by Crimethinc. Workers' Collective
Available in 284 free installments
Owner:
Cut a hole in the bottom of the bucket. Using pliers to hold the can, heat the rim, which must be of slightly smaller diameter than your tube, over a gas stove or propane torch until it glows bright red. Use the can to melt through the bottom of the bucket. If you fail to melt all the way through, you can finish the job with an X-acto knife.
Shove the tube through the hole. It should fit tightly. The purpose of this is to create a reasonably tight seal between the bucket and tube that will still allow you to move the tube back and forth. If it is too tight, use the side of a razor blade to scrape the inside of the hole to the proper size. If the hole is slightly too large, wrap the area to be sealed with plastic packing tape until the joint is smooth and snug.
Add stabilizers. Push the tube through the bucket, so you can work on the end without the bucket getting in the way. Using the tin snips, cut three lengths of the steel strap. The straps will keep the tube centered in the bucket while allowing it to slide a few inches forward and back; accordingly, each strip should be long enough to span from the outer wall of the tube to the inner wall of the bucket, with a few extra inches so it can be bent and attached at both ends.
Attach the straps to the tube. The straps should be spaced evenly around the tube. Screw or rivet the straps in place on the tube, then bend the straps out like spokes. Now make another 90-degree bend in the straps where the tube reaches the inside of the bucket, so you have tabs to fasten the straps to the bucket.
Attach the straps to the inside of the bucket. Push the tube back so the end of the tube is even with the mouth of the bucket. The straps can be attached to the inside with rivets or screws. Drill the appropriate-sized holes through the bucket, and use them to fasten the straps {figure 13.1). Work from the outside of the bucket, so the outside remains as smooth as possible. The stabilizers make the boviphone more reliable and allow you to get cleaner, brighter notes, but they are not absolutely necessary.
Install sandpaper. Glue strips of sandpaper to the outside of the top of the bucket, with the abrasive side facing out; it is best to rough up the plastic surface before gluing. The sandpaper provides friction that will help keep the plastic skin tight. Wait for the glue to dry thoroughly before applying any stress.
Drill a hlowhok. You can either cut a hole with an X-acto knife or use a drill. A one-inch hole will do nicely.
Make straps. Cut the inner tubes and tie them into two bands that fit very tightly around the top of the bucket. Do not put them on yet.
Add the plastic skin. First, make sure the end of the tube is even with the mouth of the bucket. Cut a piece of plastic that is about a foot larger than the diameter of your bucket.
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Place the plastic over the end of the bucket. Fold the plastic over the bucket, then add the rubber straps. The plastic should be held tightly between the straps and the sandpaper. Adjust the plastic so that it is flat and tight across the mouth of the bucket. Now gently push the tube forward so that the end of the tube seals tightly against the plastic skin {figure 13.2).
Put your mouth to the blowhole and blow hard!
Tips To produce lower notes, add length to the tube?^but be warned, the longer your tube, the more air it takes to create and sustain a note. If you go low enough, use a foot pump, vacuum cleaner, or electric leaf blower to provide airflow. If you have access to a car, connect the exhaust pipe to the blowhole ... my friend, you will not be disappointed! If your plastic gives out when you use powered blowers, experiment with something tougher: blue tarp material, acetate, or rubberized fabric.
Two-by-Four Marimba This is an easy-to-make, loud, tonal percussion instrument, perfect for parades, rock
bands, and your Mad Max junkyard percussion kit.
Ingredients A two-by-four String Foam rubber Drill
Band saw ? you can substitute a reciprocating saw like a Sawzall or a bayonet saw, but the blade needs to be longer than the vddth of a two-by-four (which is, of course, 3.5")
Cut the two-by-four into different sizes, ranging from a foot to two feet long.
Use the saw to remove the middle of the underside of the board. Depending on the
Musical Intruments length of your two-by-four, leave two to four inches of unmodified board on either side
386 of the chunk you remove. This should leave your two-by-four flat on top and curved
