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The Minty Kalimba

intro
step 1
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step 6
 

introThe Minty Kalimba

My quest for the perfect portable musical instrument has led me to attempt my own creation. Over the years I have indulged myself with the likes of harmonicas, kazoos, and ukuleles in pursuit of the tiny and versatile. Thus I have created a new addition to my portable, quirky, arsenal of sound... The Minty Kalimba.

Due to the obsession of the Instructable community with the deliciously designed Altoids tin, naturally, I incorporated one in the construction of the Kalimba.

Check out the video right down here to see how it sounds! Sorry for the awful visual quality. I think you'll get the idea regardless:


The Minty Kalimba
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step 1Materials

The whole project shouldn't cost much more than the price of a tin of Altoids. I just improvised in terms of materials and you may find that you have some stuff lying arou…


step 2Making the Keys

Okay, so you have your old Rake in hand. Now, were going to try and destroy as little of this Rake as possible, so you won't drown in dead leaves next Autumn.Step 1:Cut th…


step 3Preparing the Tin

Step 1:Eat all the mints in the box. Now take some Peptobismal because your stomach is killing you.Step 2:You have to drill two holes in the lid of the tin for the machine…


step 4Making the Key Vice

The vice is the part of the Kalimba that connects the keys to the resonating box (the tin). The way it is constructed allows for unobstructed vibration of the keys and thu…


step 5Putting the Whole Thing Together!

Now that you have all your parts made (keys, tin with holes, and vice) you can finally put the whole thing together and hear what it sounds like. It may take a bit of fidd…


step 6ELECTRIFYING!!!!!!!

You'll notice that your shiny new Altoids Tin Kalimba isn't very loud. We can fix that and it'll only cost you a couple of bucks.Step 1:You'll need to drill two more holes…


44 comments
Oct 29, 2009. 3:43 PMoctopuscabbage says:
If u want to make it acoustic just drill a bunch of holes in it. that should work decently. Also theres an instructable for making cheap pick ups on here if u wanna be really loud.
Oct 22, 2009. 12:43 PMZem says:
What DB is the buzzer?
Also, could I use a piezo element? 
Aug 23, 2009. 10:40 PMserenace says:
I made one of these in a day. However mine does not amplify very well at all. The only alterations that I made is that I used a copper tube instead of a brass tube and I have five keys. I think the copper may be disrupting something when I try to amplify.
Aug 23, 2009. 10:44 PMserenace says:
Great instructions btw. I really enjoyed making it. It looks great! Thank you.
Aug 3, 2009. 12:20 PMBigMac96 says:
Where did you get the on/off switch?
Aug 4, 2009. 10:16 PMDeansrds (author) says:
RADIOSHACK!
Aug 1, 2009. 5:55 AMBigMac96 says:
Altoids tin... Check.
Nuts, bolts, and screws... Check.
Keys from rake?

Could I use metal from a garden rake.
My leaf rake is wooden!
Aug 2, 2009. 10:42 AMDeansrds (author) says:
I think that the garden rake keys might be too thick and too hard to use. But, a wooden version would be quite the twist! It might sound really good...
Aug 2, 2009. 12:28 PMBigMac96 says:
Thanks! I found a metal rake right after I posted this. Whoops! Do you think I could wire a red 5mm or 10mm LED into the curcit thats turns on when the kalimba is on (kind of like an amp)?
Jul 27, 2009. 5:58 PMHippieAdrien says:
i have completed my minty kalimba, wired the red wire of the buzzer to the "hot" lug, and the black to the ground lug. and no sound. im not sure if i've done anything wrong. or not. i'd really like it to work
Aug 2, 2009. 10:44 AMDeansrds (author) says:
Hmmmm... this is the same problem that Mr.Bricoleur encountered. I'm not sure what the problem is. The first time I ever used the buzzer pickup setup was for a cigar box guitar i built. Here's a little chit chat on the subject http://makezine.com/04/cigarbox/ . Good luck!

Jul 27, 2009. 2:23 PMfearme36 says:
well, pooh. i was planning on making one of these and making an instructable on it but you beat me to it! good job though, i would never thought of making it electric
Jul 27, 2009. 9:41 AMDeansrds (author) says:
Thanks everybody for the support and feedback! VOTE FOR MY INSTRUCTABLE IN THE ART OF SOUND CONTEST!
Jul 18, 2009. 11:58 PMCj slier says:
do they sell altoids in england, was it your idea and do you mind if i use this to make an intructable?
Jul 24, 2009. 11:38 AMqueerpuppy says:
Yes!

You can get Altoids, but they're hard to get hold of. If you live near Catford I can tell you where there's an off licence that sells them.

Alternatively, Marks and Spencers sells them in a green tin, but just called "Curiously Strong Mints" rather than "The Original Celebrated Curiously Strong Peppermints. Altoids"
Jul 19, 2009. 10:56 AMDeansrds (author) says:
1st question: Unfortunatly they don't sell Altoids in England. I've read a few complaints about that travesty.
2nd question: As far as I know, it was my idea. I'm pretty sure no one's done this before.
3rd question: I wouldn't mind it at all as long as you cited your source.

Cheers
Jul 28, 2009. 3:54 AMAndyGadget says:
I asked THIS QUESTION a while ago. I get mine from Morrisons, but it looks like Tesco, Waitrose and some chemists sell them. Look in the sweets section rather than on the till-ends.

Jul 28, 2009. 3:59 AMAndyGadget says:
Shame you can only get the mints though, rather than all those interestingly flavoured sweets in the interestingly shaped tins. Hopefully going for a stay in the US next year so I'll stock up. (How many Altoids can you bring back through customs? ;¬)
Jul 22, 2009. 12:12 PMwakojako says:
they sell em in my town
Jul 19, 2009. 1:11 PMCj slier says:
thank you m8. Even my dad sayz it makez a nice sound. If you dont mind me askin, about how much did it cost the mush? And to make it electric, can you buy the 2 items from electric shops
Jul 27, 2009. 9:40 AMDeansrds (author) says:
it didn't cost much at all. the pickup setup only cost about 5 bucks all together. yea you can buy the parts from pretty much any electronics shop. thanks for the comment! Don't forget to vote in the contest! THANKS!
Jul 19, 2009. 10:59 AMjunits15 says:
you should use a pickup instaid of the buzzer.
Jul 14, 2009. 11:31 PMMr. Bricoleur says:
Umm, I tried using that piezo buzzer pickup setup with the wooden kalimba ible and it didn't work. And my dad says piezo buzzers dont work like that... HELP?
Jul 15, 2009. 4:10 AMDeansrds (author) says:
hmmm... I'm trying to think of what might have happened in your situation. It's possible that you wired the buzzer to the 1/4" input incorrectly. Make sure you know which leg is the ground. For my input, it was the middle leg. As for your dad saying they don't work that way. I humbly disagree. I'll find you some material that explains why it works as soon as I get access to some faster internet. I'm running on 40 kps right now and it took 20 minutes to download this page. Anyways, try the wiring again and i'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Jul 17, 2009. 1:29 PMMr. Bricoleur says:
mmmm... Okay. Well, I did wire it correctly, so I'm not exactly sure what the problem is. I thought it could have been something to do with the switch, so I took the switch out of the circuit and connected it all directly, but that didn't work either. When I have some time, I'll double check that. Thank you for the speedy reply! Seems that everyone on this site is checks their inbox frequently. :D
Jul 8, 2009. 9:49 AMteh_noob says:
very cool instructable. hehe.
Jun 28, 2009. 12:34 PMMr. Bricoleur says:
Would you be able to place the keys lengthwise to fit some more? or would it be simply to hard to hold that way?
Jul 1, 2009. 11:45 AMDeansrds (author) says:
the keys would be too short to make an appealing sound. though i haven't tried it, i did entertain the thought in my first design.
Jul 2, 2009. 11:39 PMMr. Bricoleur says:
Oh... okay, thanks for the reply! great ible. :D
Jun 30, 2009. 10:53 PMriverreaper says:
what if your rakes made of plastic , id like to recycle it , does anyone no if it would work?
Jun 25, 2009. 2:13 PMpatapon says:
good luck!
Jun 19, 2009. 11:21 PMDeansrds (author) says:
thanks everyone for the wonderful comments. to answer some questions:

1) I'll try and post a video tomorrow. I've been out of town the past week and haven't had time to post one.
2) The vice section doesn't flex much if at all. The washers under the lid are enough to keep the whole surface area rigid.

Thanks!
Jun 17, 2009. 6:42 PM1up says:
Ye have a Rake , Brass Tubing , and Machine Screws in thine inventory. Ye spots an Altiods Tin on the ground. What dost thou do? :P

Nice instrument. I'd really to love how this sounds! It looks neat. ;)

Jun 16, 2009. 4:13 PMfozzy13 says:
As everyone else has said, a video would be great to know what it sounds like before building one : )
Jun 16, 2009. 9:42 AMrobo_bob says:
set up a video of what it sounds like
Jun 16, 2009. 3:53 PMSuper Cameraman says:
Yes, please do that!
Jun 15, 2009. 8:58 AMtocsik says:
Does anyone have any thoughts on how to adjust the lengths of the keys to adjust the tuning?
Jun 16, 2009. 6:32 AMbustedit says:
with a saw.
or snips.
plasma cutter.
or a grinder.
maybe a dremel tool.
laser.
flex and bend it at the same pint until it snaps.
or insert them at different distances from the top tube of the clamp. the length of the key from that point is what determines the tune/pitch, the amt sticking out the back doesn't effect the sound.
Jun 16, 2009. 6:57 AMtocsik says:
I figured as much but I more what I was looking for was some sort of reference instead of having to figure it out by trial and error. Thank though.
Jun 16, 2009. 11:14 AMthepelton says:
In the original Kalimba, the flat metal pieces are moved back and forth, and tested for frequency before being fastened in place. For fine tuning, if you can't stand it being 1/2 hertz too flat, You could file it with a flat file.
Jun 16, 2009. 11:10 AMthepelton says:
I have noticed that street sweepers use steel bristles that occaisionally fall out, and can be found on the street. They are flat, and much like the leaf rake pieces that you used.
Jun 15, 2009. 1:27 PMKiteman says:
Video!!
Jun 15, 2009. 1:11 PMnekoheehee says:
I would love to see a video of this thing being played so I know what it sounds like :D
Jun 15, 2009. 11:39 AMAndyGadget says:
Very sweet - I really like this!
The clamp seems to apply a lot of force in a small area. Do you find the top of the box flexes a lot when you're playing?
I've never thought of using a piezo disk as a microphone before. That looks like one of the self-buzzing ones rather than just the piezo element. I wouldn't expect that to work, but it obviously does!

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