S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-inspired Pan Pipes

I wanted to create a small musical instrument, had recently gone to the range, and had some extra pipe from another project. Combining brass with aluminum gives these pipes a unique apocalyptic flavor.

I used hardware store aluminum pipe. Any small gauge will work, some sound better than others. I bought 1/2in pipe. I recommend rifle brass because it fits the end of the pipe better. I ended up using 9mm, .45, and 7.62x54r because that's what I had just shot. To keep with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. theme try and use all combloc brass(7.62x39mm, 7.62x54r, 7.62x25mm, etc). You will also need epoxy or other glue and some type of strong tape.

I used a horizontal bandsaw on my pipe. You could potentially use a vertical bandsaw or a rotary tool to cut your pipe. Cut your pipe to the following lengths: 6in, 5 1/4in, 4 3/4in, 3 7/8in, and 3 3/8in.

This part can be tricky especially with smaller caliber brass. I had a lot of trouble with 9mm. I cut the .45 and 7.62x54r on a vertical bandsaw and the 9mm with a pneumatic rotary tool.

Once you have cut both your pipe and your brass, affix the brass to the end of each section of pipe. I used 5 minute epoxy but other glues may work for you. Remember, you want an airtight seal at the bottom.

Tape your finished pipe sections together into one instrument. I used Gorilla tape but you can get creative and try other tapes or methods. Congrats, you're done!

• The longer the pipe section the deeper the note
• Experiment with how much air you are blowing
• You are trying to more or less blow air across the top of the pipes not into them
• Try and curl your upper lip down while pulling your lower lip back. Place your bottom lip against the pipe and blow over the top.