This article was taken from the October 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Space-plasma physicist and Kiss FM DJ Martin Archer uses fire to make sounds -- or "standing waves" -- dance. Here's how to make a Rubens' tube (and please don't burn down the house when playing "Burning Down the House").
1. Pick a pipe You'll need an aluminium tube, from 5cm to 20cm in diameter, that's more than two metres long. Drill 100 holes in it in a straight line, from end to end.
2. Seal it Cap off one end of the tube entirely. For the other end you'll need a surface that can vibrate: "Some kind of rubber -- a thick balloon will work well."
3. Go plumbing Attach your speaker firmly to the rubber end. A makeshift bracket or a "witch's hat" gasket, available from plumbing merchants, will do the job.
4. Get connected Drill a hole on the side -- aim for the middle.
Use pipe-thread compound to secure a push-to-connect fitting, then attach the pipe to a propane cylinder.
5. Fire it up Turn on the gas and light the pipe along the holes. "Adjust the pressure to bring the flames down to a few centimetres," says Archer. Play your sounds.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
