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Showing posts from April, 2012

Cardboard Box Camera Obscura

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Materials : • Small cardboard box at least 12x12x12'' we used a Home Depot "Small" size box (12x12x16'') as our lenses focal length was about 12'' • 1/2'' plywood or some similar stiff material • 73mm lens +2.5 or +3, we got ours from All Electronics  this is the same meniscus lenses we use in our cardboard telescopes • 3'' id cardboard tube • Foam core • Black acrylic paint • 5x7'' plex mirror • Wood screws Tools: • Hot glue gun • Utility knife • Drill with bits for pilot holes • Screw drive/ screw drive bit • Ruler • Saw Recently we decide to do some more light experiments and came up with something that uses the same principle the Camera Projector on a larger scale.  However, unlike the Camera Projector it is designed to allow you to draw the image created by the camera.  While not practical to make with students it is intriguing demonstration piece that more clearly illustrates its optical mechanics

PVC Double Reed

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Materials: • 1/2'' pvc pipe (6''-2' per instrument) • Soda bottles (for the horn bell) • Straws of various sizes • Craft foam sheets • Solid wire or tape • Acetate sheet (optional)  note this can generally be purchased in large pieces more cheaply at art supply stores rather than office supply stores. Tools: • Drill with various bits for finger holes and straws, jumbo straws are 5/16'' (optional) • A small saw or pvc pipe cutter • Utility knife • Sand paper After many years of making Straw oboes, it struck me that there has to be a way to improve the quality of the sound and make the instrument more durable. Looking at European Oboe construction I realized it would not be a particularly easy instrument to emulate. The first attempt to make a full oboe was a long piece of 1/2'' PVC with typical straw Oboe reed inserted and a cut off 2 liter bottle as a horn bell.  The result was a loud stadium horn like noise maker which could be