Plastic pipes
PVC cable pipe is thin and well bendable. It can be found in electrical supplies. There are different sizes, so it is not difficult to find two tubes that fit into each other. Of course, water pipes also work, but they are considerably thicker.
There are two ways of realizing the arch:
1. Heat. Fill the pipe with sand, so it doesn’t kink. Then gently heat it and slowly bend it around a can.
2. Corner pieces. Just get some official corner pieces and connect the individual pipe pieces with them.
- Easy to find, easy to process.
- The pipe’s diameter is mostly thicker than needed. So the instrument will ask more air from your lungs to bring out the sound.
Tent poles
Ideal for building a travel trombone. Because the metal is hardened, it will not bend. So you can either use a thin plastic tube for the bend or simply leave it out in favour of portability.
- Light weight and durable. The perfect travelling trombone!
- Good pipe diameter results in easier playing experience.
- It’s hard to find two tent poles, that fit into each other.