How to Make a Bamboo Ocarina

Wooden ocarina.

The ocarina is an ancient musical instrument with origins in Chinese culture. It is a compact, commonly oval-shaped wind instrument played in a similar manner as a flute. They are often made from common or whimsical materials, including sea shells and clay, or even bamboo, and it does not take much to construct an ocarina.

Things You'll Need

• 6-inch block balsam wood or cork (see Tips)
• 6-inch piece thick, dried bamboo
• Retractable razor or sharp knife
• Craft adhesive
• Marker
• Ruler
• Drill with five different-sized, interchangeable heads

Instructions

1. Cut two 1-inch cylinders out of the balsam wood or cork that is just wide enough to fit snugly inside the bamboo. Glue one of these pieces into one end of the bamboo. Allow to dry. Set aside the other cylinder. The bamboo should be sealed such that air blown into the open end does not come out.

2. With the marker, make a dot on one side of the open end of the bamboo as close as possible to the opening and about 1/2 inch down from the top. Mark another dot on the opposite side, again close to the opening and parallel with the first dot. Next, turn the bamboo over to the underside (away from the first two dots). Measure 1 inch down the center and mark a dot there. Now connect these dots by drawing a u shape. The u should start at one dot, curve around to the dot below then curve up to the last dot. Cut out this u shape from the bamboo.

3. Retrieve the other wood cylinder. Place the cylinder on its side. Measure and mark off about 1/4 inch of wood from the top of the cylinder. Cut this piece off so the cylinder now has a flat, even side. Glue this piece into the open end of the bamboo. Then cut away all exposed wood so that only the balsam wood is completely inside the bamboo. You should now observe the shape of the ocarina.

4. Measure and mark 1-1/2 inches onto the top of the bamboo above the cut end. Draw a 1/2-inch square box on the top, starting at this mark and and going further right. Now, using the razor, cut diagonally into the bamboo, starting at the right side of the square and angled over to the left side. This will be difficult. You do not want to cut straight down as you are not trying to cut through the bamboo and cut the square out. You want to end up with a piece that is angled like a wedge and goes just below the surface of the bamboo. Remove this wedge-shaped piece. Once this is done, take the blade and cut a small slit out of the left side of the square. Air should now be able to escape only through this slit.

5. Drill 10 holes into the bamboo, using each of the different-sized drill bits twice. The holes do not need to be aligned and can be in any order along the top and sides (but not bottom) of the ocarina.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to find a piece of bamboo that already has one end naturally closed. This would most likely be a piece from the bottom of the bamboo rod. Balsam wood is suggested to close up the bamboo because it is easy to cut, but other materials can be substituted, including plastic foam or even clay, which could be shaped by hand. If you do not have a drill, you can use a sharp razor and a marker, but this would be more difficult and dangerous.

• Bamboo is a very strong material, so be careful when using a drill and sharp tools on it.

References

• Make a Clay Ocarina