Private Entrance Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Not sure if this is the right place for this, so feel free to move it if necessary. I was dinking around with some 1" x 3/16" bar and liked the sound it made when I dropped it, so I thought I'd try turning it into windchimes. The chimes were heated to orange-yellow and twisted (with varying degrees of success) then quenched in water. The clapper-bar in the middle will probably need to be changed out to something like a flat disc - the thin bar doesn't hit the chimes very well unless they are given a good push by the wind. I think the chimes might have cooled to much before I quenched them - their sound isn't as bell-like as I expected. I didn't reheat and quench after twisting, just went straight to quenching. Any suggestions or ideas would be nice to hear - the whole thing is pretty easy to take apart and reassemble, so corrections/adjustments won't be a problem. Thanks in advance. PS - sorry for the odd angle - only way to get it all to fit without extra clutter in the pic w/ my phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 PE i like your chimes - they look good in the tree - i would love to know what the heating etc does to the sound of the metal - im afraid i dont know the answer but i will wait to hear if anyone else does - i would assume its also to do with the thickness in various positions of the metal ..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I have made wind chimes in the past too, but never really did anything special with regards to heat treating, I was not very scientific about it, I just used different lengths and thicknesses, little offcuts and make them into small scrolls, odd shapes etc, string them all together and flog 'em!! Will try to see if I have any pics but that was a while a go - about three computers, three different workshops and four different houses ago!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Never hang the chimes from the very end, it suppresses the vibrations. Good for a mobile, bad for chimes. If you use straight, uniform tubes or bars, there is a mathematical formula for figuring the attachment node or piercing point for hanging the chimes, something like 21% of the distance from one end. There is a different formula for cutting lengths to get different notes in a harmonic scale. You could probably find it in a book on making musical instruments from a library, and should if you intend to make a bunch for a show. But even masters tune what they make by ear. So! Seat of the pants method: Grasp the individual chime betwixt thumb and forefinger. Tap the suspended chime with a handy hammer, bar or swizel stick. Listen for the note. Move your grip up or down the bar, repeat. When you find the spot that gives the loudest, clearest note, mark that spot with an X. That is the spot to drill. Also, don't put the knot against the hole, make an open loop, and hang it so that does not 'choke' the vibration. Fine steel cable or monofilament fishing line works better than nylon twine or leather thongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 In my experience steel that has been hardened a bit has better tone. That being said, I have had junk rod sing beautifully and pieces from springs go clunk. So I am a go with the heating and quenching. I would suggest a bit of temper if it is HCS, otherwise it might crack or break. Yes I found that out the hard way, sounded good until it went crunch. John's advice for finding a harmonic node is very good, and what I was was going to suggest. Usually I find the node to be 1/5 to 1/3 the length of the piece. There will be several nodes, pick one you like. As for tuning, filing the ends will raise the tone. I have not found a way to lower tone, so file carefully. The clapper will influence the sound, a wooden clapper will have a more mellower tone when it strikes, where a steel clapper will have a sharper attack. But I am sure you have fun playing that game. I would look at the library for a book of informal instrument making. I built a wooden xylophone out of 2 by 4 once, the build was easy, tuning took a long time. And the difference between a pleasing tone and scale was 1 stroke of the saw. You cut grooves in back center to tune it. The drawing gives you the lengths, but wood have variable density so tuning is by ear. Beautiful work, keep at it! Cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 All very good advice - thanks! I thought about the knot being next to the chime being an issue, but hadn't considered where I put the hole on the chime. I will take them down and fiddle around finding a harmonic node. I might have (or be able to make) a metal disc that I can use for the clapper - if it isn't too loud, I am trying for a more bell-like tone. If it scares the neighbors, I'll go with wood. Thanks again for the help - I have a direction to go in to make it more gooder. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 I reheated and hardened the chimes and clapper, and did as was suggested to find the harmonic point, then re-hung everything, again as suggested. Much, much better sound than before. It looks like I will have to do something different for the clapper. It is going to take a pretty fierce wind to get any sound out of it the way things are now. Thanks again to everyone for the guidance and suggestions. It was all a huge help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knots Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 The pro's always run the line so that the chime bar is always suspended with a open V at the bottom of the chime suspension line. This gives the minimum contact between the line and the chime bar. My wife likes chmes. I became more observent of how they are strung as shipped when my first restringing of a favorite didn't sound good after restringing. Most suspension rings have two holes closely spaced so that the line can be run up and in one hole and out and down from the other. So you end up with a pair of closely spaced holes then a larger space to space the chime bars . :wacko: That way the line can be run as a single length in, out, down,through the chime, up, in, out etc, etc, etc. Turn out pretty neat and it allows the chime to sing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 That's a good idea, knots. I'll try that with the next one. I've run out of pieces that would make a good suspension ring, so I think I'm going to make one. What I'm thinking of is something along the lines of the new clapper I've put in the first one - a bar split nearly end to end and then rounded into a ring. Top pic is the new clapper installed w/ the old clapper as a weight below it. Bottom pic is a close(er) up of the clapper itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Hey PE, looks good. You're on the right track now with the ring, but the stip of metal below it will still take a bit of wind to get swinging. If you choof that off and replace it with a disc of thin plywood or lite sheet metal, you'll find it takes much less breeze to get a song out of it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I agree with Whirly... the bottom "weight" should be a "sail"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 I'll give it a shot - I've got some sheet metal from an old washing machine I can cut a 'sail' out of. Thanks for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagGeorge Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I love it. Its designs and all. Looks heavy though. Can it be moved by the wind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 It looks really good PE...I think the idea of the sail will help and have so much more movement on the clapper... it will sing away. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 MagGeorge, the chimes seems to be pretty free moving. The clapper's been the problem - it'd need a gale force wind to get that sucker to move. With the new clapper in the 2nd picture, and replacing the lower weight with a sail, hopefully that will fix things. I've got a sail that I hammered out of a gusset from a bed frame that I'm going to finish cleaning up and attach this week. I'll post an updated picture when that's done. Should be in a day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimkb8tbi Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 For tubular chimes there is a fabulous site for calculating length and hanger position.Wind Chime Design by Lee Hite An excell spreadsheet is included to calculate andy diameter, any wall thickness and notes desired. I made perfect C Major chimes with good tone. drill hanging holes and insert handles from the little spring steel paper clips for an internal connection and no interference from string. Used copper braid wire to hang. might be interesting to calculate for solid rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted December 18, 2012 Author Share Posted December 18, 2012 Oooohhh!!! :huh: I'll have to do some fiddling around with that. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.