The Minty Kalimba

Step 2 Making 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 the outermost finger of the Rake off at the base. I used a hacksaw, but you might be able to use some heavy duty tin snips if you don't have a saw.

Step 2:

Cut the single Rake finger into four, equally lengthed sections. The length I used was the exact distance between the sides of the gold border on the tin. The approximate length is 3 1/4".

Step 3:

Remove any paint or rust from the Rake sections. I did this by soaking the keys in nail polish remover for a couple hours because I didn't have any turpentine on hand. This step is more for aesthetic purposes than anything.

Step 4:

Using a bench grinder, or hand held grinder, round, and dull the end of the key you will be playing with your thumbs. It might be a good idea to dull the other side too in order to reduce the risk of cutting yourself on the jagged edge.

Now you have the keys for the Kalimba!