Cardboard Conch Horn
Conch shells make a grand sound as a horn, but several species of the the actual animal are endangered, harmed by being harvested for the souvenir industry.
This is my attempt to create a more sustainable version of the instrument.
This is my attempt to create a more sustainable version of the instrument.
Materials and Tools
If you know my work, you know I like simple materials.
This is put together from corrugated card from an old box, duct tape, and a short piece of PVC pipe.
The only tools I used were a craft knife, my trusty Leatherman, and a hacksaw (to cut the pipe to length).
This is put together from corrugated card from an old box, duct tape, and a short piece of PVC pipe.
The only tools I used were a craft knife, my trusty Leatherman, and a hacksaw (to cut the pipe to length).
The Parts
The whole thing is made from the flaps cut from a large cardboard box.
Two flaps duct-taped together made the main coil, and a third flap, cut in half, made the end-pieces.
Dimensions.
The flaps were 17cm wide, and when taped together they were just under a metre long. For the sake of aesthetics, I made the end-pieces 17cm square as well.
The pipe, a scrap I found in a corner, was about 2½cm in diameter, and about 10cm long.
Two flaps duct-taped together made the main coil, and a third flap, cut in half, made the end-pieces.
Dimensions.
The flaps were 17cm wide, and when taped together they were just under a metre long. For the sake of aesthetics, I made the end-pieces 17cm square as well.
The pipe, a scrap I found in a corner, was about 2½cm in diameter, and about 10cm long.
Curl It Up
I needed the strip to spiral with ease.
To that end, I used the two flaps which had the corrugations at right-angles to the long dimension. I dragged the strip hard over the corner of the table to force it into a curl, like quilling, writ large.
To that end, I used the two flaps which had the corrugations at right-angles to the long dimension. I dragged the strip hard over the corner of the table to force it into a curl, like quilling, writ large.
Fix the Curve
Starting in the middle, I arranged the curled strip into a visually-appealing spiral. There may be an optimum shape, but I don't know what it is.
I anchored the spiral in place with small pieces of duct tape. Not pretty, but it worked.
I anchored the spiral in place with small pieces of duct tape. Not pretty, but it worked.
The Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece was made from a short piece of PVC pipe.
For comfort's sake, I used my knife to chamfer the edges of the pipe.
I cut a suitable hole in the middle of the second end-piece, and then anchored the mouthpiece in place with more duct tape, then fitted it in place and fixed with... duct tape.
For comfort's sake, I used my knife to chamfer the edges of the pipe.
I cut a suitable hole in the middle of the second end-piece, and then anchored the mouthpiece in place with more duct tape, then fitted it in place and fixed with... duct tape.
Finishing (sort Of), and Moving On.
I taped around the visible edges of the coil with yet more duct tape, and that, really, was that.
All that remained was to find out if it worked...
All that remained was to find out if it worked...