There are so many didgeridoos you can make simply by walking into a hardware store and fitting plastic plumbing pieces together. Then there are more complex designs that can be made with the help of tools and additional materials. In our 27 page do-it-yourself didgeridoo making guide, we show you everything you need to know, from what to buy, what tools to use, how to tune your didgeridoo so you know exactly how to make a didgeridoo out of PVC in many ways.
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If you haven’t yet seen our DIY Didgeridoo Making video, be sure to watch it first, as you may find a lot of the tips useful for your own custom builds. In this video we show you how to make 4 primary designs from the most basic didgeridoo up to the Ultimate DIY Slide Didge, modeled off the WoodSlide, one of the most premium didgeridoos on the market.
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How to Make a Didgeridoo Out of PVC or ABS
The most basic pvc didgeridoo design is easily assembled in a hardware store with no tools, glue or other materials needed. Simply buy these parts and snap them together and you have a didgeridoo. This is perhaps the easiest didgeridoo to make with ANY material.
Parts:
- One 5-foot length of 1 ยฝ inch diameter PVC or ABS pipe (pipe length) OR two 2-foot lengths of 1 1/2 inch diameter PVC or ABS pipe connected with a 1 1/2 PVC or ABS coupling.
- 1-1/2 in. x 1-1/4 in. PVC or ABS DWV Trap Adapter (for mouthpiece)
To build the most basic PVC didgeridoo, get yourself a length of 1 ยฝ inch diameter PVC or ABS pipe. Many big box hardware stores carry this pipe in pre-cut lengths of 5 feet, which is great to make a nice low A didge, but it wonโt always be the easiest to play for a beginner. If you want to avoid using any tools for labor, another option is get two pre-cut 2 foot lengths of 1 ยฝ inch diameter PVC, which almost all the big box stores carry, and then add a 1 ยฝ inch coupling to join them into one 4 foot length which will play in (approximately) the key of C-sharp.
Snap on the 1-1/2 in. x 1-1/4 in. ABS DWV Trap Adapter which we use as a mouthpiece and your didgeridoo is done!
The ideal key (to me) for a beginner didgeridoo is the key of D, as it is pretty much right in the range of conventional didgeridoo sounds you will play, is of medium length, and should have a pretty nicely balanced back pressure system when made in this PVC didgeridoo design. To make a didgeridoo in the key of D, you will cut your pipe to approximately 43 ยฝ inches, or 3 feet and 9 ยฝ inches. You will then have an extra cut off piece of pipe, which can be used for other didge builds, or you can turn it into a removable extension piece on the end of this didge when combined with a 1 ยฝ inch coupling (the same part mentioned earlier).
When I am teaching workshops where I need to make a lot of basic didgeridoos in this style and let the participants (usually school students) take them home, I will take a number of 10 foot lengths of PVC pipe and cut it into thirds, yielding lengths of roughly 3 feet and 4 inches, or 40 inches, each, which plays in the key of E and, similar to the key of D, is also quite easy to play. This way I can get 3 instruments out of a $12 length of pipe with no wasted material.
To cut the pipe, the most efficient way is to use a chop saw, however, it should only be operated by experienced individuals so as to avoid any accidents. Please be sure to keep your hands and body parts away from the blade as much as possible. PVC and ABS pipe can also be cut by hand with a hacksaw, though it may be harder to keep it in place. Circular saws also work, but it may be difficult to find a safe stable cutting position, though I admit I have resorted to cutting pipe with a circular saw in the past.
If you want to custom build a simple didgeridoo like this in any key, use the length-frequency-key chart earlier in this guide to determine the length of pipe you need. This chart will only work for this simple design, as all the other designs deal with additional physical properties beyond a simple straight pipe.
Should you solvent weld a simple plastic didgeridoo like this? No, itโs not worth the effort, unless you wound up using a coupling to join two lengths of pipe and you find that they donโt stay together well. In that case, I would solvent weld the coupling to the pipe on both sides, but not the mouthpiece.
How to Build Complex Didgeridoos out of PVC or ABS pipe
We’ve put together a DIY Didgeridoo Making Guide that compiles tons of research and information into one concise resource. This is a completely free guide and will serve to help you explore the realms of making your own instruments.
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