About the Kazoo
One of the most popular music prints on Printables, and for good reason: it's small, quick and it works. The kazoo is a printed tube with a membrane held over a side opening by a printed washer and a threaded lock nut. You hum into it, and the membrane buzzes to give the familiar kazoo sound.
The membrane is the only part you don't print, and it costs nothing: a disc cut from a thin plastic shopping bag or a piece of wax paper. The designer notes that the membrane material changes the sound a lot. Very thin film gives a brighter, more intense buzz, while thicker material sounds deeper and a little quieter. So it's worth trying a few.
Who it's for. Kids, classrooms, first-time printer owners and anyone who wants a musical print that's done in an evening. The one trick is to hum, not blow. First-timers who blow often think it's broken.
What you'll need
Printed parts
- Kazoo body
- Washer (also used as a template for cutting the membrane)
- Threaded lock nut
Bought parts
- A small piece of thin plastic (shopping bag) or wax paper for the membrane
Tools
- Scissors
Build overview
- Print the three parts. The body, washer and nut.
- Cut a membrane. Trace around the printed washer onto thin plastic or wax paper and cut out the disc.
- Fit it. Lay the membrane in place, add the washer and screw the nut down so the membrane is held tight without gaps. It may take a couple of tries.
- Hum into it. Hum, don't blow.
Video
Play video: 3D print a recorder, an ocarina or a kazoo (loads YouTube)
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. Video thumbnails are © their creators.
Photos
All photos: PistonPin, from the design page on Printables, licensed CC BY-SA. We resized them and converted them to WebP. These adapted versions are shared under the same licence.