Wooden Whistle - Cub Scout Project

[Sean Wright]

Last year I needed to come up with a simple woodworking project to make a useful object for my younger son's Cub Scout Pack. After digging around, I decided to make some whistle kits. The wood blocks are ash. The ash and dowels were what I had laying around the shop. I pre-drilled the blocks, using the drill press. I also made the angled cut ahead of time. I had the kids do the straight cut, cut the dowel, sand the top of it, and then glue it in place. It was a pretty quick project, and the kids had fun. I don't think the other parents liked me much, after sending their sons home with whistles .

There was definitely some trial and error in getting it right. The whistle in the pictures below was my "successful" attempt, before I made up the kits for the boys.
I included the dimensioned picture that I found online, incase anyone wants make one. The depth of the hole, is very important in getting the correct sound.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Looks like fun!

I've wanted to do some like that for a while with a slide but haven't gotten around to it. I have done quite a few of the slip bark whistles which are a similar design (but use bark for the outside of the body). The trick with them seemed to be the amount of gap around the air inlet, not enough and they just make a pfoooof sound, to much and they went woooof.

 

[Darren Wright]

Great project! I'm going to have to borrow this to do with the grandson next weekend.

 

[Roger Tulk]

That's a great project, within the capability of the average Cub to make. I like Ryan's idea of making it with a slide. Maybe that could be the Webelos project.

 

[Frank Fusco]

Neat. Getting kids involved in positive projects is more important than ever.

 

[Dave Hoskins]

Ditto, Frank! Ditto.