How to Make a Whistle Using PVC Pipe
You can make a simple whistle out of PVC pipe and a small piece of a wooden dowel. Make the whistle with tools that many homes already own, and change the pipe size to change the pitch. Musically inclined people may be interested in making a more complex, flute-like whistle than a simple, single-toned whistle. Drill finger holes in the pipe to play the whistle similar to a recorder.
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Things You'll Need
- PVC pipe, 3/8 inch
- Thick wood dowel, 3/4 inch
- Circular saw or hacksaw
- Sand paper
- Permanent marker
- Scissors
- Drill bit, 1/4 inch
- Drill press or hand drill
Instructions
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1
Cut the PVC pipe to 16 inches long with a circular saw or a hacksaw. Cut a second piece of PVC pipe and a wood dowel to a length of 1 ¼ inch. Sand both PVC edges with sand paper and use a belt sander for the wooden dowel.
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2
Draw a mark with a permanent marker 1 ¼ inch from the top of the 16-inch PVC pipe. Insert the drill bit into the drill press and drill a hole through the top of the pipe under the mark.
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3
Use scissors to cut a 1/4-inch opening from the top end of the 16-inch pipe to the hole. Sand the cut with a file and then insert the dowel into the top end of the pipe.
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4
Make one slit in the 1 ¼-inch pipe with scissors so that the piece is open. Push the PVC piece over the 16-inch pipe at the top, with the cut side facing down to cover the dowel.
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5
Blow through the top end of the pipe to make the whistle sound.
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Tips & Warnings
Drill five to six holes in the body of the whistle to create a simple flute. The pitch and key depends on the size of the pipe and where you drill the holes. Guido Gonzato's "The 'Low-Tech' Whistle: How to Make a PVC Whistle" gives diagrams and measurements to make PVC flutes in a specific key and octave.
Various pipe widths will produce different pitches. Wide pipes will make a low-sounding pitch and thin pipes will make high pitches. Changing breath stretch will also change pitch and volume.
