What you need
An old record nobody minds about
A sewing needle or a pin
Stiff paper
Sticky tape
A pencil to spin the record on
An adult
How to build it
Roll the coneCut out the template, roll it, and tape the straight edges so the point is sharp and closed.
Push the needle through the pointFrom the inside out, so a few millimetres stick out. An adult does this bit.
Get the record turningA pencil through the hole, and turn it steadily by hand. About one turn every two seconds.
Lower the needle into a grooveVery gently, at a slight angle, and hold the cone still. Do not press.
Listen to the cone, not the needleThe sound comes out of the wide end. It is quiet, scratchy, and unmistakably music.
This scratches the record, so use one nobody wants. The needle is sharp: an adult fits it, and nobody leans over the point.
The template
Print this at 100 per cent, not fit to page, or the sizes will be wrong. The ruler line below tells you whether it printed correctly.
The bar above should measure exactly 10 centimetres. If it does not, your printer has shrunk the page.
Now send something
Try turning the record faster and then slower. The tune changes pitch, because the wiggle is arriving at the wrong speed.
Why this worksBack to Make