Looking to build your own instrument out of plumbing and tape? [Scott] made his own set of Membrane Bagpipes out of PVC pipes, a plastic bag, and duct tape.
Bagpipes are made out of a few parts. The drones are pipes that are tuned to play a single note. They are tuned by the fixed length of the pipe. The chanter is a tube with finger holes. This lets you play various notes depending on which holes you cover. The blowpipe is used to fill the bag with air that will pass through the membranes on the drones and chanter. Finally, there’s the bag which stores air.
[Scott]’s build uses PVC for the drones and chanter. The membranes are made out of cut up bits of plastic bags. Some crafty duct tape work makes up the bag, and seals it on to the various parts. A check valve is used to stop warm, duct tape flavoured air from blowing back into your mouth.
It’s pretty amazing what people can do with a few rolls of duct tape. The pipes aren’t exactly in tune, but they certainly work. Check out a video of them in action after the break.
Ah, the sound of a thousand dying cattle.
Sounds pretty good; considering the construction. Great job.
That’ll do me… Hackaday has finally reached the bottom of the barrel… it’s all up from here on.
Why? What’s so bad about it?
LOL, it’s the worst musical instrument ever invented made with duct tape – how much worse can it get??? (lighten up people)
seems pretty cool to me, dick.
It could’ve been worse, though. He could’ve played either the mario theme or the song of time… or somehow integrated an Arduino (he could have made it double as a MIDI breath controller or have an LCD for no real reason).
*sigh*
This is pretty much as annoying as geek counter-culture can get. At least all the motor-as-a-voice-coil stuff is gone (for now).
I’m a little bit pissed off that somebody with the same name as me is such an idiot. He built something. Get your damn project on HAD or get the hell out of here.
I agree. Constructive criticism is one thing, but crapping on because someone hacked something together, and it was posted on a site about hacking stuff, seems a bit keyboard warrior to me…
Seriously when are people going to realise how dangerous PVC piping is in these builds . This could easily shatter and cut someone when they stomp on it.
And let’s not forget that PVC is not a pressure vessel! He’s lucky he still has a face
Additionally PVC is not meant for lung operation. One could easily inhale toxic fumes if the PVC suddenly was exposed to high temperatures during operation.
Hey guys, PVC bagpipe builder here… I’m not planning to curb stomp my pipes nor set them on fire while I play, so I think I’ll be fine for the most part ;)
It’s not what YOU plan that’s the problem… it’s what the people around you plan!
Let’s face it, with bagpipes, there’s a non-zero chance someone else might do either of those things.
Good build though. :D
Hey guys, PVC bagpipe creator here. I’m not planning on curb stomping my pipes, nor will I be setting them on fire while I’m playing them, so I think overall the risk is minimal ;)
Seriously, though, I do hope all the hating on PVC is really sarcasm. That stuff is makes for great building materials.
Oh it is. Usually people harp on it when people use it for high-pressure use. Similar to arduino hate, it’s become sort of a joke to carry it on even when not appropriate.
He’s not sucking on them – he’s blowing into it to fill up the bag, then squeezes the bag into the “pipes” so there is no breathing break in the song…
Strangely, I’m ok with PVC for this application. Pressures are very low.
This. Anti-haters gonna hate.
Bagpipes and “in tune” should never appear in the same internet, let alone an article, paragraph or sentence.
A true gentleman is one who knows how to play the bagpipes, but doesn’t.
Perfect pitch is defined as “throwing the bagpipes down a well without hitting any banjos on the way to the bottom”.
That said, I love bagpipes. Well played, they’re a thing of visceral beauty. Poorly played and even deaf cats want to gouge their eardrums out.
One thing most people don’t recognize is they’re NOT MEANT TO BE PLAYED INDOORS. I can only imagine how beautiful it would sound heard over the Scottish highlands. In an auditorium… not so much.
And it would certainly help if no piper would ever, ever play Amazing Grace again.
Actually, there is a type of bagpipes called “chamber pipes” with a mellower, muted sound that are designed to be played inside. Like the larger ones that sound too harsh when played inside, chamber pipes sound off-key and not loud enough outside.
Yes please
Is there even a bag? Shouldn’t the notes be constant and not have a gap when you breathe? It looks like the tube goes direct to the chanter and drones in this video.
Yeah, that was an earlier prototype. The mods didn’t post the bag version: (http://youtu.be/YswjMj3Lvec)
Red Green would be so proud. Also the pressure inside is nt enough to make it explode and remember the old saying, if you dont have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Seriously Hack A Day should remove trolls such as yourselves from being able to comment anymore.
They are joking. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
You obviously did not read the vaporizer article or any HaD article of that matter.
I think the real issue is that he is went off the reservation and built just bag pipes. If the bagpipes could at least shoot something out of the drones, and/or have an arduino controller for the bagpipe/fire mechanism then we’d at least be in the ballpark. As it stands, I cannot endorse this build for HD.
Dying Cattle? Work harder, Sir. It requires much less personal effort to just superglue a few cat’s tails together. It’s much more fun to ring and run with a decent bit of time for escape.
Scott, you are amazing! Very nice work!
Hi: May I suggest the blatter bags from boxed wine? They also use similar bags for milk. Tougher stuff than most bags and only a small hole. Carl.
Is it that hard to find a sheep’s bladder these days?
Depends if you can find any sheep…