rainstick construction with bamboo

Materials needed

• Handsaw
• Wood Glue
• Scrap of 1.5cm [½ inch] thick wood
• Drill with a long bit
• Sandpaper
• ½ Rounded File
• Kabob Skewers
• Bamboo – 1-3 feet long, 3 inches in diameter

1.  Cut your piece of bamboo to the desired length.
2. Hollow out the insides (you can use a long drill bit, or even a piece of metal rebar). 
3. Use your ½ rounded file to make the outside edges as smooth as possible.
4.  Drill 2 rows of holes in the bamboo, roughly 2.5 cm [one inch] apart.
1.  Be sure to use a drill bit the same diameter as your skewers.
5.  Add some wood glue to the skewers and feed them through the bamboo. 
6. Allow to dry.
7.  When the glue has dried, trim the ends of the skewers that stick out of either side of the bamboo.
8.  Cut two pieces of wood to be used as plugs for either end of the bamboo.
9.  Glue one in place, and allow to dry.
10.  Sand the areas where you trimmed the skewers, and stain or paint the bamboo (if desired).
11.  Fill approximately 1/5 of the length of bamboo with your filler of choice (rice, beans, rocks, gravel, seeds, etc.). 
1. Experiment with different amounts and materials, as different fillers will produce different sounds.
2.  Be sure to cover the end when testing!
12.  When you are pleased with the sound of your rainstick, glue the other piece of wood into the open end and allow to dry.