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When I was a kid I used to travel with the carnival and always saw the kitschy stuff they sold on the independent midway. One of the things I remember was a large wind chime made from what looked like one of those big helium tanks. I thought they were awesome! They had a deep rich tone that was almost like a buoy on the ocean.
When my Grandmother passed away for some reason my family kept her old oxygen tanks. Not those new aluminum ones the old iron ones. When I picked it up and moved it it hit something and gonged.... I remembered my days at the fair and decided to see if I could make one.
This is the result! It turned out awesome and the clapper is heavy enough that it doesn't whip around a lot which gives you a nice gentle ring on blustery nights.
When my Grandmother passed away for some reason my family kept her old oxygen tanks. Not those new aluminum ones the old iron ones. When I picked it up and moved it it hit something and gonged.... I remembered my days at the fair and decided to see if I could make one.
This is the result! It turned out awesome and the clapper is heavy enough that it doesn't whip around a lot which gives you a nice gentle ring on blustery nights.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials and Tools
You will need the following materials:
Cast Iron or steel gas cylinder (I has an Oxygen tank, but, a co2 or helium tank would work also.)
5 feet of rope
Clapper (I used a 1 pound weight, but a wooden clapper can be made to fit for a softer tone.)
Various nuts for retainers
6" x 24" x 1/8" "Hobby Board" (That's what they called it at home depot.)
Primer, paint and clear coat
Tools:
Metal cut-off saw or an angle grinder with a cutting blade
Jig Saw
Drill with a 3/4" bit
Table vice
Files (Bench grinder optional!)
Acetone
Rags
Metal coat hanger or a long piece of baling wire
Pliers
Cast Iron or steel gas cylinder (I has an Oxygen tank, but, a co2 or helium tank would work also.)
5 feet of rope
Clapper (I used a 1 pound weight, but a wooden clapper can be made to fit for a softer tone.)
Various nuts for retainers
6" x 24" x 1/8" "Hobby Board" (That's what they called it at home depot.)
Primer, paint and clear coat
Tools:
Metal cut-off saw or an angle grinder with a cutting blade
Jig Saw
Drill with a 3/4" bit
Table vice
Files (Bench grinder optional!)
Acetone
Rags
Metal coat hanger or a long piece of baling wire
Pliers
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I'm planning on making a "temple bell" from an old CO2 bottle from a keg-a-rator. (It's ok, I have another tank). I'll use a hockey puck as the clapper and a knot at the end as a handle.
Great instructable! I'm sure I'll use it as my main source when I build mine.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Compressed-Gas-Cylinder-Temple-Bell/
Now, now, let's not speak for everyone. I, for one, love filing. As a matter of fact, I consider my steel files to be among my most used and favorite tools.
Being that I'm an engineer, I don't have to touch much paperwork outside of my bills.
I think I can get the clank out of it for you and get you into a nice ring. I once made a xylophone for my daughters out of metal conduit and did a lot of research. It turns out that most solid objects will ring when you hit them. That ring sound is a series of waves that are fixed by physics. The wave forms a low amplitude spot at a point 22.5% of the length from either end. You can demonstrate this with any piece of wood or metal that is all the same size and density. Hold it at the top and hammer it to feel the vibrations in your hand. You will also notice that the object does not ring very long when you hold it at the end. That is because your fingers dampen the amplitude of the vibration. Work your way down holding it lower and lower hammering and feeling. When you get to about 1/4 the way down, you can hammer it and it will continue to ring for a long time even though you are holding it. You will also notice that you can barely feel the vibrations in your fingers at that point. This is a sweet spot you can use to your advantage. But your bell is not uniform at both ends to take advantage of this physical concept.
What I suggest is you cut the top off to make it a tube with both ends open. Measure the length to find the 22.5% mark. Hold it and ring it a few times to demonstrate to yourself that you have the right spot. Then drill a hole all the way through the tube at the 22.5% mark. Run a bolt (or something) through and hang the tube from that bolt. You can also hang your clapper from that bolt.
Another problem with your pipe is the welded seam. Any unwelded material will have a nicer ring to it.
You can't start a post "When I was a kid I used to travel with the carnival" and just leave it there!!! What's the rest of the story? Where's your blog? I'm dieing here--from the need to know : o
Very nice.
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