HowtoBuildaRubensTube

ARubensTubeisanapparatusthatisusedtodemonstrateacousticstandingwavesinaclosed
tubefilledwithgas.Oneendissealedwithacapandtheotherwithaflexiblediaphragm.Holesaredrilled
inthetopwheregascanescapeandtheflamescanbelit.Aspeakerisplacedclosetothediagramanda
tandingwavecanbeformedinthetubewhenspecificfrequenciesareplayed.TheRubensTubeisvery
asytobuild,relativelyinexpensive,andisawonderfulandengagingclassroomdemonstration.
s
e

Materials
Th ubensTube.Mostoftheseitemscanbefound
atH
efollowingarematerialsthatyouwillneedtobuildtheR

omeDepotoryourlocalhardwarestore(linksareincludedformanyofthespecificitems).
Oneroundmetalductpipe3in.x5ft.(http://is.gd/2drBIM)
xPLd Oneplasticormetalendcap3inchesinnerdiameter(http://is.gd/xk orhttp://is.gd/QGkO3a)
TwobrassbarbMIPadapters3/8in.xin.(http://is.gd/nYoWlQ)
Oneplasticbarbtee3/8in.x3/8in.x3/8in.( http://is.gd/X8vNJK)
Tworubberorings#10,inchinnerdiameter(http://is.gd/B0Yedt)
Twowashersin.innerdiameter(http://is.gd/4rvLMN)
Onelatexhose10ft.x3/8in.outerdiameterxin.innerdiameter( ttp://is.gd/UHJ2kE h )
Onein.drillbit,capableofdrillin

gmetal
One1/8in.drillbit,capableofdrillingmetal
loon12in.diameter
LogitechLS11speakersworkverywell&canbefoundatTarget(
Onelatexbal
Computerspeakers http://is.gd/wNXPGW)
Electricdrill
Onerollo
llo

fducttape
fmaskingtape Onero

Scissors
tmarker
Pliers
Permanen
Metalfile

BuildInstructions
1. Assemblethemetalductpipeandplaceapieceofducttapedownthe
seamofthepipe.Cuttheducttapesothatitreachesrightuptotheedge
ofthepipebutdoesnotwraparoundit.Besurethattheducttapeis
smoothandthattherearenowrinkles.Thesideofthetubewiththe
ducttapewillbereferredtoasthebottomofthetube,whiletheside
2013byTravisBrown.Allrightsreserved.
ofthetubeoppositetheducttapewillbethetopofthetube.

2. Alineof1/8inchdiameterholeswillbedrilledalongthetopofthetubeandwillbeinchesapart.To
makesurethattheholesaredrilledinastraightline,placeapieceofmaskingtapedownthelengthof
thepipewithoneedgeofthetapealongthecenterofthetopofthepipe.

3. Startingabout8inchesfromoneendofthetube,makemarksevery
ofaninchuntilyougettoabout8inchesfromtheothersideofthe
tube.Usetheedgeofthemaskingtapesothatallofthemarksarein
astraightline.Therewillbeatotalofabout5960marks.Remove
HowtoBuildaRubensTube
themaskingtapewhenallofthemarkshavebeenplaced.

4. Usea1/8inchdrillbittodrillaholewhereeachmarkwasmade.Be
surethatthedrillbitispreciselylineduponthemarkbeforetheholeis
drilled.Sincethemetalisverythin,someoftheholesmighthavejagged
edges.Ametalfileorpliersmaybeusedtoclearuptheholes.Itis
importantthatalloftheholesareclearandroundsothattheflame
heightswillbeuniform.

5. Twoinchholeswillbedrilledinthesideofthetubeforgashosestobe
connected.Placetwomarksononesideofthetube,eachabout18inchesfrom
theendofthetube.Useain.drillbittodrillaholewhereeachmarkis
located.Thetwoholesmighthavejaggededges.Itisveryimportantthatthe
dgesoftheseholesareassmoothandroundaspossibleinordertoensure e
thattherewillnotbealeak.

6. Locatethetwobrassbarbadapters,twowashers,andtwoorings.Placeawasherover
thethreadedendofeachadapter,andthenplaceanoringoverthethreadedendof
eachadapter.Thiswillbeconnectedtothesideofthepipeandiswherethegashoses
willattach.

7. Screwthethreadedendofeachbarbadapterintotheinchholes.Pliersmight
needtobeusedtotightenthebarbandoringdowntothepipe.Itisveryimportant
thattherebeatightsealbetweentheoringandmetalpipetoensurethatthereare
noleaks.Iftheadapterwillnotthreadproperly,itmightbethattheholeneedstobe
roundedoutwithafileorpliers.

8. Atthispointalloftheholesaredrilled
andthehoseadaptershavebeen
installedinthesideofthetube.Nowone
endofthetubewillbesealedwithacap
whiletheotherwillbesealedwitha
flexiblediaphragm.

9. Placethecapoverthecrimped
endofthetube.Besurethatit
ispusheddownasfaras
possibleontheendofthetube.
Sealtheendbywrappinga
pieceofducttapearoundthe
capandpipe.Besurethatthe
tapeissmoothandhasnowrinkles.
2013byTravisBrown.Allrightsreserved.
10. Locatealatexrubberballoonandusescissorstocutoff
theendoftheballoon.Stretchtheballoonovertheopen
endofthetubetoformthediaphragm.Becarefulto
stretchtheballoontightlybutnotsotightthatitwilltear
againsttheedgeofthetube.Useapieceofducttapeto
HowtoBuildaRubensTube
2013byTravisBrown.Allrightsreserved.
securetheballoontothetube.

11. Locatethelatexhoseandusescissorstocuttwo14inchhosepieces.Connect
eachofthe14inchhosepiecestothebarbadaptersthathavebeeninstalledinto
thesideofthetube.Ensurethatthehoseisconnectedasfarupontheadapteras
possiblesothatithasagoodseal.Besurethattherearenokinksinthehose.

12. Locatetheplasticbarbtee.Thetwohosesthatleadtothetubeshouldbe
connectedtothetopofthetee,whileoneendoftheremainderofthe
hoseisconnectedtothebottomofthetee.Thislonglengthofhosewill
beconnectedtothegassource.

13. ConstructionoftheRubensTubeiscompleted.Ifnecessaryawoodenormetalstandmaybebuiltto
holdthetube.Otherwise,bookscanbeusedjustaseasily.Thehosecanbeconnectedtoagassource
suchasapropanetankoranaturalhasoutletinascienceclassroomlabtable.Thecomputerspeaker
canbeplacedinfrontofthediaphragmandconnectedtoacomputer.Turnonthegasandusealighter
tolightflamescomingoutoftheholesatthetop.Playsingletonesofdifferentfrequenciesthroughthe
speakerstoproducestandingwavesorplaymusictomaketheflamesdancewiththebeat.Refertothe
RubensTubeOperatingInstructionsformoreinformation.