Rainstick; Really, Really Big and continuous.

So we needed a rainstick for a stage production.  I went to Instructables and found
www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-your-very-own-Rainstick/

and took that idea with a twist.

Please bare with me if I repeat the ideas, but there is a twist at the end.

One thing about rain-sticks is that the beads fall from one side to another and then they stop until the stick is turned again.  Is there a way to make the rain continuous , like...rain?
 
a video of me with the final project

Step 1: What You Need

one 1.5" schedule 40 PVC, 10 Feet long.
4-1.5" schedule 40 PVC slip elbows
2- 1.5" schedule 40 PVC slip end caps (for storage)
2or 3- 1.5" schedule 40 PVC slip connectors (for optional setup)
big box of #10 1.5" screws
assorted beads, beans, and sound making objects.

TOOLS;
Drill, drill bits, and screwdriver attachment.
Miter saw, or hack saw,

To make it pretty,
acetone, Plastic primer, spray paint.

Maybe an hour long project.

Comments

[justbennett]

"Except for one pole which has no corners and I use that for storage and another with two corners because I had one left over."

Wha?... Oooooh. Ahahhaahah.

That was meant to be confusing then funny right? Usually I can tell. Perhaps your wit is even drier than mine.

[Obediah]

What I should have said was ; the pole with no corners is not superfluous, but rather important in it's difference, such as delineating it from the other non-unique poles, as those would have one more cap than those with nil. and of course another pole that would be more unique by having end caps, which are a necessary but optional storage device, for those inclined. So with the obvious exceptions which i need not list here, the piece is complete, except for the parts and piece not yet assembled.

[justbennett]

My doubts are gone.

[zieak]

Nice!  I wonder if you could use some flexible pipe or heat and bend PVC into a circle, add some "spokes" to a hub and an axle and just gently spin the whole contraption...

[Obediah]

Please check out the new additional variations at the end.

[zieak]

That drain tube was exactly what i was thinking!  I wondered if the ridges would be enough for sound.  Very cool. 

[Obediah]

Note, the drain pipe needs rice, or some smaller particle noise maker inside.  The beds and beans seem too heavy.  But for the PVC version the rice won't make enough sound.

[armeeuff1]

What about BB's?

[ilpug]

Metal BB's maybe not, but Airsoft bbs might work.

[stale56]

That would seem like a great idea.

Or maybe you could just connect all four corners (with two pieces of pipe, going through the diagonals of the squares), then maybe rig that up to a wheel, and then rig the wheel to a motor.

[Obediah]

Please check out the new additional variations at the end.

[Mutantflame]

Cool!

[armeeuff1]

At first look it sounds like you needed more "rain" inside the tubes. I think that if I built one (good job by the way) I would put a (pvc) "T" in the middle of 2 side pipes and connect them across,so you can hold it there and get a more consistent sound as you turn it. Don't know if they make a hub for 4 pipes you could put in the center, but that would be great too. Anyway, thanks for posting.

[Obediah]

Oh great now I have new ideas to take back to the shop. :) I was also thinking of using 8- 135 degree elbows and making and octogon. which would be more circleish.   It's possible to bend the PVC, But I've never bent anything that big diameter.  Although there are some thick flexible tubes out there. 

[Obediah]

And now I have.  check out last two steps.

[kenbob]

Brilliant!   Looking at the last one, i was thinking you could mount it on a wheel for easy continuous turning,,, although that could be a bit too uniform,,, lack the organic nature of a person randomly turning it... 

[Obediah]

I was using the last one and kind of swirling it around my head and thought that a dancer, maybe world music style, could use this.

[origamiwolf]

If you're going with a circular design, why not just make rainsticks out of the spokes?

[Obediah]

You mean like a circle of 30 or 40 rainsticks that I turn and constantly have a rain sound....hmmm
Or do you mean that the spokes go through to the outer diameter of the circle through the pipe and the beads hit the spokes...
both interesting ideas.

[origamiwolf]

I was thinking of the first, ie a circle of rainsticks.  That would certainly be easier to construct than the second!

[Obediah]

check the end with new variations jsut added.