Introduction: Make Whistles From Scrap Metal

By I make stuff!

Hey everyone; first off, I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. University has really shifted the intensity into higher gear, so I haven't had time to work on many projects. However, I'll be trying to post a few quick and easy things like this over the next few months!

I had some free time over the weekend, so I decided to head out to my workshop/garage and try to make something. After seeing this post, I decided that a whistle sounded like a fun, easy project to kill some time on. I ended up making two whistles; one in the style of the post, and one in the style of a "pea whistle". They both have unique sounds due to slight variations in shape, but both produce clear, crisp notes.

*NOTE: DO NOT use galvanized steel like I did! Zinc is not very good for you; use stainless steel, aluminum, or something else that is safe (I made sure to wrap the mouthpieces in duct tape before using the whistles).

Step 1: What You Need:

- Scrap sheet metal (stainless steel or aluminum)

- Pliers

- Tin snips

- Epoxy (optional)

- Clamp (optional)

Step 2: Cutting the Body

- Draw a 5" by 0.75" rectangle and a 1.5" by 0.75" rectangle on the scrap metal.

- Cut out the two rectangles and remove any burrs.

Step 3: Bending the Body

- Bend the 1.5" long strip around the 5" strip so that it resembles Images 1 and 2. This forms the mouthpiece.

- Slide the mouthpiece along the 5" strip until it is about .75" from one end. Bend the end of the 5" strip down over the two "folded" ends of the mouthpiece.

- Make a roughly 90 degree bend in the 5" strip at the end of the mouthpiece.

- Bend the rest of the 5" strip into a roughly circular chamber, and make sure that the end of the strip is level with (or slightly above) the top of the mouthpiece. If there is excess metal, remove it with the tin snips.

Step 4: Testing

- Test the whistle by squeezing the body between the bases of your thumbs; this seals the air chamber.

- Blow through the mouthpiece and check the sound (after thoroughly cleaning it).

- If you're satisfied, you can stop here, However, if you want a whistle that you don't need both hands to use, proceed to the next step.

Step 5: Sealing the Chamber

- Trace each side of the chamber onto the scrap metal; be sure to mark which piece corresponds with which side.

- DON'T add "tabs" (like I did). I removed them later on, as I found them to be no help at all.

- Cut out the two pieces and epoxy them to the sides of the chamber.

- After the epoxy is dry, clean the whistle thoroughly and test for air leaks; seal any leaks with epoxy.