• March 2025 Turning Challenge: Identical Bowls or Plates! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Joseph Bernard for "Working Spider" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 3 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Wind Chimes

Darryn Achall

Darryn Achall

Joined
Jan 24, 2022
Messages
302
Likes
399
Location
Bainbridge Island, WA
We have an art show coming up soon that is a fun one. Local writers have been busy writing poetry for us to be inspired by. Anyone inspired by a poem can make a physical object that represents the wording. The object will be displayed at a gallery show along with a framed copy of the poem. I chose to make wind chimes to go along with a poem about the wind waking you up at night. Started out by finding these aluminum pipes from a long defunct wind chime. I put them on the lathe, cleaned them up using scotch brite pads and polished them with metal polish. Next step will be to turn a wooden top piece and hang the tubes on it for prototyping. It's good to be back in the shop now that my elbow is feeling mostly better.
IMG_0574.jpg IMG_0575.jpg IMG_0576.jpg
 
Last edited:
Turned a disk of the approximate size and shape I intended to use. Mocked up the tubes with different types of hooks and string. So far, I've settled on 4mm stainless steel eye hooks. They should weather well, and they won't catch your eye too much. The best string I have on hand is 30# braided fishing line. The piece will eventually be hung out on a patio in the weather. What kind of wood would you use for the disk pieces? How would you finish it? If any of you have suggestions or experience in this type of project, please "chime" in!
mockup.JPG eyehooks.JPG
 
Last edited:
Kent Reisdorph said:
Has anyone tried making the chimes out of wood? It probably would take a specific wood to get them to ring.
Click to expand...
If you look up wind chime design, there is a lot of math involved. The length, diameter, and mass of the material is all a consideration in order to get pleasing notes. I have seen them made from bamboo. May take some experimenting but other woods should work with some effort. I might try making some chime tubes from sunflower stalks next fall when we have large ones available.
 
Last edited:
Kent Reisdorph said:
Has anyone tried making the chimes out of wood? It probably would take a specific wood to get them to ring.
Click to expand...
I travel to South East Asia quite often and bamboo wind chimes are quite common there. Generally in the lower range with lower sound volume, but the work OK. They popular here in Australia so much so our local hardware stocks a range.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top