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Thought I’d take some time and explain at length the design and construction of the Blue Man Group Tubulum drum we just made. And Yes, it was one Hero’s Journey I personally will never forget.
My intentions to our readers is to Inspire > Never say Never and Can’t! If you are inspired to do something that makes you feel warm and wonderful inside then give it your best and feel wonderful while doing what your heart desires.
In the Beginning
In January of 2020 I came across a design for a small Tubulum drum posted by an instrument maker.
He’s a wonderful man by the name of Dennis Havlena, with a creative mind that is off the charts.
He produced a small scale Tubulum that was designed to resemble a Handpan / Hung Drum.
He created the tubulum and shared documentation of everything required to make his design and he graciously shared it for others to give it try.
In early May, I decided to give my creative sense a big test. I looked at his instructions, contacted him via email and then set it down. During the next few months while being out and about, I would find things that I could use for the tubulum and I would buy them. Yet I still felt uneasy going all in and starting to make it. Then in May I picked the design document back up and began to revisit the plans. Reviewed them for a week straight in much more detail than I had before. Things were going to need to get serious if I desired to “give it a try”. After looking at them I then made a decision to step waaaay back. A fierce and testing question came to mind, “Why don’t you design your own?” As I pondered the question for a few days, I put on my “brain wheels” and went began to go deeper into investigation of what others had done. The research was enlightening the amount of detail required to make the instrument came into full view and it was a bit overwhelming. Watched some YouTube videos on others who had taken flight and designed their own. Read about how to tune the pipes and all of the data I would need to complete this vision quest.
Found myself downloading data from a University website which contained all of the notes on a piano, the frequencies for each of the notes (Hz), and some other required information and mathematical formulas for me to figure out what I needed to do build one of these beasts.
The learning experience was a bit overwhelming at first, but as I calmed the fear of the unknown and settled into a good old critical thinking mode all of the required knowledge flowed into me. Speed of sound, a simple formula to determine pipe lengths to achieve a specific note at a known frequency. You get the picture.
With my new found knowledge and courage I selected my notes. Don’t know why I selected the notes I did, but hey, this was going to be an experiment for me. I am a wood worker, with the correct equipment and good with making things with my hands so I had no Fear that I could accomplish what I had envisioned to manifest.
Then there was thought of what tube diameter will you use? I chose to use 2 diameters, 1.5” PVC and 2” PVC. For those of you who are musically inclined you will understand the notes.
I chose 8 natural notes for the 1.5” PVC pipe. The fourth octave plus one – C3 thru C4. For the 2” diameter pipe I thought I would use the tuning notes for a Bass guitar, then I decided otherwise. I landed on E2, F2, G2, and A2 for those notes. Don’t know why, but I just did. I kept telling myself just keep moving, it is an experiment Todd!
The Design Puzzle
My Tubing
After calculating the lengths of pipe using an excel spreadsheet I created, I then needed to figure out a design for the stand. My mind was getting very focused on obstacles and pipe lengths and everything that had to fit in a small portable tubulum. The pipes in the front were not going to challenge the amount of room required, the 2 inch pipes behind them had me concerned. My calculations said I required approximately 20+ feet of pipe. Ouch. So I decided to angle the rear of the stand out a bit and I am glad I did. But what angle would I use? Out came the Trigonometry book to find a formula that would help me. 9 degrees was the angle I required to move the bottom out enough to give me additional space. Such an experiment, that’s what I kept telling myself.
I decided on the height that would best fit my height for playing standing up, the width and a couple of features I would require to move it. I live on the third floor of an apt building, and there are several stairs that it will need travel up and down.
My Workshop – The Living Room!
Sides of Frame
Side Frames – Glued and Screwed for Sturdiness
Hole spacing and pipe layout
Drilling out holes on my wee deck
Frame Almost completed
Painted and Ready for Tubes!!!
Pipe Cutting, Tuning, Painting, Fitting and Re-Tuning
Since I live in an apartment, I set up my living room and my wee 6 ft by 10 ft deck as my workshop. Yes I hear laughter, but when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Helped a friend assemble a new futon couch and the big box it came in would serve to cover my carpet and reduce the vacuuming I knew was coming.
What a MESS!!!!
I had to cut wood and PVC pipe and that material makes a mess, dust and pieces of plastic were everywhere. Mostly on the cardboard, but when I vacuumed, I found pieces of plastic in places I didn’t think it would fly to. I just laughed it off and said, you have a vacuum dumby!!!
First, I had to figure out spacing on the top board for each of the pipes, that took a wee bit of thought. I was hesitant to start using the hole saw because the test holes I drilled in another board seemed to large for the 1.5 inch pipe and too small for the 2 inch pipe. Then I figured out how I would glue the 1.5 inch pipe in with a special expanding glue. Then I just went for it and cut the holes. The 2 inch pipe hole was too small, so I spent quite a bit time with a Dremmel tool and opened them up slowly by hand and careful work. Hit the easy button!!! Yes!
Fitting in the pipe before painting the frame
Then onto pipe cutting. Each of the natural notes C3 thru C4 were cut one at a time and as you see in the picture each of the pipes had 90 degree elbows on them. Some of the pipes would require more than one elbow due to the height of the stand. But I wanted all of the pipes that were longer than the height of the stand to rest on the base of the stand. Another puzzle presented itself. My cutting and tuning started with the shortest pipe and moved to the longest pipe. I used a Tuning Fork app to tune each of them. I found myself going back and forth from the slapping them with a flip flop, disassembling them, cutting a bit off with my power miter saw and then reassembling them. Wash rinse repeat, over and over. But I kept my mind poised and calm and continued to get’r done! After the first 8 notes were cut and initially tuned, off to painting they went. Each of the pipes were hand sanded for painting as well as all of the elbows. Then I had to figure out how to paint PVC plastic on a small deck at my apt. Another puzzle….
I decided to set up a small paint booth on my wee deck and use a cotton string line to hold them in the air for painting. Since I live in Texas and sometimes the humidity and temps were not the best for painting, there were some delays in the painting.
My Paint Booth – It was a bit Windy
A little bit of thought went into the pipe hanging…..
Finished the painting in one day for the first 8 notes, on a low humidity and low temp day. Each of the pipes were then fitted and glued into the top of the stand and set over night. The next day I was back at it, my task now was to glue on the elbows and recheck the tuning on some of the notes. Completed that task in 4 hours. The PVC glue sets up fast so I had to move quickly. Then I started to finally get to play part of it. Fun at last!
Glued the first sections of pipe into the top of the stand.
Step 1:
Then fit and glue in the elbows
Now I had to figure out another puzzle, how do I arrange 20 feet of pipe for the last four 2” PVC pipe notes? Off we went into the wild blue yonder with another puzzle. Found myself using my minds eye to visualize the path of the first pipe, knowing that I would need to make sure I had enough room for the remaining 3. After cutting and temporarily fitting up the pipe, I could more clearly see the second, third and fourth pipe path.
All Four Notes Fit – Whew….
Off I went and began cutting and fitting. It was magical and everything just seemed to fall into place with such ease. After fitting up all of the pipe I took pictures of course so I had a visual record of the pipe path. Labeled the pipes with the note they would become and then off to the paint booth. Again, it was another day of painting and letting things dry overnight. The next day I began the mind-blowing puzzle of fitting up and gluing each note assembly. 4 of them had 5 elbows. Some were at slight angles, by design. This was not easy my friends. Another puzzle presented itself. I had to figure out how to glue the pipes together in such a way that I would be able to make the last gluing be the one and only to allow me to complete my mission. My head hurt. Then I figured it out. Again, in the calm everything became easier as I slowed down and just let the creative part of me flow. Then I felt at ease and again after fitting up and gluing the pipe. I could now play all of the notes with my Old Navy flip flops. It was fun and such an experiment.
Fitting up before gluing….this took some thought and about 5 hours
The finished product……
Were we done? Nope we needed to design some paddles.
Paddle design
Took some Old Navy flip flops I had purchase a while back for $1 a pair and used the large to start.
Another puzzle came to be. I am not an engineer by trade but what I had done with the pipes was on the lines of engineering and learning as you go. So I decided to start with a stick and some glue and some tape. They worked well, yet I have 2 other designs that I will make and test. Not totally happy with the first design.
Flip Flops – Best Paddle selection
Needed to think about this design a bit
Ready for gluing
Sat overnight. Patience is a virtue
Finished Product…..
Ugggh – The Stairs
Remember I live on a third floor apartment and moving this beast up and down the stairs was going to be a chore.
Below is a link to a short video I took to explain more about “The Stairs”
http://rhythm4you.local/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rhythm4you-blog-tubulum.mov
Down the Stairs
As I stepped back again my thoughts said to slide the beast down the stairs on something. It weighs about 75 pounds. I went to Lowe’s and found some PVC strips and attached them to the side of the stand with wing nuts because I knew they would need to be replaced sometime. Bought a handle and put it on the bottom of the stand so I could use it while moving down the stairs. I got it to the stairs for a test run. Got below the tubulum and moved it slowly down the stairs. The PVC glides worked well.
Now What?
So what about getting it to my truck? I purchased a 4 wheel cart that fits wonderfully underneath and moves the tubulum where I need it to go on flat surfaces.
Up the Stairs
You will see in the video what I made. It didn’t work well at all. After taking it out and playing it at a drum gig with some friends one of neighbors helped me carry it up the stairs and into my apt.
I have to rethink how I will get it upstairs. I have ideas and have yet to try one out.
In The End
This Journey was inspirational and taught me more about me and music than I have ever ventured to get myself into ever before. My hopes is that this story will inspire others to Just GO FOR IT and do what your heart says you can do by overcoming all fears. Did I make errors while putting it together? Yes. Were they going to get in the way? Absolutely NOT!
Have a blessed day
Please leave your comments and I will be sure to answer them when I can.
Thank You!