Maybe you've seen a Rubens tube, before? Well I'm sure you haven't seen one this festive. All it takes is some wood, some hardware you can pick up in any neighborhood, and a few common tools.

I'd like to extend a special thank you to Oscar for all of his help and photography on this project.

Step 1: Gather Materials

You're going to need:

An aluminum tube around 2" in diameter (pvc will work, but you'll have to cover the top in foil tape, and check to make sure it doesn't overheat while on)
2 clamps for 2 1/4" chain link fence (these hold the fence to the upright poles)
A log of some description
Screws
2-3" PVC end cap
Masking tape
A ruler or measuring tape
2 part epoxy putty
A sheet of latex, rubber, or plastic that can withstand some high temps (test it in the oven on its lowest setting, if you notice strange things or bad smells after ten minutes, you need another material)
Zip ties
"L" brackets
A butane tank
A butane tank regulator
>3 ft of 3/8" polyurethane tubing
3/8" barb adapter
A stick lighter
A small speaker
Duct tape
A drill
1/16" Drill Bit
A step drill
A punch

Step 2: Understanding the Rubens Tube

The Rubens Tube is a time honored physics demonstration, seen across this great land since at least last Tuesday. In essence it demonstrates how sound waves bouncing around in a tube create high and low pressure zones which affect the flow of gas through it.

For some really well researched and detailed descriptions you can visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubens_tube
https://www.instructables.com/id/Wiimote-Rubens-Tube%3a-Control-Fire-With-Sound!-And/?ALLSTEPS
https://www.instructables.com/id/The-Rubens_-Tube%3a-Soundwaves-in-Fire!/?ALLSTEPS

But for now, we're going to focus on constructing this festive widget.

Step 3: Mark & Drill

You'll need to get 1/16" holes in the top of your tube spaced 1/2" apart. I left about three inches of room between the holes and the end of the tube so that the components on either end wouldn't heat up.

Tape your tube down to a flat surface, and put a strip of masking tape across the top. Mark spots for holes along the tape 1/2" apart. Take your punch, and put a little divot in the center of each mark. Carefully drill each hole, placing the 1/16" drill bit square into the divot.

Step 4: Add Brackets and Clamp Your Log

Take your Yule Log in hand and admire it. Imagine it with fire shooting out every which way. You'll want to put the Rubens tube on in a way which will be both convenient and pleasing. Just slip the chain link fence clamps over the tube and use wood screws to attach the assembly to the log.

Also, put an "L" bracket on the side of the log to accommodate the speaker.

Step 5: PVC Endcap

You need a hole in your PVC end cap to facilitate your barb adapter. I clamped the endcap, marked the center, and hit it with the punch. After taking out most of the material in the hole with a regular twist drill (be careful, PVC has a nasty habit of grabbing hold of drills and being mean to them) I enlarged the hole to nearly the size of my fitting with a step drill. Your fitting may vary, so check your measurements, but mine was 9/16" across. After your hole is the right size, you can simply screw your fitting into the hole with a wrench.

Step 6: Epoxy End to End

Moosh a gumball sized blob of epoxy putty over and over until the color smooths out. After everything's homogenized, roll it into a snake, and lay it in the inner corner of your PVC endcap. If you've played your cards right, it should fit all the way around, and pressing it onto the end of the tube will create a nice, even seal. If you didn't play your cards right, like me, you'll have to seal things again with a bead of silicone caulk around the lip of the endcap.

Step 7: Speaker Goes Adjacent {With Important Safety Note}

I initially made the mistake of taping the speaker directly on to the other end of the pipe. Do Not Do!

I replaced this fairly poor concept with a latex membrane I found (rubber, plastic, or another flexy material will probably do well.) I just popped on the end right before the speaker with some zip ties. The speaker is just duct taped to the "L" bracket.

Step 8: Void Some Warranties

Clamp down your gas regulator and drill out its outlet aperture with a drill bit. It doesn't have to be all kinds of huge, just wide enough to allow for a lot of gas flow. About 1/16" should do. Attach this to the gas bottle, and in turn to your tubing.

Step 9: Now, Add Tubing to Log, and Ignite.

YOU ARE NOW PLAYING WITH FIRE. I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE ACTUALLY TRYING THIS FOR THE SAKE THAT YOU COULD 'SPLODE AT ANY TIME. IF YOU DO CONSTRUCT ONE OF THESE DEVICES, BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS WHERE YOU SET IT UP, HOW YOU USE IT, AND BE EXTREMELY MINDFUL OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. LIGHT IT WITH A STICK LIGHTER. HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY.

It's time to plug in the speakers, pop the gas line into the tube, turn on the gas, and let 'er rip. I found that it worked best at high volume, with songs that had a few, strong instruments, as opposed to more mixed orchestral music. I also found that the best results came from having just a small stream of gas moving through the tube. Feel free to play around and tweak. Using a tone generator, like the one found in Audacity can be really fun.

Happy Making.