sand down any sharp or ragged edges.
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Step 11
Cut two pieces of wood to be used as plugs for either end of the bamboo. Glue one in place, and allow to dry.
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Step 12
Fill approximately 1/5 of the length of bamboo with your filler.
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Step 13
Glue the second round of wood or cork into the open end and allow to dry.
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Step 14
Stain or paint the rain stick and add decorative trims.
