[sdiy] Tubular Bells

[Peter Grenader]

If you can afford it, titanium tubes are terrific for this as they are hard
as nails (actually, harder) and sustain wonderfully. Plus they can be
purchased as either straight gage or double butted, meaning the walls get
thinner in the center of the pipe by about 2 mils - perfect for ringing.  I
know this for a fact because I've got a bicycle frame made out of the stuff
and the frame builder has made some really interesting wind chimes in his
spare time, one tuned to microtones.  He really got into it for a while.

Haynes and Ancotech are two such companies that make this stuff.

hope this helps, 

Peter

Harry Bissell Jr wrote:

> Copper water pipe is too soft to be an effective
> tubular bell... it dents too easily and does not
> sustain well.
> 
> Thick wall brass would be ideal...
> 
> Hard anodized aluminum is OK as well
> 
> Solid bar stock would also work...
> 
> Steel open-end wrenches supported with rubber bands
> are OK too...
> 
> H^) harry
> 
> --- Tim Ressel <madhun2001 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>> James,
>> 
>> What about copper water pipe? McMaster-Carr has both
>> brass and copper tubing.
>> 
>> I can tell you that finish is very important to
>> making
>> a bell. Ends need to be clean, and the pipe surface
>> needs to be polished, preferably inside and out.
>> 
>> As for construction, just get some 3/4" copper pipe
>> from Home Whatsit, and PLAY!!!
>> 
>> --TimR
>> 
>> --- James Patchell <patchell at cox.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> I have been wanting to build a set of Midi Chimes
>>> for a long time.  A
>>> recent thread here got me interested in doing this
>>> again.  The main problem
>>> is the bells themselves.  I have found a few
>>> websites that describe the
>>> construction of tubular bells, but not in any
>>> detail, and they are mostly
>>> talking about making wind chimes.  Does anybody
>> know
>>> of any information
>>> where they really go into the design of tubular
>>> bells?
>>> 
>>> I am planing of getting some aluminum tubing and
>>> doing some more
>>> experiments.  The only tubing I have around here
>> at
>>> the moment is 
>>> electrical conduit, and that does not seem to work
>>> all that well.  Brass
>>> tubing seems to be what I really need, but that is
>>> very expensive to be
>>> experimenting with.
>>> 
>>> I have also been looking on the interent for
>>> "concert chimes"....brand new
>>> $4K....I have been checking ebay hoping for a
>>> deal...
>>> 
>>> I am going to be using the same controller board
>> for
>>> the Midi Chimes as I
>>> used on the already completed Glockenspiel.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
> http://www.oldcrows.net/~patchell/pictures/pictures.html#Glockenspiel
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -Jim
>>> 
>> 
> ***************************************************************
>>> http://www.oldcrows.net/~patchell
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
> ***************************************************************
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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