#4974: Re: #4961: making a vaksin: detailed instructions

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Simido@aol.com

Hi Eric -

dont know u personally - but glad to share what little i know about making 
Vaksin...
(saw your question posted on the corbett list)

The hole should be roughly the size of a quarter -( and they arent always 
perfectly round )-  but there is some varience here ...

as far as positioning - you will notice most membranes in various bamboo 
species are curved - you want the curve to be curving OUT, away from the 
bamboo and towards your mouth - not IN (down towards the inside of the tube). 

Keeping this in mind - when you go to cut the bamboo at the joints - you will 
have to cut appropriately above the joint to cut above the apex of the curve 
of the membrane.

You might also want to coat the membrane with something to strengthen it - i 
have noticed that some bamboo i got (not from Haiti ) had a membrane with a 
texture closer to wood that would get soggy after hours of playing and will 
probably eventually start to crumble or break. 

Take care not to inhale any bamboo dust after you finish the vaksin - its 
toxic!!!!

let me know how it goes...

-markus schwartz