Imagine giving someone a gift you made yourself–a beautiful set of wind chimes designed to sound as special as the person receiving
them.
Building great-sounding tubular bell
chimes is easier than you might think. Whether this is
your first project or you’re an experienced builder,
we’ll help you choose the right design, materials,
dimensions, and tuning to create chimes you’ll be proud
to give–or keep for yourself.
You'll find proven designs, practical
building tips, patterns, and easy-to-use calculators for
a variety of skill levels, budgets, and workshop
capabilities. We'll also show you how to avoid the
common design mistakes found in many commercial wind
chimes. Build something beautiful. Make it
personal. Say It With Chimes.
Read a
disabled veteran's inspiring message that he shares with you - the
builder.
QUICK START ^Menu^
You can use
DIY Plans or
design individual sections to fit your
personality, style, and budget. Or, follow (STEPS A1
through 6D on this page.)
Before choosing notes or metal, understand that a
tubular chime does not sound like a piano struck at the
same note. Setting the right expectation now will save
you frustration later.
* When you strike a chime, you
activate a fundamental note plus several overtone
notes (non-harmonic multiples: ×2.76, ×5.40, ×8.93,
×13.34, ×18.64, ×31.87 of the fundamental note).
1st Fundamental
1st Overtone
2nd Overtone
Animations courtesy of Dr. Daniel A.
Russell, Professor of Acoustics at Penn State
University.
* For long length
chimes (about C1–C4), the fundamental and
the first overtone are inaudible — this is
called the missing
fundamental. Your ear and brain reconstruct
a perceived note from the remaining overtones
using "fuzzy logic." The result is the most
bell-like, melodious sound.
* For short length
chimes (C6 and above), you hear
mostly the pure fundamental with few overtones -
a thinner, less bell-like, "pure tone" sound.
* Because of this,
electronic chromatic tuners often cannot
correctly identify a chime’s note, especially
below about C5. Don’t trust a tuner reading that
seems "wrong" — use the calculated length
instead. See either
Downloads or
Pre-calculated.
* Practical takeaway:
If you want the richest, most bell-like sound,
select notes in the C1–C4 range. If you want
individual notes to be clearly identifiable
(e.g., for a musical scale), select notes above
C5, at the cost of a less bell-like tone.
If the musical scale doesn't seem logical to
you, you're right, it's not logical to most of
us non musicians. On this site we often refer to
an octave which is from C to the key just prior
to the next C, which is B. Below is a graphical
diagram that may help clarify this.
Step
1: Choose the number of chimes (typically
3–8) and the notes you want (Section
2A).
Step 2:
Choose your material: tube
or pipe vs. solid rod
(Section
2B), and your metal type
(Section 2C).
Step 3:
Decide on overall size.
Look up the length of your longest chime in the
(Pre-calculated
tables 2E) or (DIY Calculator), and add extra
length below for the wind sail.
Step 4:
Decide how the chimes will
align: at the Menu, center, or bottom-aligned
(Section
3A).
A traditional choice
has been the
pentatonic scale (C D E G A) — pleasant up close but
the notes can blur together at a distance.
For better separation at a
distance, use the C9 Chord (C E G Bb D) instead.
Use the C9 Chord chime calculator,
or C9 Chord
Pre-calculated, select your metal & tubing size, and the
calculator returns the correct length and hang point
for each note.
If you’re unsure what notes
you like, use the free
Wind Chime
Emulation Designer
software to preview sounds before cutting metal. Note:
your computer speaker can play low notes from C1–C4,
but a physical chime may not radiate
those same low notes.
Cautions: Chime tuning tables assume
A4 = 440 Hz. Do not use these for orchestral tuning
(which typically uses A4 = 442, 443, or 444 Hz).
Note: that orchestra-grade chimes typically begin no
lower than C5 to assure the strike note is heard.
Calculated lengths get you
about 1% of the target note — plenty accurate for
wind chimes. If you need exact tuning, cut slightly
long and grind to final length.
A 45° angle-cut on the tube
end is aesthetically pleasing but changes the tuning
significantly (short tubes shift more than long ones
— as much as 10% on a 20" tube, as little as 2% on a
35–40"+ tube). If you want an angled end and
accurate tuning, cut long and trim to the correct
final pitch.
DIY Happy Birthday
- Chime Set
1.5 Meg, PDF, Surprise that special
person or occasion with a song played on a set of chimes you've
built. For about $30, materials are available from your local
home improvement store. Keep the chime set for the next occasion
or convert them into a set of hanging wind chimes. See the YouTube
example here by
Keith Fields
There are a host of apps for
Chromatic Tuners available for an iPhone, iPad or
Android. Site visitor Mathew George uses “gStrings” on
his Android, pictured below.
I use the $.99 app “insTuner”
on an iPad that includes an FFT spectrum analyzer in
addition to freeware Audacity® on a LapMenu described
below.. A few scrap pieces of wood to make two
U-brackets, rubber bands and you're in business. Mark
the support nodes 22.4% from each end for locating the
rubber bands.
If
you have just a few measurements to make, a quick and
easy support suggestion is a
string with slipknot positioned at the 22.4% node,
pictured above with the iPad.
A good software solution for FFT spectrum analysis measurement is the freeware
program Audacity® used on a LapMenu pictured to the
left-hand side.
A few additional software
sources are listed below. Most any computer microphone
will work. In fact, I have used the microphone on a
headset.
To eliminate the annoying
background noise when using a microphone, use an
accelerometer. I have good success supporting the chime
horizontally at one node by a rubber band and at the
other node with a thin wire looped around the chime and
attached to an accelerometer.
Audacity® LapMenu freeware, open source,
cross-platform software for recording and editing
sounds. Good for fundamental and overtone frequency
measurements.
Online manual for Audacity
Tune Lab Pro version 4 LapMenu freeware good for
fundamental and overtone frequency measurements. At a
cost, available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch,
Windows lapMenus, Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, Smartphones,
and the Android
Caution
It can be
challenging and often impossible for a chromatic tuner to measure a chime note correctly.
Non linearity of the human ear and a chime's non-harmonic overtones are
two reasons.
Chromatic tuners listen and display sound as it is being produced on a linear
basis for both amplitude and frequency, but our brain process the same
information using fuzzy logic. Why is this a problem?
Unfortunately, the human ear is no doubt the most non-linear and narrowband
sound listening device we know of. Similar to other percussion instruments,
chimes do not produce fundamental frequencies and pure harmonic frequencies like
string instruments, wind tubes and reed instruments, for which chromatic tuners
are intended.
Instead, there are numerous non-harmonic overtones present which (depending on
their individual frequency and amplitude) can be predominant to a tuner or
analyzer, but make little or no difference to the human ear. A chromatic tuner
may display the predominant amplitude and frequency, but that may not be what
the ear actually perceives. Because of the brain's "fuzzy logic" characteristic,
the many overtones associated with a particular chime fundamental frequency,
combine to produce a musical note the brain recognizes, but may not be
recognized by a chromatic tuner.
It is difficult to provide an exact recommendation when to use the tuner to
measure a chime's note, but in general, I find most any note below C4 difficult
to measure and on occasion below C5. Long, low frequencies tubes, mostly measure
incorrectly because of the "missing fundamental effect" and the preponderance of
high amplitude overtones. Thick-walled tank chimes/bells can measure with
surprising accuracy because of a single pure tone above C4 that is not cluttered
with unimportant sidebands. However, thin-walled tank chimes/bells seem not to
do as well and they may be impossible to measure accurately.
In addition, poor quality tubing exhibiting dual fundamentals, will cause the
chromatic tuner to constantly switch between the two fundamentals, both of which
are incorrect. If you are not displaying the note you expected, try moving the
chime further away from the tuner to help minimize unimportant frequencies.
If you get a good steady reading that is not what you expected, the tuner is
listening to a predominant overtone, so just ignore that measurement. Using the
values for length provided by the tables and DIY calculators on this page will
get you very close to the exact note. If the tuner cannot make a believable
measurement, use the calculated length for the chime.
2B Select Tubing, Pipe, or
Rod ^Menu^
Pipes are technically "passageways" and tubes are
"structural," but for chime-building purposes they are
interchangeable — what matters is the outside diameter
(OD), inside diameter (ID), and metal type.
Compare tubing/pipe with rods.
Tube / Pipe
Rod
Sustain time
Shorter
Much Longer
Length needed
for same note
Longer
Shorter (Example: a steel rod at C4=
26¼" vs.
a steel tube (EMT)= 32⅞."
Loudness
Louder
Quieter (smaller radiating surface)
Weight
Lighter
Heavier — factor this into your support
hardware
To design with rods: use the chime
calculator for tubes and set the inside diameter (ID) to
zero. Tip: steel rebar sounds excellent because it's
hardness provides a long, pleasing sustain.
Step 1:
Consider weight,
cost, and aesthetics. Copper costs more; aluminum is
lighter than steel; EMT (galvanized electrical
conduit) is affordable but can rust at cut ends and
drilled holes over time — treat EMT chime set as
"steel" in the calculator.
Step 2:
Understand what
actually controls the sound. Only two material
properties affect tone: density and elasticity.
These determine the required tube length for a given
note and the tube’s timbre (tonal color). Aluminum
has the lowest density and elasticity of the common
options; copper has the highest density but only
mid-range elasticity.
Step
3:
Use size, not metal type, to determine the
sound. As a rule of thumb: low notes require
thicker walls and larger diameters to sound better,
regardless of metal. If you’re deciding between two
chime sets, pick the one with more mass (thicker
wall and/or larger diameter).
Step 4: Example of physical size for
the same note (C4), smallest to largest.
Length for a one inch
diameter chime at middle C (C4) ,
smallest to largest.
Brass .065 wall
Copper M
Cast Iron
Titanium .065 wall
Aluminum .065 wall
Aluminum .035 wall
EMT Steel
26
1/8 inch
27
inch
28
7/16 inch
29
1/8 inch
29
5/16 inch
30
7/16 inch
32
7/8 inch
Brass provides the smallest,
most compact, set for a given note range; EMT gives
you the largest.
Step
5:
Test before buying in bulk
Some tubing has inconsistent
wall cross-sections from manufacturing, which
produces two closely-spaced fundamental frequencies
and an noticeable "beating against each other"
(wah-wah) effect when struck. Test a sample piece
before committing to a bulk order if this matters to
you.
About Tubing
Dimensions: Aluminum and brass tubing tend
to exactly follow their stated ID and OD dimensions
while copper tubing does not. Wall thickness for
copper pipe varies with the pipe schedule. The four
common schedules are named K (thick-walled), L
(medium-walled), M (thin-wall), and DWV
(drain/waste/vent - non-pressurized). The printing
on the pipe is color coded for identification;
K is
Green, L is Blue,
M is Red, and
DWV is
Yellow. Both type
Mand type
L
copper can be found in the plumbing section
of home improvement stores like
Menards®,
Home Depot®,
Lowe's®
and
Ace Hardware®.
Step 1: Select your dimensions using
either the pre-calculated values below or the
Excel Chime Calculator, where you enter OD, ID,
and material type and it returns length and
hang-point location for each note.
Step
1: If you 're designing wind chimes using the length provided by the
calculators or the pre-calculated tables (which get you within 1% of final
value), the resulting note is perfect for wind chimes. On the other hand, if
they are for a musical setting it's best to cut long and finish to size using a
tuning method. Cut each tube about ⅛" longer than
the target length to leave room for grinding and smoothing.
Cutting tip: An abrasive metal-cutting
blade (About $6- on Amazon) in a radial arm
saw or chop saw works well and is inexpensive
A standard tubing cutter or hacksaw also works.
Step 2: Smooth and de-burr the ends. File
or sand the cut ends smooth. It helps to roll the tube back
and forth on a towel to protect the surface as you
smooth the end.
Slightly chamfer or round the outer edge for a
professional look.
Step
1:
Locate the hang-point for each tube from
your pre-calculated table or chime calculator, (this
is the 22.4% point from the end) .
Step
2: You can align the holes exactly
opposite each other by using a drill press with a
V-block. Center the V-Block by lowering the drill
bit to the bottom of the V, then clamp the block to
the table before drilling.
Step
3: If you're without a drill press or
V-block, use the "cigar band" method: Cut a strip of
paper about ½" × 8"; wrap it around the tube and
tape it into a band. Remove and flatten so creases
form at both ends. Using a lead pencil rub the
pencil end end over both creases to lightly darken
the exact end of the paper crease. Slide the band on
the chime to your marked hang-point. Mark one crease
location, then rotate the tube 180° to the opposite
crease and mark it — you now have two drilling marks
exactly opposite each other.
Step
4: Debur the holes before threading the
support line.
If you
own a deburring tool it will smooth the inside and
outside of the hole with one tool.
If not, debur by hand using a drill bit larger than the hole.
Place the bit on the outside of the hole and rotate by hand. This is generally
enough to chamfer the outside hole.
Outside Before
Deburr
Outside After
An alternate method is to
chuck a bent piece of coat-hanger wire into a drill,
insert the bent end through the hole, and rotate
while lightly pulling back — this bends over any
remaining inside burr.
Deburr the inside support hole. First, using a round or
half-round file, remove the burr from inside the tube. Finish the task by using
a section of coat hanger wire with a small bend approximately 105 degrees at the
far end, as shown right. Place the wire in a drill and insert the bent end
through the hole. As you rotate the wire, lightly pull back on the drill and the
bent wire will bend over any inside burr.
Support the chime at the 22.4% location from either
end of the chime.
Best for the bell-like sound is
support at the fundamental
frequency node 22.42% from either end using a line
through two drilled holes.
An alternative for a richer, more bell-like tone
with longer first-overtone sustain is to support through
a soldered end cap with a hole for the line. Note:
this lowers the fundamental frequency — by roughly
3–4%, depending on tube size and material — so
account for this if exact tuning matters.
Caution: an end cap must be fully soldered
around its entire circumference, or it will kill the
resonance completely.
While
making this 10-chime steel set, site visitor David,
made a good video demonstrating how to locate the
hang-point node using the chime's natural vibration
nodes and a small pile of sand. See his video here
www.youtu.be/e7o7hf1AOl4
An alternate inverted
“V” support can be the wire arm from a binder clip
shown on the right. Remove the wire arms from the
clip, stretch them out a little, and position in
place using needle nose pliers, wiggle the arm until
the tips pop out of the holes. Be sure to attach
your hanger line first. The arms tend to be self
centering. The binder clips are available in
different sizes so you can match the clip to the
diameter of the pipe. The wire diameter increases
with the size of the clip so make sure to check
before you drill the pipes. (Submitted by site
visitor Tom, Thanks)
Another
option is the stainless-steel butterfly V-clip used
in pool poles and tent poles as shown here. There
are plastic versions and stainless-steel versions,
both are on Amazon. Search for keywords ( Kayak
Paddle Spring Clips, Tent Pole Clips, Push Button
Spring, Snap Clip, Locking Tube Pin). The
stainless-steel clip can be made to work on tubing
sizes up to a 2-inch diameter. Not sure how small a
diameter tubing will work but I suspect ¾ inch might
be the smallest. Submitted by site visitor Ed.
Thanks Ed!
Avoid
supporting near the tube ends with horizontal holes
(common on commercial chimes) — this reduces
the sustain time and produces a "strike-only" sound
without the rich bell-like ring.
For rods, don’t use a screw eye in
the end of the rod (it kills
resonance). Instead, drill a small hole in the rod’s
end, tie a knot in 50-lb woven fishing line, and
epoxy the knotted end into the hole — this low-mass,
flexible connection preserves resonance.
For extra protection
of the support line add a grommet or eyelet on the
outside edge of the hole (small
eyelets are available at hobby/sewing or shoe-repair
stores; the shell of a 1/8" or 3/16" aluminum pop
rivet also works).
Step
3: Select the
line, cord or chain
for supporting the chime tube and the Menu support
disk.
Options include:
non-metallic lines like a braided or monofilament
fishing line (30–80 lb), braided plumb line, braided
Dacron kite line, Venetian blind cord,
string-trimmer line (.065"), awning cord, braided
electrical conduit pull line, (all must be UV
resistant).
Metallic thin braided wire,
1/32"–1/16", rust-resistant steel cable, decorative
chain (zinc/brass plated or painted), model aircraft
control line cable
Step
4:
Choose an alignment style
Bottom-aligned (recommended): all chime bottoms sit
level, so the striker easily contacts the ideal
strike zone — the very end of every tube.
Menu-aligned: more visually pleasing to some, still
works well if the striker avoids the dead center of
the tube. Center-aligned: also workable under the
same condition.
Step
5:
Build a simple alignment jig Mark
your chosen alignment point (Menu, center, or bottom)
on a piece of cardboard or wood strip. Lay your
longest chime on the jig and secure it (tape, clamp,
or a weight). Stretch the support line up to a
reference point and tie/mark the correct length.
Repeat for each remaining chime using the same
reference mark.
Step
6:
Choose a connection method. Several
proven methods exist — select based on your tools
and desired look: Two-point string/cord mount —
most wind-stable option. Single Menu-point mount with
a knot on the outside. Half-wrap — hides the knot
inside the tube, works well with chain. Rigid pin
mount — a flush-cut, de-burred metal rod (1/8")
glued, epoxy, or soldered in place; add a small
rubber grommet on the outside of each hole to
prevent buzzing. Inverted-V wire pin — formed from
copper wire (or repurposed binder-clip arms, or
stainless "kayak/tent pole" spring clips) pushed
through both holes and bent into decorative loops.
Horizontal cable mount — a single steel cable
threads through all chimes at once, with small
plastic beads to keep spacing even. Rigid bolt mount
(1/8" or larger bolt/nut) — for high-abuse settings
like parks or playgrounds.
Step
7:
Hang the chimes in a pleasing sequence A
circular striker typically contacts one, sometimes
two chimes at once — so place widely-separated notes
next to each other. Example sequences (chime 1 =
shortest, increasing in length):
End
support for Rods:
It is possible to support a rod at the end. You
might be tempted to inset a screw eye at the end,
but I can assure you that will completely kill the
resonance. Resonance for a tube or rod can easily be
killed by touching the end. The end cap is a special
case that allows resonance to exist without
seriously reducing the sustain time. But adding a
screw eye or any amount of mass to the end can kill
the sustain time for a rod. The easy solution that
works very well is to drill a small hole in the end
of the rod and epoxy a 50 pound (22 Kg) woven
fishing line into the hole. First tie a knot at the
end prior to inserting the line into the hole. This
low mass and flexible connection do not impact the
resonance and provides an easy method for
connection.
Playground
Chimes Support:
Pictured left is a set of playground chimes for a
full octave (CDEFGABC) from anodized aluminum that
was displayed on the website
External Works.
This fun and easy DIY
project has a couple of important requirements.
First, mounting
follows the same requirement as above, i.e. locate
the support holes 22.4% from both ends. Rubber
grommets help to minimize the reduction of sustain
time caused by a firm mounting, but are not
absolutely necessary for this application.
Rubber has a tendency
to deteriorate over time and the use of a nylon or
plastic sleeve would be a good alternate.
Firm and strong
mounting is definitely a requirement for the
playground environment, but we need to prevent
squeezing the tube at the mounting location. Careful
adjustment, when tightening bolts, can prevent this
squeeze.
Keep the mounting
somewhat firm to prevent the undesirable BUZZ caused
by loose mounting. Flexible grommets allow a firm
mounting that will prevent the buzz.
3D Support Disk
^Menu^ You
can design your own support disk using this Support Disk Calculator(Zip)
220 k.
Decide the
chime diameter (CD), striker diameter (SD), and
desired clearance (D) between the striker and chime
tubes. The calculator will provide the placement
radius (R), spacing between chimes (CS), and overall
disk diameter (PD).
The knot in the support line or wire can be mostly hidden
by use of a countersink hole when using thru holes to anchor the line to the
support disk. Pictured below are a few examples for anchoring the line.
Suggested locations for a circular
chime configuration:
A circular striker will typically strike one
chime at a time but can simultaneously strike two chimes. When this
happens you can enhance the overall sound by placing widely
separated notes next to each other For example, below are
location suggestions with chime number 1 as the shortest and moving
upwards in length as the location numbers increase.
Inline
configuration
1 - 3 - 5 - 2 - 4
1 - 4 - 2 - 5 - 3 - 6
1 - 5 - 2 - 6 -3 - 7 - 4
1 - 5 - 2 - 6 -3 - 7 - 4 - 8
Skip the math and use a
Pre-Made Pattern (available for tubing from ½" to 2" and 3–8 chime sets).
If building a star-shaped striker or a polygon-shaped support disk, use the
companion Points-on-a-Circle Calculator: pick the number of points and radius,
and it tells you the compass spacing (L) needed to walk the points around the
circle.
Also
included is a location calculator for points on a circle. Uses include automatic
calculations for locating chimes on a radius, and points used to draw a
multisided polygon such as a star striker or support disk arranged as a star, a
pentagon, a hexagon or an octagon etc. An easy lookup table is provided for
locating 3 to 8 points.
Step 1:
Choose a strike zone that fits your design style.
Remember, the
end of the tube is the ideal strike point — it energizes
the most overtones. If you prefer Menu or center
alignment for aesthetics, position the striker about ½"–1"
off the true center line of the shortest/relevant chime;
avoid dead center, which is a (narrow, easily-avoided)
dead zone for the first overtone.
The green shaded area is the
recommended strike zone.
Center Aligned
Top Aligned
Bottom Aligned
Step 2: Choose a
striker shape
● Circular disk — the standard choice for
most will contacts one
or two chimes at a time.
● The radial "star" striker (open-star
or enclosed "keeper-striker") can rotate
clockwise/counterclockwise as the sail pushes it into
the chimes. This action can
contact most chimes for a chord-like effect, at
the cost of somewhat reduced loudness per chime (since
energy is spread across more tubes).
A circular striker will typically
contact one or maybe two chimes simultaneously. However, the star shaped striker
can synchronously contact most all the chimes. The loudness of the chimes
struck with a star striker is somewhat reduced compared to the circular striker
because the strike energy has been distributed among the various chimes.
Heavier strikers
suit larger chimes; lighter strikers suit smaller
ones. In strong, gusty coastal winds, downsize the
striker or switch to a rawhide-covered
baseball/softball for a softer strike.
For large-diameter
chimes (above 2
inch), use a soft-but-heavy
disk — hockey puck, redwood, red cedar, treated
lumber, or ¼" nylon cutting board — works well.
For small-diameter
chimes use a harder wood (white
oak, teak, Osage-orange).
For star/radial strikers: use
a hard but lightweight material — 1/8" soft
aluminum, sheet plastic (UV resistant), or ¼" nylon
cutting board — for quick rotational response.
Always finish the striker with
a UV-resistant coating. Keep the strike surface
clean and soft-edged. A metal-on-metal strike
energizes more overtones but adds harsh with unwanted
sidebands. A softer striker (e.g., hard maple)
produces a cleaner, more melodious bell tone, even
if slightly quieter.
Step 4:
(Optional) Build a concealed internal striker
For a quieter, more subtle
sound on larger-diameter chimes (2"+), hang a
wrapped lead fishing sinker (cannonball, bell, bank,
or egg sinker) inside the tube instead of an
external disk. Wrap it in two layers of black
electrical tape to soften the strike. Support it
from the same point used to support the chime tube.
This approach is ideal for strong coastal or inland
winds.
Step 5:
Add a suspension axle (optional but highly recommended)
Position a small 1/16" brass
rod (about 5" long) through the center of a striker
disk to serve as an axle for the support line — this
keeps the disk horizontal during sudden wind gusts.
Stiff coat-hanger wire also works as an axle.
Step 6:
Tune the striker’s motion (for low-wind environments)
If you’re in a low-wind area,
you can amplify striker movement using resonant
striker suspension: position the striker at the
exact midpoint of the support line between the Menu
disk and the sail below, so the line resonates like
a plucked string. As a rule of thumb, keep the
striker no heavier than the sail — ideally about
half its weight — since a heavy striker is hard to
resonate.
Step 7: Keep it Clean:
A dirty strike can energize a host of unwanted
spurious sideband frequencies as demonstrated by the
steel striker in the blue spectrum display below. A most
melodious bell sound is achieved with a softer strike
that energizes overtones without spurious sidebands, as
shown in the purple spectrum display below.
Both strikers produced equal loudness for the
fundamental while the steel striker did a better job of
energizing overtones (louder) but at the expense of
unwanted dirty sidebands. The wood striker (hard maple)
produced a most melodious bell sound while the metal
strike was harsh and annoying.
The
Concealed Striker hides a lead or steel
striker on the inside the chime for large diameters
chimes, mostly above two inches as pictured left and
right.
This technique is seldom used unless the chime set is
large or becomes annoying, caused by the traditional
disk striker in high winds. Because the distance is
insufficient for the striker to gain momentum and strike
with gusto, the inside striker could be a good solution
to quieting chimes in high winds.
If you're looking for a muted sound from a large set,
maybe 4 inches and above, this technique is useful. The
striker can be a steel ball or a lead weight, normally
used as a sinker for fishing, and can be any of the
following: a cannon ball sinker, a bell sinker, a bank
sinker or an egg sinker.
Wrap the sinker with about two layers of black
electrical tape to prevent the harsh sound from a metal
strike yet still provide a strong but muted strike.
Support for the striker string or line from can be from
the same point you use to support the chime tube.
Step 1: It
helps to understand the traditional
wind sail tends to swing only toward and away from
the wind’s direction, so the striker repeatedly hits
just two chimes — the "dingdong" effect.
Step 2:
A cure for the dingdong effect can be one or a
combination of the following:
1. Tilt the sail 45° to
horizontal. Thread the support line through two
holes near the center of a disk (e.g., an old
CD) and tie the knot slightly off-center to
create the tilt — this catches pitch/yaw wind
turbulence, not just straight-line wind. You may
need to glue the line in place.
2. Hang the sail perfectly
horizontal. Counterintuitive yes, but effective
in turbulent winds, especially at upper floors,
high decks.
3. Let the whole support
disk rotate. Hang it from a single support line
instead of a fixed ring/hook, so wind can rotate
the entire chime set and expose more chimes to
the striker.
4. Use a radial star
striker (Section 10) — its natural rotation
avoids the dingdong pattern even in
straight-line wind.
Step 3:
Want a vigorous striker motion, use a (Right Angle) Orthogonal Sail.
If you’re using a radial/star
striker and need more energetic (rapid, jerky) sail
motion to drive it, build an orthogonal wind sail,
designed to fly aggressively at right angles to the
wind direction rather than swinging with it. It
naturally overshoots into a chaotic
stall-and-recover cycle, continuously feeding energy
to the striker.
Large-diameter, long chimes
and large strikers can catch enough wind on their
own. Closely-spaced chime sets may also need no sail
at all, since the striker is already near the tubes.
Step 5:
(Optional) Build a Windless Chime Set windless chaos engine chime
.
For indoor or low-wind
settings, an electromagnet can repel a magnet
mounted at the end of the striker rod, driven by a
circuit board with adjustable strike rate (120 VAC
or 12 VDC). Components for this are
sold commercially (search "chaos engine wind chime
driver").
Always include appropriate safety procedures when
handling chemicals, cutting or drilling metal, and
working with sharp tools.
Light weight coatings will not meaningfully reduce
sustain time.
The
chime tube can be stained, dyed, anodized or spray painted. A
light weight coating of spray lacquer, spray polyurethane, spray
paint, powder coat or a crackle/hammered/textured finish
(pictured left) can be used without a noticeable reduction in
the sustain time. However, avoid thick heavy coats of latex as
they seriously reduce the sustain time and can kill the
resonance.
Sparkling Copper: An easy
way to obtain the sparkling copper look is to sand the
surface of the copper chime using an orbital sander with
about 150 grit sand paper. This will completely expose
fresh copper and leave behind orbital scratches on the
surface. Coat the sanded chime with a clear spray
lacquer or a spray polyurethane to preserve the new
copper look. See picture to the left.
Patina
finish on steel: Site visitor and artist, Roger Deweese, has
successfully applied a metal dye to produce some amazing patina
finishes for his tank bell chimes.
Read here about the procedure Roger employed.
The Aged Copper Patina Look
a site visitor sent me a procedure to artificially age copper to provide the
patina appearance. The procedure works well and pictured to the
left are the satisfactory results.
I have included the procedure here for your reference.
Be patient with this procedure, it can take several days to
complete but the results are terrific.
You will need two commonly available chemicals to
complete this process. The first is a rust remover that
contains phosphoric acid. A couple of sources are Naval
Jelly® or Rust Killer™.
Secondly, a toilet bowl cleaner that contains either
hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. Some choices are Zep®
Inc. Toilet Bowl Cleaner, The Works® Toilet Bowl
Cleaner, Misty® Bolex 23 Percent Hydrochloric Acid Bowl
Cleaner and LIME-A-WAY® Toilet Bowl Cleaner.
Read the content labels carefully and look for any
brand of rust remover that contains phosphoric acid and
a toilet bowl cleaner that has either hydrochloric or
sulfuric acid in your local store.
These are dangerous chemicals.
Wear safety glasses, old clothes, rubber gloves and follow all
manufactures safety recommendations. If the chemical gets on your
skin wash immediately with a liberal amount of water. Use in a well
ventilated area.
Clean the chime using a soapy
solution of dish washing detergent like Dawn™ or
equivalent. I also used a fine grade steel wool to
lightly scrub the surface. Dry completely
Hang the chime vertically.
Soak a small soft paint brush or
dry rag with the rust remover and completely coat
the chime. Allow to drip-dry. This could take from a
few hours to three days depending on your local
humidity. This step slightly etches the surface of
the copper in preparation for the next chemical
step.
When the chime is completely dry
remove the dried rust remover from the chime using a
dry cloth. Do not use water.
Soak a small soft paint brush or
dry rag with the toilet bowl cleaner and completely
coat the chime. This could take from a few hours to
a few days depending on your local humidity. A
second coat will help to improve the patina look.
This step causes the bluish green patina to develop
in the etched surface and will darken the smooth
surfaces.
Allow a few days to dry and the
chime should ready for handling to install the final
support lines.
The finished chime may not look
like the picture above when newly completed. It can
take a few weeks to completely darken and turn green
in spots. Re-application of the toilet bowl cleaner
may be necessary
I have had this patina set of chimes for several years
and the patina lgets better every year and holds up well in all weather.
Out-of-service
compressed gas/air cylinders, scuba tanks, or fire extinguishers
can be cut into bells.
Safety first! These tanks are regulated by (DOT, NFPA,
or Transport Canada). Confirm the tank is safe to cut
and completely empty — fill with water and drain to
purge any residual gas. Wear eye, hearing, and
respiratory protection. Tanks are heavy — use caution
when handling.
The short procedure:
Step 1:
There is no reliable formula
for predicting a tank’s musical note before cutting — the neck and base ends
distort the vibration behavior beyond what standard tube formulas can model.
Step 2:
Cut to your desired length, then measure the resulting
fundamental frequency with an electronic program like
Audacity®.
Step 3:
Cut using an abrasive metal-cutting blade in a radial
arm saw, chop saw, or metal-cutting band saw.
Step 4: Expect
a richer overtone structure than a straight tube chime — more
bell-like, but harder to predict.
Step 5: Use
a robust striker (golf ball, baseball) — wood strikers often
don’t deliver enough energy from typical wind alone.
Step 6: Note:
tank chime pitch does not always track length the way tube
chimes do — two very differently-sized cuts from the same tank
family can sound nearly identical. Treat each cut as an
experiment and measure rather than calculate.
Out
of service compressed gas/air cylinders, scuba diving tanks or
fire extinguishers are often cut and used as a chime or bell.
Based on physical measurements we can not pre-determine a
musical note for these tanks. To the best of my research I do
not find a mathematical method for calculating a musical note
for these tanks. The neck-end and the base-end seriously alter
the vibration performance of the cylinder rendering existing
formulas useless.
However, once the tank has been cut to your desired
length it is easy work to determine the fundamental
frequency using an analysis program like
Audacity®, a free, open source, cross-platform
software for recording and editing sounds.
Do
not use any formula, table or chart on this website to
predict tanks musical performance.
The
frequency spectrum does not always follow the traditional
overtone pattern for a chime tube and can include a host
of additional overtones normally associated with the bell-like
sound. See the spectrum diagram to the left. Energizing all the
overtones and avoiding the harsh sound when using a metal
striker can be a challenge. A golf ball or baseball can work
well but requires a robust strike to properly energize the
overtones. I have not had good success using a wood striker
unless it's a really robust strike ypically not possible with a
normal wind sail.
Tank
Length Matters or Maybe Not?
A most perplexing situation can exist for some tank
lengths. We tested five sets of tank chimes, sets A, B,
C, D, and E pictured to the left. Chimes for sets D and
E sounded distinctly different and each had a different
height, a
different fundamental frequency, and overtone structure; however,
not true for sets A, B, and C.
In
comparison, each chime in set A sounded exactly the same and had
nearly identical fundamental frequencies and nearly identical
overtones, but represented three different lengths. The same was
true for sets B and C. There was a slight difference in timbre
among the bells, but a considerable difference in length for
each set. Set
B has both a neck-end and a base-end chime from a compressed-gas
cylinder. While both chimes strike almost exactly the same
fundamental frequency (295 Hz vs. 290 Hz), they are of different
lengths and have a slightly different timbre but sound mostly
the same. Tank B was more melodious than tank A but not a lot
The difference in overtone structure is pictured to the right.
I investigated circular mode
resonance which is a function of just material type, OD and wall
thickness, and not length, as a possible explanation for this
effect. Unfortunately the circular mode resonance was
considerably lower than the observed resonance and offered no
correlation to the actual measurements.
The calculated vs. observed resonances were as
follows: Calculated circular mode resonance were Set A =
35.4 Hz vs. 133 Hz; Set B= 29.7 Hz vs. 290 Hz; Set C=
71.7 Hz vs. 354 Hz. The formula was provided by Chuck
from
Chuck's Chimes and is: F =
(T/(2*D^2))*SQRT(E/Density) where F = frequency, E =
modulus of elasticity, D = mean diameter, and T = wall
thickness.
I remain perplexed about why length appears to have
little effect on the fundamental frequency and the
overtones structure above some critical length point.
Clearly this was not a rigorous scientific test, but
enough to cause concern and points to need for further
investigation.
Pictured below are two tank chime examples from site
visitor Grey Yahn from Pennsylvania.
If
you're new to cutting metal and looking for an easy method, I
use an abrasive metal cutting saw blade in a radial arm saw and
it works equally well with a cut-off saw, aka chop-saw.
The blade pictured left is
bout $6.00 from Amazon. Make certain to use a cutting disk
designed for the type of metal you plan to use. Using the wrong
type of abrasive disk can cause a dangerous explosion The
traditional tubing cutter or hacksaw works well also. Definitely
use safety glasses.
Safety
Caution:
All
tanks are highly regulated by the US Department of
Transportation (DOT), the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), by Transport Canada (TC) and others. Make certain the
tank is safe for handling, is completely empty (fill with water
and empty to assure all gases are exhausted), and is safe for
cutting. Wear all recommended safety equipment including eye
protection, hearing protection and respiratory protection. The
tanks are heavy and can be dangerous when handling, use extreme
caution.
Chime Length Calculators
(The length calculators are for Tubes and Rods
in Inches or Millimeters) Note:
Each calculator has 10 sheets, 2 calculators and 8
information sheets in a single download.
Calculators are for: Aluminum, Brass, Copper,
Cast Iron, Glass, Steel (EMT), Stainless Steel,
and Titanium.
REQUIRED TO VIEW
The calculators require one of the
following programs to view and execute:
For PC, MS Excel or ExcelViewer
Download the viewer Here (Zip file).
For iPhone
Docs to Go in the Apple store
Tubular Bell Chimes Design Handbook
5.2 Meg, PDF The handbook duplicates
the website. Take it with you as a reference when you build the
chime set, and also included in the combo pack below.
Chime Build Combo Pack
Zip, 12 Meg, Includes the Handbook, 13-calculators, support disk
patterns, sail patterns and chime emulation software.
How to Build Wind Chimes – DIY Plans1.5 Meg, PDF,
A great sounding set of wind chimes can be built for about
$40 depending on the chime set size you select. Choose from four
height selections ranging from 36 to 75 inches (900-1900 mm).
Add your creative touch by altering the material and style used
for the Menu support disk, striker and wind sail.
How to make wind chimes video
using information from this website by Steve
Ramsey at Woodworking for Mere Mortals.
Special Music Scale Series (A4=432 Hz) All Musical
Notes DIY Chime Tube Calculator (Zip)
Inches Version -
Millimeters Version
(Use this to select notes for base A4=432Hz)
(A4=444
Hz)
All
Musical Notes DIY Chime Tube Calculator (Zip)
Inches Version -
Millimeters Version
(Use this to select notes for base A4=444Hz)
Thanks to a site visitor for
providing this excellent emulation program from 1996 by
Syntrillium. They are now defunct and we believe the
software is considered "freeware". The zip file contains
the main program, the registration codes and a help
file. Unzip the download and run the
wind_chimes_1.01_syntrillium.exe file. The program is
intuitive, fully featured and should be easy to operate.
To begin I would suggest you set-up the program as
follows: Number of Chimes "5", Transpose to "0", Scale
to "New Pentatonic", Base Note "C-4", "Center Pendulum".
Remember, the
loudspeaker connected to your computer can play the low
notes from C2 to C4 but a chime may not radiate those
sounds. The program was originally designed to run on
DOS 6 using Windows 95, and runs with Windows NT, W2000,
W XP and W7 through W10.
Wind Chime Designer Software
by Greg Phillips.
A well-designed freeware named
Wind Chime Designer V2.0, 1997-2006-2020, emulates a chime
for notes between A2 (110 Hz) through B8 (7,902 Hz) in 82
different scales. It will help you determine what notes sound
pleasant on a chime and what scale to use.
Instructions HERE
Remember -the loudspeaker can produce low notes
from C1 to C4 but a chime may not radiate those sounds.
Wind Chime Support Disk and Striker Patterns 5.8Meg,
PDF, includes location markers for single point or dual point
chime hang point, 3-point or 4-point support disk hang, tube
sizes from 1/2 inch to 2 inch, for a circular, a star striker,
and generic patterns.
What is a Tubular Bell Chime?
Tubular chimes date to prehistoric times for a number of cultures, back nearly
5,000 years. Tubular bells chimes were developed in the 1880's when using
regular bells in an orchestra setting became impractical. Tubular bells closely
imitate church bells and the practice of using a resonant tube as a bell soon
flourished and became the traditional orchestra bell.
Traditional church bells or tubular bells can be
characterized by their strike note. That bell-like strike note can be expanded
to include the overtone structure, sustain time and loudness. That sounds simple
enough, but imbedded in that explanation are two definitions. The first
definition is when a chime, properly designed and constructed, can imitate a
bell, and the second definition is that a chime may not imitate a bell. Our
objectives is to assist you to achieve the most bell-like sound as possible.
Compared to a string or brass musical instrument, designing
a tubular bell chime presents a unique challenge not experienced elsewhere.
Although unique, building a great set of tubular bells can be easily understood
and implemented. Ending your project with a successful and pleasing sound is
important and setting the right expectations will allow that to happen. The
information below may help you to better set realistic expectations.
Loudness Limits:One of the largest differences between a chime and other musical
instruments is loudness. Loudness depends on the physical size of the chime i.e.
the radiating surface area. Compared to a string instrument where a sounding
board is used to amplify the vibration of the string, or compared to a brass
instrument that is fitted with a flared tube to amplify the loudness, a chime
has no amplifying assistance, other than the inherent surface area of the chime
tube. Overall, this loudness limitation for a typically sized chime-set will
provide serious limitations for the available range of effective note selection.
On
the other hand, if you move up from a typical chime-set, into the really large
mega chimes, then good loudness is easily achieved. For example, shown left is a
large chime-set from Sandra Bilotto.
An exception is when the resonant frequency of the tube matches the air column
resonance for the tube, as described by Chuck from
Chuck's Chimes. Assistance from the energized air column adds a small amount
of loudness.
The second limitation for loudness from a tubular chime depends
on the location of the selected note compared to the natural
sensitivity of the human ear. You can view the loudness
sensitivity range vs. frequency of the ear by viewing the
Fletcher/Munson
Equal Loudness Curves. The ear has more sensitivity in the
range from about 300 Hz to about 4 KHz, than at other
frequencies and helps to explain why we can not always hear all
the overtones, even if they are present. This loudness
limitation will have a direct affect on what notes work best for
a chime.
Proportional Dimensions:
Increasing the chime diameter increases the radiating surface area
and contributes to a louder chime but at a cost. The increased diameter
increases the length requirement for a specific note, which is not necessarily
bad; it just makes the chime set longer as the chime diameter is increased. See
the graph below for musical note C4
On the other hand, increasing the wall thickness has the
opposite effect as an increase in diameter. As the wall
thickness increases there is a small decrease in the length
requirement for any specific note. In addition there will be an
increase in the sustain time from the increased mass. See the
graph below.
Increasing the outside diameter while keeping the length and
wall thickness constant will cause a substantial increase in the
resonant frequency.
The
strike note vs. the sustaining note:
The perceived musical note from a chime, when first struck, is
not simply the fundamental chime tube frequency but the addition
from a host of overtone notes. Unfortunately, the strike note
(which can have a very pleasing sound) has a short life or a
short sustain time caused by the rapid attenuation of the
overtones.
The sustaining vibration (several seconds) will be the
fundamental strike frequency that may or may not be audible.
Note selection will be decided by whether you are interested in
hearing just the strike note or perhaps more interested in
hearing the sustaining note.
For example, a chime used in an orchestra setting is typically a
rapid sequence of notes with the strike note as the predominate
sound, and little if any time is allowed for the sustaining
note. On the other hand, a tubular bell wind chime is often
characterized by the long sustain time of a note.
The
Overtone Structure
for a chime is not an integer harmonic as in string instruments
but instead, non-harmonic as in other percussion instruments.
When the chime is supported at the fundamental frequency node,
see diagram at the left, the higher partials are dampened but
the fundamental strike frequency remains.
Overtones exist and in a perfect
metal where the density and the elasticity are constant, have
theoretical multiples of the fundamental multiplied by X 2.76, X
5.40, X 8.93, X 13.34, X 18.64 and X 31.87.
However, when metal does
not have a consistent density or elasticity, the multiples will
drift by as much as +2% to -8% or more. If we could hear the
complete compliment of all overtones for each note of a chime tube,
it would be a most wonderful bell-like sound.
Unfortunately, not all
fundamental tones and not all overtones can be adequately radiated
as an auditable sound. This is caused by an inadequate radiating
surface on small chimes diameter. Below about a 3 inch diameter
there is insufficient surface to adequately radiate notes from C1 to
about C5. The low notes are generated when you strike the
chime but weak in volume level. This condition also limits the
available range of notes that have a bell-like sound.
For example, a chime cut for C2
(65.4 Hz), the fundamental frequency is audibly absent (aka the
missing fundamental) along with little audible contribution from the
first overtone (180.5 Hz) for small diameter chimes.. But not true
for large diameter tubing.
For small diameter tubing the
remaining overtones combine to produce a perceived musical note. The
perceived note does not coincide with any specific overtone and is
difficult to measure without a frequency spectrum analyzer or
perhaps a good musical ear.
The good news is that the brain
processes the information present in the overtones to calculate the
fundamental frequency, using fuzzy logic.
For
a 2" an aluminum chime with a wall thickness of 1/4" you can see
from the waterfall display at the left (click to expand) that a
chime cut for 272.5 Hz (near C4#), has two
characteristics.
The first characteristic is the sound when the chime is first struck, the
Strike Note. It comprises both the fundamental and the first four overtones, and
has that traditional chime sound for a short period of time.
The 1st overtone contributes for about two seconds and rapidly
deteriorates. The remaining sound is solely the fundamental strike
frequency. Note the long sustain time for the fundamental, pictured
to the left of the photo.
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th overtones are present and contribute to the strike note
but attenuate quickly. They have little contribution to the lingering perceived
sound, aka sustain time or hang-time
In
contrast to the above example, the sound for a 2" chime cut at fundamental C6
(1046.5 Hz) and above is mostly the fundamental and the overtones are audibly
absent or mostly absent.
In addition to the many overtones that may be present for a chime, we have
the difficulty of knowing which overtones are prominent for each note, because
of the ear's sensitivity as represented by
The equal loudness curves. As you might suspect, the loudness of a
particular overtone changes as we move up the scale.
For a typical ear sensitivity range of 300 Hz to 3 KHz and above, see the data
audible
fundamental and overtones for wind chime notes as a simple example for the
range of audible overtones. Obviously this is not the entire audible range of
the ear, but is presented as a simple example of the limited ability of the ear
to hear all the frequencies generated by the overtone structure. In particular,
the range of C2 to C3 contain a large number of audible overtones while the
range of C5 to C7 contains very few.
The note range from C2 thru C4 produce the most melodious sounds, most
bell-like, and are easy to build.
Precise tuning is not required unless the set is for an
orchestra setting.
The Missing Fundamentalis when the brain uses "fuzzy logic" to processes the information
present in the overtones to calculate the missing fundamental
frequency. To gain a better understanding of the perceived note,
I examined a set of orchestra grade chimes manufactured by a
major UK manufacture.
The set was 1 1/2 inch chrome plated brass with a wall thickness
of .0625 inches and ranged 1½ octaves from C5 (523.30 Hz) to G6
(1568.00 Hz). The length of C5 was 62 5/8 inches. The
fundamental frequency for this length is around 65 Hz, about C2#
, yet the perceived note is C5 at 523 Hz. The fundamental strike
frequency of 65 Hz and the first overtone at 179.4 Hz (65 x 2.76
= 179.4 Hz) are audibly absent, aka the missing fundamental.
In fact, even the second overtone at 351 Hz
will not be strong in loudness. The remaining overtones (mechanical vibration
modes) combined to produce what the ear hears acoustically, which is C5 at 523
Hz, yet there is not a specific fundamental or overtone at that exact frequency.
I spoke with the people at a major USA chime
manufacture (symphony grade) and confirmed that indeed the process of tuning an
orchestra grade chime is a complex process and understandably a closely held
trade secret. The process involves accounting for all frequencies from the
fundamental (whether present or missing) through the many overtones, by the use
of math calculations, acoustic measurements, and the careful grinding of the
chime to achieve the correct length for the desired note.
An orchestra chime is not supported by the
classical wind chime method using a string through the chime at the first
frequency node 22.4%, but instead, is fitted with an end cap that contains a
small Menu hole through which a steel cable supports the chime.
From testing I find that the end cap not only
enhances the bell-like sound, by increasing the duration of the first overtone,
but it also lowers the fundamental frequency by about 4% to 12 % from calculated
values, depending on tube material and diameter.
More on this at
Chime tube mechanical support.
Many researchers have spent time investigating the missing
fundamental and the perceived note' from a chime. A few good sources
are:
Hyper Physics. Fuzzy logic and the subjective pitch by Dr. John
Askil (no longer available) and
Wikipedia.
For small diameter chimes under 3 "and using the above
characteristics for a chime, I found a limited set of notes that
will produce a bell-like sound from a tubular chime. Using the
musical scale as a reference, they fall into three categories as
follows:
The 1st chime category (most bell-like) has a note range from
about C2 to the C4 octave. The fundamental strike
frequency is present but audibly absent,
the missing fundamental, and there are a host of
well pronounced overtones. For chimes diameters above 3
" this condition changes as we move toward a larger
diameter and the fundamental begin to be audible.
Often the first overtone can also be inaudible. The
perceived sound is not the fundamental strike frequency
and not the overtones, but an imaginary note created by
the combination of the overtones. To the ear this is a
very melodious sound and clearly a bell-like sounding
chime. The larger physical size of this chime for this
note range causes the loudness to be quite adequate, and
easily supports radiation for the many overtones. Note
in the spectrum displays below, as we move up the
musical scale the overtone contribution becomes less and
less.
The 2nd chime category (almost bell-like) for
chimes under a 3" diameter has a note range from about C4 through to
about the C6 octave. The fundamental strike frequency is mostly audible and some
overtones contribute to the perceived sound. The perceived note is not the
fundamental strike frequency and not the overtones, but a combination of both
that produce a perceived musical note. The sound can be acceptable but may not
be the sound you are looking for. This has an almost bell-like sound and can
sound fairly good, but not particularly melodious. The loudness is acceptable
but not great.
The 3rd chime category
(non bell-like)
for chimes under a 3" diameter
has a note range from about C6 through the C8 octave. Not unlike
other percussion instruments this category is characterized by
an audible fundamental strike frequency (a noticeable pure tone)
with overtones mostly absent. Overtones have minimal
contribution to the perceived musical note. This note range may
not be particularly pleasing to the ear but should not be
ignored as a pure tone, and is definitely a non-bell sounding
chime. In addition, the loudness is typically low caused by the
short length of the chime causing a low radiating surface for
the higher notes. The rapid attenuation of high frequencies in
the environment causes this note range to quickly diminish at a
distance.
A special thanks to Eric Kragness for providing
the following guideline: For non-bell like chimes, the
longest chime in the set should generally have an L/D
(Length/Diameter) no greater than about 18. When the L/D
exceeds 18, the overtones may overshadow the
fundamental, and it may sound out of tune. For larger
diameter chimes (say over 3”) the limit may be less than
18. For such large diameter chimes consider doing a
listening test with the longest chime you would like to
include before committing to your final design.
For those Building Big, say diameters exceeding
about 4-5 inches, the missing fundamental is generally
no longer missing and is often included in the radiated
sound. This provides the designer more flexibility with
note selection. The L/D guideline is still in play and
may need to be reduced slightly.
If
you're new to cutting metal and looking for an easy method, I
use an abrasive metal cutting saw blade in a radial arm saw and
it works equally well with a cut-off saw, aka chop-saw.
The blade pictured left is
bout $6.00 from Amazon. Make certain to use a cutting disk
designed for the type of metal you plan to use. Using the wrong
type of abrasive disk can cause a dangerous explosion The
traditional tubing cutter or hacksaw works well also. Definitely
use safety glasses.
Safety
Caution: All
these tanks are highly regulated by the US Department of
Transportation (DOT), the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), by Transport Canada (TC) and others. Make certain the
tank is safe for handling, is completely empty (fill with water
and empty to assure all gases are exhausted), and is safe for
cutting. Wear all recommended safety equipment including eye
protection, hearing protection and respiratory protection. The
tanks are heavy and can be dangerous when handling, use extreme
caution.
Always try your local building
supply store. In addition to visiting the hardware section in these
stores investigate tubing used for closet hanging poles, shower
curtain poles, chain link fence rails and post. Yard or garage sales
can yield surprising results, look for a discarded metal swing set,
tubular shelving, etc. With permission look for discarded materials
on constructions sites. Try your local metal recycler; they can
yield very economical rod and tubing.
Online
sources:
Amazon, eBay and the like can surprise you at
times, offering small orders at good prices.
Speedy Metals accepts
orders for small quantities of tubes or rods. (Aluminum, Brass, Cast
Iron, Copper, Steel and Stainless)
Online Metals: 1 inch OD x 0.125 inch wall x 0.75 inch ID
Aluminum Round Tube 6063-T52-Extruded, 60 inches long about $20/each
Amazon, set of five (5 pcs) aluminum tubes, 1 inch diameter
x 60 inches long with a wall thickness of 0.024 inch for $24.
Amazon, 1¼ inch diameter x 72 inch long x .057 inch wall
thickness (1 pcs) bright dipped aluminum, about $31/each
Titanium Joe
(Tubing) Titanium is a silver color, low density and high
strength metal that is highly resistant to corrosion in sea water, aqua regia and
chlorine.
You can use either grade 2 being pure titanium, which is softer and
less popular, or grade 9 (3AL-2.5V), which is the more popular high strength.
The grade 9 numbers represent the percentage of Aluminum and
Vanadium.
The DIY Calculators work equally well for both grades.
Widener
Metals is a small metals distributor supplying pipe, tubing and
other misc. materials. Stocking stainless, aluminum and carbon steel
from 1/8 inch diameter up thru 12 inch diameter with various wall thickness'
from very light to very heavy. No minimum orders, offering material
custom cut to length at no additional charge.
267-583-3772 or info@widenermetals.com
Tanks bells can be crafted from out-of-service
compressed gas/air tanks, scuba diving tanks or fire extinguishers.
A most likely source can be your local testing facility for each
type of tank. Ask your local fire department, welding shop and scuba
diving shop for their recommendation for a testing company. You may
be required to provide a letter to the testing company stating that
you will cut the tank in pieces and render it unable to hold
compressed air or gas.
Hoops & Rings
Try hobby stores for rings or
hoops often used for dream catchers, mandelas or macramé. Some are
chrome plated steel and others may require paint. Support rings can
be cut from an out of service aluminum fire extinguisher using an
abrasive metal cutting saw blade in a radial arm saw, a chop saw or
a table saw as described in step 3 above.
Eyelets-Grommets
Small eyelets can often be
located at your local hobby store in the sewing department,
Joann Fabrics or
a shoe repair store. You can also use the outer shell of a 1/8-inch
or 3/16-inch aluminum pop rivet. Remove the nail-like center and use
the rivet. Heat shrink tubing can be found online at Amazon.
Metallic
Support Line
Thin braided wire or 1/32 to
1/16-inch stainless steel cable, or decorative chain that is
zinc plated, brass plated, or painted can be located in hardware and
home improvement stores. Try a hobby store for small aircraft
control line cable.
Non Metallic
Support Line
Make sure the line is UV
resistant. Choices include fishing line (both 80 pound (35 Kg) braided or 30-50
pound (12-22 Kg)
monofilament), braided nylon line, braided plumb line, braided
Dacron kite line, light weight string trimmer weed eater
line (.065 inch), and braided electrical conduit pull
line.
Striker Material
A hockey puck, redwood, red cedar, red oak, treated lumber or a 1/4 inch nylon
cutting board work well for large diameter chimes. Smaller diameter,
higher frequency chimes benefit from a harder wood such as white
oak, teak or Osage-orange (aka hedge-apple). Be sure to coat the
striker with a UV resistant coating.
I want deep bass chimes that are resonate.
This is the most often
asked question.
I saw somewhere on the site a casual comment about a chime not
hitting C2. Did I misunderstand? I want to buy some 2 inch EMT
and tune them in a Hirajoshi scale at C2 E F# G and B. But,
that's $75 worth of EMT I'll be hacking up. Do you think it will
work? I just want a really deep bass set of chimes and I am
hoping 2 inch EMT of 66 to 9 inches (using your EMT table) will
get me something deep and resonant. Any advice?
Answer:
An excellent question and you
read correctly. The chime will produce the C2 note at 65.4 Hz, no problem, but
the ear will not hear it? To hear 65.4 Hz we need to move a lot of air, thus the
need for woofers used in sound systems. If you place your ear about an inch from
the long tube "Surprise" you hear the 65.4 Hz, it’s actually there. But, back up
two feet and you won’t hear it.
What you actually hear is a chime
note missing both the fundamental (65.4 Hz) and the
first overtone (180 Hz). You hear the remaining
overtones.
So what to do? You can still make the long tubes cut for the
C2 octave. The larger size will enhance the overtones (second overtone, 353 Hz
and up) and you will hear lower notes than without using long tubes, but it will
not be the actual C2 note. If you happen to have a small public address
amplifier and microphone, place the microphone about an inch from the tube.
Again C2 is actually there, but it needs amplification to be audible.
02. Question:
We don't often have a lot of wind
here so a design that doesn't need a lot of wind is important. Somebody gave
me a cheap little metal commercial set and it basically never made any sound
because there is rarely a stiff breeze. What are your thoughts about this?
Answer: The force from the wind is cube
law, meaning a doubling of wind speed produces nine times more force acting on
the chime. So little changes in the design can have a big effect on the sound.
The best wind sail is one that works with your wind. If you live inland in a
sheltered area with low winds you want a light weight sail (probably thin
aluminum sheet and large enough to adequately capture small winds, maybe 6-10
inches in diameter). If you live lakeside or by the sea shore with strong
gusty winds then a heavier and smaller diameter sail is best (use ¼ to ½
inch treated lumber, engineered lumber or a plastic/nylon cutting board).
^Back to FAQs^
The best approach is experimentation. Every special design I’ve done for
myself or artist has never been a standard design. As such, I may need to build
several prototypes where we change the spacing between the striker and the
chime, the size and the weight of the wind sail. At first look, chimes seems
incredibly simple, but the trick is implementation.
03. Question:
Chimes for extremely high winds:
When I say extreme, I mean regularly 150 km/hr (92 MPH) and occasionally up to
225 km/hr (140 MPH).
My solution is two fold; first, place the chime set on the opposite side
building from where the high winds originate. However, on that side we still get
60 MPH winds several times a year. Secondly, use very heavy pipe. I found some
rusty 2 inch pipe with 1/8 inch walls and cut a set for C4. Unfortunately, it
wasn't long enough for a C3, which I wanted. Problem: It's so heavy that it's
tough to get much volume out of it, but it will resonates for ever. Do
I want a hard strike with a hockey puck? I also want to add in a 'star' type of
thing to add some light tones and to contain the striker inside the chimes.
Answer: Yes, with a heavy pipe you need a
robust strike as you suggest. If a hockey puck is inadequate, try a scrap piece
of treated lumber. If that is inadequate try hard maple or oak. Also, the size
of the wind sail is important here. Try different sizes until you achieve the
sound you want.
A star striker should work well in those high winds to assist in keeping
everything aligned, but in extreme winds they will probably escape the star. You
may need to thread a 50# fishing line or weed trimmer line around the outside
tips of the star to keep the tubes from escaping and getting mixed up. Drill a
small horizontal hole at the tips for the monofilament line. See picture to the
right.
04. Question: I wanted to make a rod based wind chime twice as big as the pre-calculated
numbers, could I multiply the pre-calculated numbers by two (to get double
the length) and still have the same tones as the pre-calculated numbers
describe, only a bit deeper?
Answer: No, but you're almost there. The
relationship is not linear so multiplication will not work, but there is an easy
way to do this.
Use the Ratio Calculator. Say for example, you have a one inch steel rod and
you want to go lower than the calculator will allow, i.e. below 32.7 Hz.
Using the calculator enter the type of metal and the rod
outside diameter OD, one inch steel.
From there you will notice the lowest is 32.7 Hz with a length of 74 3/16
inches.
Use
the next tab at the bottom of the page named "Tubing or Rod Length Ratio
Calculator." See chart to the right.
Enter what you know, i.e. 74 3/16 inches or 74.19 and the
frequency 32.7 Hz.
Then enter the desired frequency (half of the original) 16.35 Hz.
The result will be a length of 104 15/16 inches long with a hang point of 23 ½
inches.
Repeat this procedure for each note you wish to lower. The
same goes for chimes.
05.
Question:
What is the best line to re-string a chime set? I have about 20 chimes that
use a cheap support cord and the line breaks after a few years. I need to
re-string them and don’t want to have to keep doing that. I need something more
sturdy.
Answer: My all-time favorite to withstand the weather elements is
light weight chain. You can use aluminum, brass, stainless steel, or zinc
plated steel chain often found in hobby stores and occasional at the local home
improvement stores. Depending on the weight of the chime tube (light weight
only) my second choice is 80 pound braided fishing line. Make sure to de-burr
the support holes smooth. A sources for chain is:
FRANK R. FERRIS CO., INC.
06. Question:Should I begin at C3 or C5?
I
was fortunate in coming across a 20’ section of 1.625OD x 1.375ID aluminum pipe.
According to your spreadsheet calculations I’ve got just enough to make the C-9
chord starting with C3. In reading your info I see that some of the lower
frequencies may not be heard more than a few inches away. Given the size of this
pipe do you think we’ll be able to hear C3 or might we be better off making two
shorter sets starting with C5? The thought of the longer pipe set seems really
neat!
Answer: As long as you have enough to begin
at C3, by all means start there. You won’t hear much of C3 but the other notes
will be much more melodious and bell like. I often start there or C2, depending
on the physical limitations for mounting and the intended application.
07.
Question:Chakra healing chimes:
I am using 3 inch OD by 1/4 inch wall aluminum tubing. I found a supply at the
local scrap yard but don't know its alloy. Upon hanging an 8 ft. length from my
workshop ceiling and striking it with various beaters I was amazed at its tone
and strength of vibration. Could you help me determine the lengths required to
build a set of Chakra healing / vibration chimes consisting of 7 chimes? There
are 7 notes / frequencies I wish to reproduce corresponding to the individual
Chakra 's frequency; 396 Hz, 417 Hz, 528 Hz, 639 Hz, 741 Hz, 852 Hz, 936 Hz and
an eight option is 432 Hz. Answer: Sure, just us the regular calculator
for A=440 Hz, enter the OD, ID and type of metal then find the chakra
frequencies in the frequency column. If the calculator does not have your
specific frequency, go to the bottom left hand side of the calculator and use
the generic "Calculate Length or Frequency" calculator. Enter what you know in
the blue font box Frequency or Length. Here you can enter a frequency and find
the length and hang point, or enter a length and find its frequency and hang
point. See picture below.
08. Question:Can I use nickel-silver tubing?
Is there a way to calculate the hang points based on your tables? ID on one tube
is 0.5 inch, the other 2 are 5/8 inch. My son, in the marching band, believes
his trombone is a weapon of mass destruction. After 3 rebuilds, I have tubing
from the leftover parts that I wish to turn into a wind chime. I asked the
mechanic about the composition of the tubing (brass or ?) and he said it was
nickel-silver. Sure enough, it has a pleasant high-pitched ring despite the long
(30 inch) length. However, the hang points don't seem to correspond to the brass
or aluminum columns in your table.
Answer:
Only two issues effect the sound from one metal to another, density and
elasticity. The density of nickel-silver is 0.31 Lbm / in3 and the
elasticity is 18,500,000 psi. You can see from the chart at the right,
nickel-sliver is very close to copper. I would suggest using the copper charts
for the pre-calculated measurements or use copper in the DIY calculator. The
most important measurement is to hang the chime at the 22.4% point.
On the data page you can enter the actual density and
elasticity to produce an exact calculation.
09. Question:Can I mix sizes and metals?
Answer: Yes you can mix sizes within
a given metal and you can mix metals. Make sure you use the
correct chart settings for each size, wall thickness and type of
metal. Best to experiment with different metals because some
combinations sound wonderful and other not so good.
10. Question:
Wondering why these tubes sound better
when the striker is placed an inch below center on
the shortest tube with the Menus all the same height? When the striker is placed
an inch below the center of the longest the short tube has little to no sound? Answer: We want to avoid exact dead
center or near dead center for any chime and when they are center aligned that
is an easy task. But when they are Menu or bottom aligned the striker can
inadvertently come close to dead center for one of the chimes. Because chime
length is not a linear relationship as we move up and down the musical scale,
exact placement of the striker for every chime set is slightly different. You
did the right thing by experimenting to find the best sound. On most every set,
I often adjust the striker higher or lower to achieve the best sound from every
chime.
11.
Question:
I am working on a Mark Tree chime set (bar chimes, used by percussionists
and drummers, pictured right). I checked on the commercial ones and they all use
the same hang point on the bars. It may be because it is cheaper and quicker to
make them this way and they look good, but will not sound as good as the 22.4%
hanging point method? I'd like to hear your opinion about this Menuic!
Answer: A bar or chime can be supported at
any point along its length and will ring when struck, but not well. Good sustain
time and rich contribution from the overtones, that produce the bell-like sound,
can only occur when supported at the 22.4% location. All bars in the set
pictured here will sound distinctly different from each other, but will not
yield the bell-like sound because of improper mounting.
As a footnote, my neighbor (a very practical engineer) built
a xylophone and did some experimenting with support points for the bars. He did
not know bout the 22.4% rule. His choice was 22% from each end because that
location provided the best sustain time and the best sound. I completely agree
with his findings (22.4%).
12. Question:Is there a length where a tube of a given size will not resonant as intended?
Specifically, I cut a tube of 1.5 inch thinwall steel conduit to 1002mm, and it
sounds higher in pitch than an adjacent 730 mm tube, which should sound higher.
I just can't wrap my head around this.
Answer: You discovered part of the missing
fundamental phenomena. The chime tube appears not to resonant at the
design frequency but it does resonate. The 1002mm length has a fundamental
resonance of about 193 Hz and that frequency is difficult to hear because of the
low sensitivity of the ear at the lower frequencies (mostly below 300 Hz).
Therefore, you will hear the second overtone better which is 193 Hz x 2.76 = 523
Hz. The fundamental for the 730mm chime is about 384 Hz which is getting more
into the sensitive range of the ear and you are much more likely to hear it's
fundamental as compared to the fundamental for the 1002mm chime. Thus the longer
tube will sound higher pitched than the shorter tube which is definitely counter
intuitive.
13. Question:
Does a coating (powder coat, anodize or paint) affect the tone quality, tuning,
or note sustain of the pipe? Some chimes are anodized or appear to have a clear coat type finish for
weather resistance for aesthetics I assume.
Answer: In general, the answer is no bad
effect occurs . However, if you were to apply a thick latex paint type coating,
the extra mass would have a noticeable effect, perhaps to the point of killing
resonance. However, a thin powder coat or anodizing will have no affect on the
design frequency or sustain time
14. Question:Can I use anodized aluminum and is it expensive?
I recently came across your website as I researched the idea of building a set
of wind chimes for my wife for our anniversary. I spent several hours reading
your website and have found more than enough step by step info on how to do what
I want to do. You absolutely answered every question I had and several more. Answer: There is no difference in the sound
created using either power coated or anodized metal. The only slight exception
is if there is a heavy clear coat over the power coat. A light coat is okay. A
heavy coat slightly reduces the sustain time, but not much.
Cost wise I don’t have much experience here. I have seen very
reasonably priced anodized aluminum on the internet, nearly the cost of
un-anodized. If you’re buying tubing already power coated, as opposed to having
it done in a custom shop, I would not expect it to be expensive.
15. Question:Do you have a Phone App to calculate chime lengths?
Answer: I do not but site visitor Andrew Hughes
uses the formulas from this website has an
Android Version in the Google Play store.
16. Question:The hang point is usually close but far from exact on chimes I have
measured.
Should you drill the hang point hole at the center of the calculated measurement
or is the hang point where the string actually contacts the tube (upper edge of
the hole)?
Answer: The location for small holes, 1/8
inch or less, can be exactly on the mark. However, holes larger than 1/8 inch
(particularly ¼ inch and larger) should be positioned, as you suggest, so the
upper edge of the hole is where the support line touches the chime.
17. Question:Does the hole size that you drill for the hang point matter?
Answer:
Yes, if the hole is large, relative to the diameter of the tube, it can
affect the design frequency, but a small hole has no effect. I personally use
1/8 inch for many of the chimes .If you need a hole larger than 1/8 inch,
position it so upper edge of the hole is on the hang point mark.
18. Question:Chimes not Chiming! I recently bought two, not cheap, wind chimes – and they do not chime in the
absence of hurricane gale winds! Is there anything we can do to get them to
catch any breeze that happens by? Would the CD section in your article be all he
needs? I have spent a long time on the internet looking for some quick fix but
can’t find anything. The power company recently cut down all the shrubs we have
been carefully tending for years and now we have dreadful road noise. The chimes
are an optimistic detraction to that new situation.
Answer:
Yes, there are several options. You describe a common
condition where the sail is either too small or too heavy to supply a good jerk
to the striker. Without seeing the set of chimes directly, I suggest you replace
the wind sail with something larger and lighter weight. As a test, I use an old
CD for a temporary sail, just to make the point that it needs to be light weight
and fairly large in size. Often an old CD is not large enough. You can use
anything that pleases your eye that meets the size and light weight requirements
from your testing.
Also, don't overlook the diameter of the striker. When the
distance between the striker and the chime considerably exceeds one inch
19. Question:Where do I get mounting pins, what size is recommended and how are they held
in position?
Answer:
I typically use 1/8 inch brass rod that can be found at my local hobby store
(where a person can buy model airplane parts, model trains, model cars and the
like ) and occasionally at home improvement stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s,
Menards, etc.
If you insert an 1/8 inch rod or tube into a 1/8 inch hole, it can be loose. Use
a ball-peen hammer to slightly flatten each end of the pin for a force fit or
use a spot of glue. With copper chimes, the pin can be soldered. Then, file off
the excess, leaving little to no evidence of the pin.
21. Question: Is it
possible to support a chime in a way that it is fixed, for
example with a nail, without losing its tune?
Also is it possible to support it so I won't need to drill a
hole? I would like to build a music box that uses a chime tube.
Answer: Yes, the chime can be mounted for a fixed support using a
number of methods. Any method should locate the support at 22.4% from both ends.
The noninvasive method uses the traditional one wrap string
method for supporting an orchestra grade chime or bar, as shown right, courtesy
of Woodstock Chimes. Locate the chime above or below the line, either method
works equally well.
An invasive and more rugged mount can be from a stud on one
or both sides of the mounting location as shown left. A locking nut on the
outside of the chime will secure the stud in place and allow attachment to the
supporting structure, as often found in playground chimes. I would avoid
inserting a bolt through the chime tube, because tightening nuts on both sides
can stress the tube causing it not to resonate or reduce the sustain time.
22. Question:How do I attach the support line to the support pin when the pin is down in
the tube?
I plan to make a chime set using 2 inch steel electrical conduit. The largest
chime would have a hang point of 9 5/8 inches from the Menu. How do I get the
line around the pin when it is 9 5/8 inches from the Menu?
Answer:
Hold the tube horizontal with the support pin also horizontal. Tilt the tube
to be mostly vertical, but not quite. Feed the line down the tube on the bottom
side, passing one side of the pin and out the other end. You may need to attach
a small weight to the end of the line, like a pinch-on fishing line sinker, to
provide sufficient weight so the line will feed all the way through. You can
also blow on the tube or use compressed air to force the line out the other end.
Next, rotate the tube 180 degrees and starting from the other
end, feed the line back down the tube, passing the opposite side of the pin.
Pull both ends of the line up to the pin from the Menu end, and tie a slip knot.
Pull the knot taught around the pin as shown to the right. You may need to
adjust the line to be in the center of the pin using a coat hanger wire or other
handy utensil.
It may be difficult to see inside a dark tube. Place a white
paper on the floor and hold the tube above the paper as you peer into the tube.
This generally allows enough light in to see the location for the line centered
on the pin.
23. Question:
I want to use a tapered striker for (6) 2 inch chimes,
and the calculated striker size is 3.25 inch radius, would that be the Menu or
the bottom diameter?
Answer:
That should be the largest diameter, i.e. bottom diameter if
tapered or center diameter if bullet nose.
24. Question:Best striker shape and weight for a chime set.
My son gave me 3 stainless tubes. They have a diameter of 6 inches and between
5-6 feet long. In a way, my chimes will be similar to the ones on your site from
Craig Hewison, except he has 5 chimes where I have 3. This means the spacing for
my chimes will be greater. My plan is to line up the bottoms of the chimes. My
thought is to use a circular wooden disk of either the tapered edge or knife
edge or straight edge design. I would say my home area has light to moderate
winds, for the most part. Do you have comments on these 3 designs?
Answer:
My preference is a bullet nose edge for large tubes. Heavy chimes need a
robust strike and a rounded edge striker last longer, and can be simple to
fabricate. Regarding the weight, I would start with a 1.5 inch thick section of
treated lumber, not any thicker, ¾ inch could work.
There is a close relationship between a striker’s weight and
the ability of the sail to adequately jerk the striker. Because of that
relationship, I cannot suggest an exact weight but I do suggest experimentation.
I often find myself making two or three strikers before I am satisfied with the
overall performance from both the striker and the sail. You could take a scrap
of wood and approximate the size and weight of your wind sail and hang it where
you intend to place the chimes. Then watch it for a few days to judge its
movement.
Using three tubes, I would not suggest the orthogonal sail. Once that sail
get to swinging, it can depart a lot of energy and I am concerned that would
cause the striker to escape to the outside of the set, not all bad, but it
can be a nuisance. I often need to experiment with two or three strikers and
sails to achieve the desired sound. The good news is the sail can be larger
than normal because a large sail doesn’t look so big next to large chimes.
25. Question:Does the diameter of the support pin affect the chime sound? I am using 2
inch tubing and the brass support rod I am considering is 1/4 inch in diameter,
so quite substantial. Trying to use what I have during virus lockdown.
Answer: A 2 inch (55mm) tube with a 1/4 inch support rod should be
fine. I would not recommend it for a smaller tube like 1 inch OD. Normally
I have not used that larger size and prefer 1/8 inch or slightly less. Just make
sure it's snug and cannot rattle or work loose.
26. Question:I saw chimes on a tropical island made from sticks of coral.
(worn staghorn coral on the beach, which was there by the millions of
tons due to hurricanes.) So I brought back a bunch of sticks of coral. But
trying to get maximum wind chime effect is hard, especially on the first try.
The coral is much heavier than metal, but it does have a sort of ceramic
waterford ring to it. I cannot find any specific plans, but I was leaning
towards orienting many of the pieces horizontally for maximum instability and
strikes. I also wanted to stay with natural materials and make the Menu support
out of maybe two longer pieces of coral in an X configuration.
Answer:
My first attempt would be to carefully measure down from each
end 22.4% (.224) and tie a monofilament fishing line or perhaps a braided
fishing line at those points for support, then test their sound by carefully
striking the coral with the sole of a hard rubber shoe. I have no experience
with coral chimes but they should follow the basic laws of physics. They will
probably need a robust striker because of their small size, depending on how
easily they break. Also try a striker with more rigidity, like a plastic plate.
27. Question:I use your calculator for calculations but what I don’t understand is when I
use smaller diameter pipes the suggested length is also shorter.
Shouldn’t smaller pipes produce a higher pitch?
Below is an example: the first is with diameter 80mm. Here it suggested the
lowest pipe is 974.7mm.
When I change the diameter to 40mm, I only need a pipe of 684.2 mm for the C5
note.
In my opinion, the pitch should be going up when I use smaller pipes, but that
doesn’t correspond to your chart. Can you help me to understand the suggested
lengths?
Answer: welcome to the complicated world of circular resonance.
This is best explained with some info from the website under the section for
proportional dimensions. Increasing the chime diameter increases the radiating
surface area and contributes to a louder chime but at a cost. The increased
diameter greatly increases the length requirement for a specific note, which is
not necessarily bad; it just makes the chime set longer as the chime diameter is
increased. See the graph below for musical note C4.
In your case, decreasing the diameter considerably shortens the length for a
given note.
So, your observations are perfectly normal.
28. Question:
Is there a way to quiet the (waw -wau) effect that frequently follows the
intended sound? I’ve made a wind chime using 1.250 metal conduit and that
sound can be annoying.
Answer:
That sound is caused by imperfections in manufacturing causing a change of
stiffness and density from one end to the other. Mostly caused by handling and
processing of the tube. I don’t know of any way to eliminate it. Yes, it can be
annoying.
29. Question:
I am using the sanded copper look, and I’m going to buy some polyurethane spray
to coat them.
Do I want water-based or oil-based? I’m going to use the same spray on
the wooden parts. amber. Other than that, I don't have a preference. Answer:
The big difference is color. Oil based
is amber color and water based is clear and remains clear forever. Oil will
continue to turn
30. Question:
I’m having a little trouble figuring out what kind of material I’m going to use
for my sail.
Any info would be appreciated. Answer: I prefer thin
aluminum sheet for sails in low winds. It's light weight and can depart a quick
impact to the chime compared to heavier material like wood or plastic. It more
depends on wind conditions. Strong winds you want a heavier striker. Aluminum
works best in light winds.
31. Question:
I have a large 6-chime set with a round
striker.
as wondering if you have a recommendation to keep the striker in
During high winds the striker sometimes gets outside the
chimes or wrapped around one of them.
One of your FAQs suggested a star shaped striker with fish line connecting each
tip to keep chimes in place. Do you think such a method could be used for a
round striker? Answer:
Yes, there are two answers.
First, drill a small hole at the tips of the star striker and thread small
monofilament fishing line around the circle. That will contain each chime in the
star.
Secondly
drill a tiny hole through each chime at the
same horizontal location from the bottom and thread a monofilament plastic line
through each chime all around all the chimes. See attached picture. You may have
to experiment with various lines to find one that works. Maybe a small weed
trimmer line. As you do this, tie a knot on the outside of each chime to
prevent the chime from slipping along the line. This will
keep the chimes evenly spaced and from separating in high winds, preventing
escapement of the striker.
32. Question:I am building a large tube wind chime and noticed you mention two locations
to support the tubes. The 22.4% location and the Menu End Cap. Will it create
any problems to weld a washer on the end of the tube, and insert a cord through
the center, as a make shift end cap?
Answer: That should work okay but I would first
experiment. I would suggest you cut the first tube little long and weld on the
washer. Then test it to make sure the sustained time is adequate. The one thing
that gets fussy is that the weld needs to be very uniform around the
circumference. If not, it will completely kill the chime. I have had good
success with this technique using solder so welding should be just fine. If your
test is not successful, then you can trim off the world and use the traditional
approach.
33. Question:I came into possession of a broken 20 foot long aluminum tapered flag pole.
The O. D. is 3 inches at the bottom and 2 inches at the Menu. I presume this
would still work but I may have to sneak up on the final lengths of the pieces
by sound. Do you foresee any specific problems with setup?
Answer:
Sure, I would expect it to work fine. The calculator will probably not be
accurate but might be close.
34. Question:I’m getting ready to try aluminum pipe and
our distributor is quoting me Schedule 40 for 1, 1.25, and 1.5
inch pipe.
The tone calculator is by gauge. How do I convert Schedule to
Gauge? Answer:
Those answers can be found on this website:
www.atc-mechanical.com/tube-pipe-101/tube-pipe-size-overview/
35.
Question:
I noticed a high end set of chimes have slightly chamfered ends revealing a nice
circle of shiny metal. Have you ever seen how this is accomplished?
It is so perfectly done that I don't think a hand file is used. I'm picturing
some sort of a jig, holding the tube at an angle, with the end making light
contact with a rotating sanding disk or file of some sort? Answer:
Yes, there are numerous ways to chamfer the ends. Many do it in a metal lathe.
As you suggest I have laid a clean towel on the worktable and by hand, roll the
chime back and forth as you file or use an orbital sander to produce the bevel.
I typically begin with a sander to remove most of the material and finish with a
file to produce a perfect looking chamfer.
36.
Question:
Square vs. Round Tubing.
I have square tubing left over from a greenhouse project. Can I use it to make
chimes and will the calculator work for square tubing?
Answer:
The calculator will NOT work for square tubing but the overall ratios will
probably be similar, For example, say you're using the C9 scale or the
pentatonic scale, calculate the length as if it were round tubing and the ratio
from one note to the other should closely track as if it were round tubing.
Caution, not all square tubing will resonate. Cut your first tube, drill the
support holes at the 22.4% location and hang the tube. Using the sole of a hard
rubber shoe strike the chime and determine if you like the sound.
37. Question:
Can we use
bamboo with the calculator? Answer:
No, the calculator will not work for bamboo. It only works for
round tubing open at both ends. I have never located a formula
for bamboo. You can experiment and probably find notes that
sound good and would work well in a set.
38.
Question:
How many chimes in a chime set?
My wife and I will be celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary and I thought a
copper wind chime would be a great way to continue our tradition. Every year, we
exchange "traditional anniversary gifts" and year seven is copper. I was hoping
to incorporate the number 7 somewhere in the project, which led me to wonder if
there are any chime configurations that require 7 tubes. I didn't see one in the
musical note selection section of your website but I did see St. Michael's,
which as you know requires 8. Could I simply subtract one from this array and if
so, which one do I choose?
Answer: You can add or subtract from
any sequence. If you want more than the sequence count, just repeat the
sequence by moving up or down an octave on the music scale until you achieve
your desired count.
This concept of sequences and naming chime sets like Corinthian Bells,
Winchester or Pentatonic is a marketing exercise to sell more chime sets. They
never play in sequence and the listener will likely never identify what the
random sounds really represent. They're just jumbled up notes. Selling chime
sets with famous names is advertising on steroids. For example, the happy
birthday chime set will sound like happy birthday when played in sequence but
otherwise it's a random collection of notes.
39. Question:
Do you license your patterns and information on the website for commercial use?
Answer: No, the information is presented as open source so
you are free to use it for business. I do accept donations to help pay for the
website. Several people around the world have successfully created a small wind
chime business from this information.
40. Question:
Gas cylinder chimes:I recently acquired about a dozen gas cylinders - all steel, ranging from
about 5 to 10 inches in diameter, and I want to construct a set
of bells using them. - Should the tapered Menu be left attached,
with a threaded hole for fixing an eyebolt, or should the
cylinder be cut into a true cylinder with drilled holes and a
cable suspension? I have seen many cylinder bells that ring
pretty well, but I suspect the closed Menu is dampening the
sound. I was thinking of a cross rod at the proper suspension
point. How do I calculate lengths and hanging points for a
pleasing chord? Answer: I recommend leaving the
tapered Menu on the tank. I have tried it both ways, with and
without, and the tapered Menu does not reduce sustained time and
makes mounting much easier using an eye bolt, as you suggested.
Tank chimes have turned out to be one of my enigmas. I tried my
best to find a mathematical solution to predicting resonance but
failed.
About
me: I am a retired electronics engineer with
a passion for investigating technical
issues, occasionally surrounded with mystery
and often bridging several fields of
technology. In 2001, when building
chime-sets for my daughters as Christmas
presents, I asked what makes a chime a good
chime. Little did I know that question would
develop into this website. I do not consider myself an expert by any
definition, but these findings can be valued for
the understanding of tubular bell chimes. My
experience with this project has evolved
over time and is presented to help you
design and build a great set of tubular bell
wind chimes.
Email
2A
Select Your Musical Notes 
A 45° angle-cut on the tube end is aesthetically pleasing but changes the tuning significantly (short tubes shift more than long ones — as much as 10% on a 20" tube, as little as 2% on a 35–40"+ tube). If you want an angled end and accurate tuning, cut long and trim to the correct final pitch.
DIY Happy Birthday - Chime Set 1.5 Meg, PDF, Surprise that special person or occasion with a song played on a set of chimes you've built. For about $30, materials are available from your local home improvement store. Keep the chime set for the next occasion or convert them into a set of hanging wind chimes. See the YouTube example here by Keith Fields
If
you have just a few measurements to make, a quick and
easy support suggestion is a
string with slipknot positioned at the 22.4% node,
pictured above with the iPad.
Audacity® LapMenu freeware, open source,
cross-platform software for recording and editing
sounds. Good for fundamental and overtone frequency
measurements.
Online manual for Audacity
Tune Lab Pro version 4 LapMenu freeware good for
fundamental and overtone frequency measurements. At a
cost, available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch,
Windows lapMenus, Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, Smartphones,
and the Android
Cutting tip: An abrasive metal-cutting blade (About $6- on Amazon) in a radial arm saw or chop saw works well and is inexpensive A standard tubing cutter or hacksaw also works.
Step
4: Debur the holes before threading the
support line.
If you
own a deburring tool it will smooth the inside and
outside of the hole with one tool.
Avoid
supporting near the tube ends with horizontal holes
(common on commercial chimes) — this reduces
the sustain time and produces a "strike-only" sound
without the rich bell-like ring. 
Playground
Chimes Support:
Pictured left is a set of playground chimes for a
full octave (CDEFGABC) from anodized aluminum that
was displayed on the website
External Works.
Always include appropriate safety procedures when
handling chemicals, cutting or drilling metal, and
working with sharp tools.
The
chime tube can be stained, dyed, anodized or spray painted. A
light weight coating of spray lacquer, spray polyurethane, spray
paint, powder coat or a crackle/hammered/textured finish
(pictured left) can be used without a noticeable reduction in
the sustain time. However, avoid thick heavy coats of latex as
they seriously reduce the sustain time and can kill the
resonance.
Use
the next tab at the bottom of the page named "Tubing or Rod Length Ratio
Calculator." See chart to the right.
Answer:
Hold the tube horizontal with the support pin also horizontal. Tilt the tube
to be mostly vertical, but not quite. Feed the line down the tube on the bottom
side, passing one side of the pin and out the other end. You may need to attach
a small weight to the end of the line, like a pinch-on fishing line sinker, to
provide sufficient weight so the line will feed all the way through. You can
also blow on the tube or use compressed air to force the line out the other end.
Answer:
My preference is a bullet nose edge for large tubes. Heavy chimes need a
robust strike and a rounded edge striker last longer, and can be simple to
fabricate. Regarding the weight, I would start with a 1.5 inch thick section of
treated lumber, not any thicker, ¾ inch could work. 
Secondly
drill a tiny hole through each chime at the
same horizontal location from the bottom and thread a monofilament plastic line
through each chime all around all the chimes. See attached picture. You may have
to experiment with various lines to find one that works. Maybe a small weed
trimmer line. As you do this, tie a knot on the outside of each chime to
prevent the chime from slipping along the line. This will
keep the chimes evenly spaced and from separating in high winds, preventing
escapement of the striker.
