how to make a working bullroarer

[forrestdweller]

during my long-ago childhood i made some bullroarers after a photo in a book about australian aborigines. they were only about 4inches long and thanks to lack of tools and my not-so-very-developed woodworking skill rather crude but they worked well.
recently i tried to make a bigger and much-better-crafted one of ca. 8in x3-4in wide with an oval profile, BUT not much noise at all, no matter what kind of cord i used. my guess is that the perfect noise gets influenced by the profile of the roarer as well. i did a bit of a research in attempt to find a solution, but no success so far- all pictures show only the flat side... .
can anyone enlighten me please?

 

[Neumo]

Funny this should come up as I want to make some of these myself & am planning to give it a go soon, so would interested to find out what makes a good bull roarer.

 

[JohnC]

YOu should contact Eric Methven on this forum, he's made (and demonstrated ) a few..

 

[takjaa]

I think the last time I posted a reply in another thread was also with a link to johs site, dam him for being so clever!! hope this helps
http://www.jonsbushcraft.com/bullroarer.htm

 

[MickG]

Remember my Dad making one from a Date box top or bottom
The long oval ones you buy at Xmas time
Cant remember it being carved to shape only a hole burned in the end with a hot poker from the fire

Mick

 

[Mesquite]

Just remember to use the bull roarer safely

 

[forrestdweller]

I think the last time I posted a reply in another thread was also with a link to johs site, dam him for being so clever!! hope this helps
http://www.jonsbushcraft.com/bullroarer.htm

hhmmm... mine looked likewise in profile and still no sound. mighta had to do with the cord then(i know from my long-ago-(and more successful)-attempts that not every type of cord works!)...

 

[Ogri the trog]

hhmmm... mighta had to do with the cord then(i know from my long-ago-(and more successful)-attempts that not every type of cord works!)...

Very true FD,
Sometimes just swinging the thing wildly in the air does not get the roarer itself spinning around - it is the cord winding up one way and then twisting the other way that produces the rythmic sound.
Giving the cord a twist before you start swinging it around will definately help.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Sherwood]

Heres one in action...
[video=youtube;3Kf_RYVt2XQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kf_RYVt2XQ&feature=related[/video]
brilliant!!!

 

[forrestdweller]

Heres one in action...
[video=youtube;3Kf_RYVt2XQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kf_RYVt2XQ&feature=related[/video]
brilliant!!!

i remember reading somewhere that smaller sized- bullroarers were used to get a woman's attention, but i had no idea that it was done this way... .

made 2working ones over the last days -1 measures ca. 5x2in, the other ca.3,5x7in- not as loud as in the youtube clip or "crocodile dundee" ptII, but they work.

 

[wattsy]

when i made one it wasn't elliptical i tried to think of ways to encourage it to spin more and ended up angling the edges the same way so it ended up sort of lie a rhombus in cross section and it worked a treat

 

[salan]

You can make a bullroarer out of a ruler. They work quite well in fact. Best a wooden one as the plastic ones (perpex) can shatter at speed.
Alan

 

[JonathanD]

You can make a bullroarer out of a ruler. They work quite well in fact. Best a wooden one as the plastic ones (perpex) can shatter at speed.
Alan

We used to make them from rulers at school when I was a kid. The shatterproof 30cm ones used to be the loudest.

 

[Dean]

After Mors made one at the Bushmoot, I decided I would make one. I found that as long as the side edges are clean, flat and sharpe (not rounded) this will produce the sound your after. Make sure the material you use is not heavy as this will break your cord when under the strain of use. Hope this helps.

 

[graiman]

Heres one in action...
[video=youtube;3Kf_RYVt2XQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kf_RYVt2XQ&feature=related[/video]
brilliant!!!

lmao that is awesome XD

 

[Laurentius]

It's going back a bit now, but I remember making a bullroarer out of a six inch steel rule and length of garden twine, the ruler had a convenient perforation at the top end, I am sure it was made for it.