How to Build a Homemade Plastic Pipe Flute
To start this project, you’ll need to gather your material which is mainly white, plastic PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe. The waterlines in homes used to be metal, but most newer homes have PVC pipe. You can easily find this pipe at your local hardware or home supply store. It’s not real expensive to buy.
You’ll also need to buy a pipe end cap. The end cap will need to slip over one end of the PVC pipe.
Your main flute body will be three quarters of an inch in diameter. It will need to measure 15-9/16 in length. Wear a dust mask over your nose and mouth so you don’t inhale the dust. Wear a pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes too. I used to work in a factory, so I’m big on using safety equipment because I’ve seen how it protects you. And, cut the PVC pipe slowly as it will grab your hack saw blade.
After you cut the length of pipe you need, run a round piece of wood down it. Push the wood piece up and down to remove any plastic nubs or shavings from the inside. I also shoved a small brush up and down on the inside, and ran tap water through it to remove any debris.
Then, use a fine file to sand gently down the rough ends.
Now that you have the body of your homemade plastic pipe flute made, you’ll need to add the holes. To do the next step, you’ll need a ruler and a crayon. A crayon works better than a marker because it can easily be washed off once you’re done. An added note, the pipe will be easier to work with at this point is you place it in a vise.
Make a straight line from one end of the PVC pipe to the other using the crayon. You’ll need to mark the locations of where the six holes will be located on the pipe body next. Use the line as your guide. From one end, measure down 6-7/8″. This first hole will be 3/8″ in diameter.
The second hole in the flute body will be eight inches down from the end, and it will also be 3/8″ in diameter.
The third hole will need to be above the second hole, approximately twenty-five degrees higher up on the side of the body. It will also be 3/8″ in diameter.
The fourth hole in your homemade plastic PVC pipe flute will be located 10-3/4″ from the end. It will be 11/32″ in diameter.
The fifth hole, or the next to the last one, will be located 11-1/2″ from the end of the flute body. However, it won’t be on the line. It will instead be approximately ten degrees up the side of the body. It will measure 7/16″.
And, finally, the last hole in your homemade pipe flute will measure 12-3/4″ from the same end. It will be on the line and be 5/16″ in diameter.
Now that you have the six locations of the holes marked with a crayon, you’ll need to bore the holes. Use an electric drill with assorted sizes of drill bits to do the job with. Remember- drill slowly and accurately. If you make a mistake, simply cut a new piece of PVC pipe and start al over again.
Once you’ve drilled all of the holes, clean out the inside of the flute body once again. Then, carefully use a small file to clean out the holes.
Your homemade plastic pipe flute is almost complete. All you need to finish building it is a mouthpiece. You’ll use the pipe cap you bought for this purpose. Put some plastic glue onto the starting end of the pipe, and slide the cap over it.
Allow the plastic glue to dry thoroughly before you move onto the next step of this project. This will allow the glue to set up so the mouthpiece is securely attached. It will also give the fumes from the glue time to dissipate.
And, finally, the last step to build your homemade plastic pipe flute is to drill a hole into the mouthpiece. It will need to be 5/16″ from the end, and 7/16″ in diameter.
Wash off the crayon marks, and rewash the inside of your pipe flute too. Now, it’s ready to play!
