Subject: WindChimes - my kids want to build HELP

From: [email-masked] (Tony Phillips)
Date: Sat, 08 Jun 1996 09:40:25 GMT

WindChimes
Can anyone help me. My sons saw some of those aluminium wind chimes in
a shop, and want to build some. These are made of differing lengths of
tubing, and have a wooden striker. There are various sizes, and
therefore tones. 

Can anyone help me with respect to design/plans for these things?
I know my kids would really appreciate it.
Me too :-))
Tony
[email-masked]
Tony Phillips
email [email-masked]

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From: Steve Wellcome <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 Jun 1996 12:33:10 GMT

Well, I "designed" the wind chimes I built by measuring a commercial
set.  Both the location of the suspension holes and the length of the
tubes are important.  I made mine out of that cheap hardware store
1" diameter aluminum tubing.  It doesn't sound as good as the 
commercial wind chimes, which use better tubing, but it's okay.  I
also made a set out of 3/4" copper tubing, which sounds better.

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From: [email-masked] (Carl Grinnell)
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 17:49:40 GMT

The best sounding windchime I ever heard was made out of EMT
(electrical metalic tubing), which is a lightwieght version of
electrical conduit.   EMT has a zinc coating which weathers to a dull
gray so this wasn't the prettiest chime I have ever seen but it sure
sounded good.

  I would suppose the key to a good sounding chime is having each
chime exactly the right length to make the proper tone.

   The chimes I am referring to were supported by heavy monofilament
passed through two holes drilled about 1/4" to 3/8" from one end of
each chime.  By being that close to the end of the chime, the support
strings probably had very little effect on the tone of the chimes.

   If I can find more specific directions I will Email you and post to
this group.

                                                        Carl  Grinnell

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From: [email-masked] (James Kirkpatrick)
Date: 14 Jun 96 08:29:26 MDT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Carl Grinnell) writes:
|>   The best sounding windchime I ever heard was made out of EMT
|>(electrical metalic tubing), which is a lightwieght version of
|>electrical conduit.   EMT has a zinc coating which weathers to a dull
|>gray so this wasn't the prettiest chime I have ever seen but it sure
|>sounded good.
|>
|>  I would suppose the key to a good sounding chime is having each
|>chime exactly the right length to make the proper tone.
|>
|>   The chimes I am referring to were supported by heavy monofilament
|>passed through two holes drilled about 1/4" to 3/8" from one end of
|>each chime.  By being that close to the end of the chime, the support
|>strings probably had very little effect on the tone of the chimes.
|>
|>   If I can find more specific directions I will Email you and post to
|>this group.

Please note there is a section on this in the FAQ.  For example, the
"proper" placement of the support holes is not at the very end of the
chimes.

The FAQ is available via anonymous ftp to plains.uwyo.edu in the metal
directory (question 39, in part 8).  Or, indirectly via
http://plains.uwyo.edu/~metal

Jim