Building a Paper Pipe Organ: Tips & Advice

[Mochi]

Hello,
I am trying to make a cardboard pipe organ...After a few days of research, I kind of have a idea of how the keys work, but I still have trouble on
-make a workable pipe
-make the air pass through the pipe

I have made a 16cm * 1.5 cm * 1.5 cm cardboard (thickness: 1mm) pipe , with a .5 cm * 1.5cm slot 2.5cm from the base. I put an folded cardboard near the slot to direct the air. The pipe is closed. The pipe make a very weak whistle of the G note. The sound is so weak that, most of the time, only the rushing of the air can be heard. So, I am wondering if there is a more effective way to make the cardboard pipe...

I made a testing box with a straw in it to see if the straw will get the air blow in from the side of the box. It didn't work. My teacher said I have to use a PVC pipe with rubber tubes to direct the air to the pipes to work. However, I still prefer it to be done with cardboard...I have seen the windchest done in cardboard on the internet; unfortunatly, no instruction is provided...I am thinking of a thin cardboard bounded area in which the air from the blower will go through to deliver the air to pipe, but I am scared that the small openning for the strings to control the keys will make the cardboard windchest unworkable...

May you give me some hints or advices for the cardboard pipes and windchest? Thank you very much :)

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Mochi.
Can you perhaps reroute your strings so that dedicated openings aren't required?

 

[hxtasy]

This may answer all your questions:

 

[Mochi]

Thank you both very much! However I still can't get my pipes to resonate...now I am testing with straw pipes, but it does not resonate unless I blow it in a certain way...