Steampunked-Squeaky-Squeezer (Taktilophone)

Hi everybody
This new steampunk project is a crazy toy for my children. When you touch both brass contacts with your fingers the box starts to squeak. In less then one minute my children were able to play first melodies. I just produced only some terrible noise while testing first. The sound is really loud when you fix the loudspeaker with the box and makes the children (and parents as well????) laugh ;-)) There is no danger to anyone because the two brass contacts are workíng with a current less than 15 µA (see manual).

So this Steampunked-Squeaky-Squeezer might be a very funky DIY steampunk X-mas gift for your kids.

And this is the technical explanation of the secret:
Human beeings can be technical seen as high-ohmic and sensitve (see also the explaining given at the manual). The frequency changes with the electrical resistance of your body.
It depends of:
-the way you squeeze the contacts (loose or tight),
-the humidity of your skin,
-the aereal of contact.
The higher the frequence the lower the resistance and the other way round.

***Disclaimers***
This instructable involves soldering. A soldering iron becomes very hot during its use, to the point where it can cause instant second-degree burns. Exercise caution throughout the following steps to avoid burns. If you choose to undertake this instructable, you do so at your own risk.

Look a this film have fun and enjoy to create your own sounds.....uuuhhhhhhh, that squeaks so much.......

Thanks for following to all
and have a lot of fun with your new Squeaky Squeezer projects
Yours Aeon Junophor


Now it is up to YOU:

Step 1: The Ready Built Up Electronic, First Impression

I worked with an electronic kit named: „B041 Sound generator morse-practice-set KEMO“ and modified it just a little bit.
And if you got some experiences with soldering electronic parts together it is easily done.The costs are low and all of the electronic parts can be bought for their own without out a problem.

Instead of using the digit switch or pushbutton I soldered two wires for the new contacts as you can see at the following pictures. (test buzzer or morse version)When you install the trimmer potentiometer please choose a middle position to create the best sound to our ears. If not he dog will start to howl because the new frequencies are too high or too low to hear.

You can take any little box to keep the electronic and the power supply in but you have to take care the two new contacts are insulated.

Step 2: Your Own Circuit and Modification

Let me quote the list of electronic parts from the manual (without digit switch or pushbutton):

T1: 1 transistor BC 237 C
T2: 1 transistor BC 638 or BC 640
R1: 1 resistance 6,8 KΩ (blue-grey-red....)
R2: 1 resistance 130 KΩ ( brown-orange-yellow...)
P: 1 trimmer potentiometer 50K (504)
C1: 1 capacitator 6,8 nF (6800 pF)
C2: 1 capacitator 0,1µF (104M)
C3: 1 elca 47 µF 16V
(TA: means pushbutton) but it is not used in this modified circuit
LS: 1 Loudspeaker 8Ω (Ohms)
1 epoxyde printed circuit board, approx. 55 x 27 mm

If you can not order this kit , never mind it is very easy to build up a new circuit by doing it yourself :-))) and I think that is what you really want!!!

Step 3: Choose Your Box

Now let us working at our steampunked boxes:

The most difficult decision to you in this project is to find the right box. You can take whatever you want e.g. a crying pink plastic box, a wooden one or like me two steampunk like ones.

I present one black metal box (from a fomer old handlamp) for an adult steampunker and one ladylike box for very young steampunk girl covered with black velvet.

Step 4: Metal Box Version

Take a look inside and see how I integrated the electronic in this metal box part of an very old handlamp (WIF, model 131 ) from Vienna, Austria build between 1920 and 1945.

Step 5: Lady Like Version With Velvet Covered Box

Here you see the romantic version I was building for my niece as a birthday present. (She begged her mother for a long time to convince me building her an own Squeaky-Squeezer)

Step 6: Copies From the Manual

In this following pictures you will nearly find every information given by the manual from the internet, exept the list of the electronic parts you need. You will find this list on the picture I have made from my old manual in at the desription of step 2..