THE PIPE XYLOPHONE

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It's a good idea to err on the side of too long, since it's impossible to add length to a pipe. If you do find that the pitch is sharp (too high), cut a new piece of pipe for that tone, and shorten the "mistake" for use as the next highest note in the scale.

Most simple xylophones—such as this one, which is approximately in the key of G-have pipes representing only the notes of a major scale, but you can estimate and "whittle" more half notes (or even additional octaves) to expand the instrument's versatility. (If you want to be able to play your xylophone along with a piano that's tuned to concert pitch, however, you'll likely have to shorten all the tubes a tad.)

After the pipes have been sawed to the specified lengths and tuned, their cut ends should be ground smooth. Use a round metal file inside the mouth, and a flat file for the outside surface. You'll probably also want to finish those areas with fine black (silicone carbide) sandpaper. When you're done, check the edges with your finger to be sure there'll be no danger to young musicians.

FOAM

If they're to resonate clearly, the pipes must rest on an absorbent yet resilient foundation . . . and polyurethane foam is an ideal material for that purpose. When I made my xylophone, I merely cut strips of foam from an old mattress, but—if you don't have any such scraps around the house—you can often pick up bundles of odd pieces of polyurethane, at fabric outlet stores and the like, for under $1.00.

First, take a sharp knife (or use an electric carving knife or a band saw if you have one) and cut two 1-1/4" X 17-1/2" strips. These supports should be at least 3/4" thick so that the pipes won't hit the board when struck. (You can, of course, cut the strips from 3/8" foam, as in the diagram, and make each support from a double layer of the material.)

Lay the foundation strips in a V-shaped formation on the wooden base and adjust the angle so the space between the inner edges of the cushions measures 1-5/16" at the small end and opens up to 8-3/4" at the wide end of the "V". (The pipes will then be supported at the points that create the least interference with the music.) Attach the pieces of foam to the wood with plenty of white glue . . . the spongy material tends to absorb the adhesive readily.

Next, cut 28 small blocks of foam, each about 5/8" X 1-1/4" (you may want to slice them into parallelograms so they'll align with the slanted supports), and glue the first pair flush with the ends of the strips, just to the left of the spot where the longest pipe will be. Lay the tube in place—barely touching the blocks—then glue on the next pair . . . and so forth. It's a good idea at this point to arrange all the pipes across the supports and pencil in the spots where the rest of the foam pieces must be attached, so that you'll come out even at the other end.

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