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Building a Quick and Easy
ABS Didjeridu

With Denver Greer

As I look through past postings in the Didjeridu Digest, I find a number of folks new to the fascinating world of the "grunt stick." Being new to the art myself, I can certainly relate to their burning desire for more knowledge. And of course I don't think you can find a better resource then Dreamtime. However, I do find a couple of common questions in the postings of most newcomers: How can I make one? Where can I get one? How can I learn to play one? And again I reference back to Dreamtime to answer these issues. All these questions are answered, to one degree on another, throughout the postings. (But to learn the "how to play" I, like Tom Bray, also strongly recommend Brian Pertl's instructional tape "Echoes From The Dreamtime.") However, to cut to the chase on the "how to make," I thought I would take a few minutes and post this article on the way I make a very quick and easy ABS Didjeridu.

 

Material Needed

 

  1. A 3' to 5' length of 1.5" ABS
  2. A can of white primer spray paint
  3. A can of any type of wood stain and an old rag
  4. Course sandpaper
  5. A mouthpiece (ABS union/beeswax/injection molded, etc)

 

Equipment Needed

 

  1. Bar-B-Que Pit and charcoal
  2. Heavy-duty leather gloves
  3. Baseball Bat or a funnel

 

How To Build It

 

  1. After selecting the length of 1.5" ABS to be used, take the sheet of course sandpaper and rough-up the slick finish of the ABS. Be sure to sand off the manufactures white painted markings down the length of the pipe. Use long sanding strokes along the axis of the pipe.
  2. Build a fire in the Bar-B and cook supper (makes things go better with spouse!) After the coals are covered with a white ash (that is to say no more flames), and with the heavy-duty leather gloves on, heat the end of the ABS. When it becomes soft, use the baseball bat or a funnel as a "bell-jig" and flare the end of the pipe. (NOTE: A number of articles have been posted in the Didjeridu Digest discussing a possible health risk of ABS.)
  3. Continue heating the pipe in 10" to 12" segments and as it softens you can push/pull/twist unusual angles in the pipe to more simulate an actual tree branch. If the pipe gets too hot,it may blemish. These wrinkles and bubbles only tend to add to the authenticity of the finished product.
  4. When cool, spray paint the entire pipe with a flat white primer. Be sure to also spray down into the "bell" end of the pipe.
  5. When dry, and using an old rag, apply your selected wood stain to the white finish. Be sure and wipe the stain along the axis of the pipe. You will be amazed at how much the dried stain will look real wood.
  6. Apply the mouthpiece of choice.
  7. Lastly, should you so desire, paint emblems or designs to round-out the decor of your new Didj. On some of mine, I even use jute-twine to make a mid-pipe handhold or to accent the mouthpiece.

 

And so you have it! Takes about 10 hours from hardware store to overtones. And it looks nice enough that my wife allows me to leave it leaning against the wall in the family room! If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me, the middle-aged-fat-white-guy, at:

dd_greer@ONEWORLD.OWT.COM>


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