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Wooden chimes – marimba

| Posted in Construction Techniques on July 5, 2005 02:33am

Anybody have some guidelines as to making a wooden marimba for kids?  I have seen some that are a length of 1×6 with slots cut into it to make different length “fingers”, and when tapped/smacked with a wood mallet they makes musical tones.  The only thing I rfemember is that a dense wood is needed (not pine), and I have some scraps of 5″ brazilian cherry flooring which should be dense enough.

I’m going to post this over at Knots  to see if those weenies have any ideas, but I thought I would ask the macho crowd too.

 

I’m sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Sphere | Jul 05, 2005 02:48pm | #1

    Ed, I have made many "slit drums" or tongue drums.

    Basically a shoe box sized well glued box with a top thathas tongues jigsawn into it..they vary in length by multiples of an inch and a half or so..at the base of the tonges drill 3/8ths holes for tuning ..real hard to describe, but a cinch to whip up in a morning.

    I'll see if i can't find the article I started with..this was back in the 80's I think. Have not made any in the last few yrs.

    Tuning is to 5ths...a superball glued to a dowel is a good bonker..oh,ya also need a sound hole in a long side, and a flexible 1/8th inch bottom in a tite groove..like a diaphram.

    Hard woods are BRIGHT sounding softer woods more for a bass sound.

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    Iffin ya cain't spell it, don't eat it

    1. FastEddie1 | Jul 05, 2005 04:41pm | #2

      I suspecte4d that you would have an answer.

      If it wasn't a closed box, but just the top with dowel legs at each corner ... wouldn't it just not have the hollow sound?  A xylophone has an open bottom and sides ...

      Tuned to 5ths ... I have no idea what that means.  Multiples of an inch and a half is easy to follow.  Roughly how wide are the fingers, and how short is the smallest one?  And how do you tune with the relief hole at the base of the fingers?

      This is for a third grade teacher who just wants her kiddies to have fun makjing noise ... as if they aren't noisy enough already.

       I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

      1. User avater
        Sphere | Jul 05, 2005 05:15pm | #3

        Ok..I just got back from the garage that has my van..we hadda pull the driveshaft..long story.

        The box is say 8 x 18..each TONGUE is approx 1.5" wide. Shortest is say 3" and its neighbor is say 12"..better yet  lemme draw it and scan it real quick.

        Fifths is a musical interval if A=1, then E, is a fifth above it..and so on. C is a 5th above E.

        I doubt I can attach in this same post...look for the next one.  Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        Iffin ya cain't spell it, don't eat it

        1. User avater
          Sphere | Jul 05, 2005 05:59pm | #4

          let me try this again..prospero crashed on me and I lost the whole post..

          The top ) soundboard is solidy glued on.

          so, it is not a marimba at all.

          The quick slap up sketch here is how i do it..use a fine jigsaw blade and have thin kerfs..radius the ends.

          The tuning holes can be reamed to tweak the tone.

          Man, I can't belive I am trying to retype all thia again.

          The bottom is like a drawer, 1/8" solid wood, not ply..it must vibrate. don't forget a sound hole in one or both sides..let me try to attach this PDF before I go any further..that is as far as I wantto go unless I know the attachment is working.

          nope..no joy  Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Iffin ya cain't spell it, don't eat it

          1. User avater
            Sphere | Jul 05, 2005 06:04pm | #5

            one more try as a jpeg.  Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Iffin ya cain't spell it, don't eat it

          2. User avater
            Sphere | Jul 05, 2005 06:12pm | #6

            yikes..hold on.

            I'll get a pic to ya one way or nother.  Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Iffin ya cain't spell it, don't eat it

          3. FastEddie1 | Jul 05, 2005 07:14pm | #7

            I think I took one class in Jr High music appreciation.  And goofed off in most of it.

            I appreciate the troub le you're going through.  Thanks.

            A guy at Knots posted a link to Saw Mill Creek woodworking, and a discussion about building tongue drums.  Nice stuff.  Curly cherry tops, fancy designs, etc.  He says that these are decendents of African drums ... that's what I'm looking for ... the semi-crude African style, not something you would be afraid to let a 3rd grader loose with.

             I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

          4. User avater
            CapnMac | Jul 05, 2005 07:57pm | #9

            not something you would be afraid to let a 3rd grader loose with.

            How about something like this, then:

            View Image

            I can cobble some dimensions together, if needed.

             Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

  2. User avater
    CapnMac | Jul 05, 2005 07:24pm | #8

    making a wooden marimba for kids?

    'Course a "real" marimba is a sound box with a bit of trimmed spring steel clamped to it.  Not exactly rocket science, other than patiently cutting the metal fingers out so as to not leave sharp edges.

    With wood, I want to remember some "craft" destruction books recommending opposing wedges to hold the "fingers" to the sound box, the better to be able to replace the fingerpiece if (when) needed.  I also remember that a lamination was recommended for more "springiness."

    Oh, and most of the ones I remember were all hand-played--i.e., hands around the sound box, and thumbs used to play the fingers.  (Saves not having a "hammer" as an alternate toy-of-much-destruction and/or toy-of-much-attention when played upon the good china or crystal . . .)

    Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
  3. CeeCee4 | May 27, 2020 02:50pm | #10

    I also do different things with my children on wood, wind chimes and wall carpets made of threads and wood.

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