How to Make an Ocarina Out of Wood
The ocarina is an ancient musical wind instrument indigenous to South America and China. It was revived in popularity during the 1800s in Italy with the creation of the sweet potato ocarina. In recent years the cartoon and video game "Zelda" has increased the popularity of the ocarina across the globe. An ocarina can be made of many mediums, such as plastic, clay, ceramic or glass, but the wooden ocarina is the sturdiest.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/8-inch hardwood sheet
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Saw
- Wood files
- Glue
- Brush
- Wood sealer
- Chromatic tuner
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Sandpaper
- Business card
- Olive oil
- Pipe cleaner
Instructions
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Cut a sheet of 1/8-inch hardwood, such as walnut or cherry, into two 1 1/2 inch-by-2-inch pieces, two 3 inch-by-2 inch pieces, two 1 3/4 inch-by-1 1/4-inch pieces, two 4 inch-by-1 1/4-inch pieces and one 1 3/4 inch-by-3 3/4-inch piece.
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Set the two 1 1/2 inch-by-2 inch pieces on your work surface, with the 2-inch sides running horizontally. Measure along the 2-inch edge and draw two 1 1/2-inch vertical lines, one at the 3/4-inch mark and another at the 1 1/4-inch mark. File down 1/16 inch inside those lines. Cut to round two of the corners along a 2-inch edge.
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3
Place the 1 1/2 inch-by-2-inch pieces together with the filed channels on the inside and facing each other. Glue the two 1 1/2-inch-by-2-inch pieces together, using thin, quick-drying glue. Take care that no glue gets into the wind channel. Glue the two 3-inch-by-2-inch pieces together, with one flat on top of the other, as well. Allow the glue to dry.
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4
Set the 3-inch-by-2-inch piece on your work surface, with a 2-inch edge furthest away from you. Measure and make 3/8-inch vertical lines at 3/4 inch and 1 1/4-inch along the 2 inch side of the piece. Draw a 1/2-inch horizontal line, connecting the two 3/8-inch lines 1/4-inch away from the edge. Draw another 1/2-inch horizontal line connecting the bottom of the 3/8-inch lines. Cut the small 1/4 inch-by-1/8-inch rectangle from the piece. File a smooth flat angle from the bottom of the inside wall of the rectangle to the top of the parallel 1/2-inch line, creating a slope or ramp.
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Set the 1 3/4-inch-by-3 3/4-inch piece on your work surface. Stand the two 4-inch-by-1 1/4-inch pieces up like walls along the longest outer edges. Stand the two 1 3/4-inch-by-1 1/4-inch pieces up like walls along the shortest outer edges. Glue the inside of the box together, being sure to fill all of the joints. Allow the glue to dry. Apply glue to each of the joints on the outside of the box. Allow the glue to dry.
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6
Use a brush to apply wood sealer to the inside of the box. Allow the wood sealer to dry. Apply a second coat of wood sealer to the inside of the box and allow it to dry.
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7
Glue the 3-inch-by-2-inch piece onto the top of the box, with the rectangle cutout toward the inside and the opposite end flush with the corners of the box. Allow the glue to dry. Place the wind channel piece with the rounded corners to the outside of the box. Glue the wind channel piece flush with the top. Press it tightly up against the other top piece and take care not to get any glue into the wind channel.
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8
Test the ocarina to discover the fundamental note of the instrument, as each ocarina will have it's own. Blow into the instrument with the same force of breath you will use while playing and use a chromatic tuner. According to K. Dunster of Green Verdugo Pottery, "It must have a needle meter, and be capable of detecting a 12 note equal-tempered scale (A through G, including the chromatics)." Drill a small finger hole in the top of the ocarina with the smallest drill bit available to you. Drill the hole where your fingers naturally place when you hold the ocarina to play it. Tune the note of the drilled hole to the next higher note of the major scale up from the fundamental note. Repeat switching to the next larger drill bit size and re-drilling until you accomplish the next note on the major scale. Repeat for three more finger holes, or as many as you desire.
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9
Sand the ocarina starting with medium and working toward fine sandpaper. Apply wood sealer to the outside of the ocarina. Allow the sealer to dry. Sand the ocarina lightly and apply another coat of wood sealer. Allow it to dry and sand very lightly, if desired.
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10
Use a piece of folded business card to coat the inside of the wind channel with olive oil and a pipe cleaner to coat the inside of the finger holes, like Charlie Hind, of Hind Musical Instruments, who advises, "You can improve the tone of the ocarina by applying some olive oil inside the wind way. It helps to protect the wood from the moisture in your breath and it also helps to create a smooth surface."
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Tips & Warnings
Wear safety glasses when using power tools.
References
- Photo Credit Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
