Project_windchime

include component="page" page="menu-projects" editable="1" =Wind Chimes from EMT conduit=

A simple but very attractive project that will provide years of enjoyment in the garden is a wind chime. These can be made of various tube materials; bamboo, copper pipe, EMT (electrical metallic tubing - conduit), PVC, aluminum, steel, etc. Basically they consist of a number of chimes, a striker (see the middle of the chimes below) and a wind catcher. The tubes are supported from the top by either a disc or cap as shown in the example pictured below. Each tube in the chime will produce a different frequency of sound which varies with the length, diameter and stiffness of the material making the tubes (The Modulus of Elasticity, E). Another factor which affects the tone quality is the striker material. A soft material (e.g. pine) will produce a softer tone whereas a harder material will produce a sharper tone (e.g. steel, or fired clay). The size of the wind catcher (at the bottom) and length of string from which it is suspended, will make the chime more or less active (bigger wind catcher is moved by a lighter wind). Another variable in the design of the chime is the number of tubes and the scale to which the chimes are tuned. You might want to research a design that has been shown to produce a pleasant combination of sounds. Whichever design you decide upon be sure that we have on hand the diameter and length of tubing you require (or feel free to pick up at a local home depot any other sizes\materials we don't have on hand. It's relatively cheap!) The chimes can be hung using 14ga copper wire as a support inside the top of the tube and fishing line "monofilament" with a "swivel" to prevent the fishing line from twisting. Search around the web for a workable design to modify - or design your own. When you've decided on a design draw it first on sketchup and see your instructor for approval before beginning your procedure list. As with all projects show evidence of your research, include pictures and drawings and a procedure list on your portfolio pages. Have fun!

These pages are a great place to start your research - Don't stop here. Do your own research!

For a [|brief look at the history] of wind chimes see here:

A great link on the physics and making of wind chimes from pipes (possibly a bit over-the-top for our purposes): []

A quick tubing length calculator for EMT (electrical metalic tubing) in PDF format (very useful!):

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Chime movie: []

A good site explaining how chimes work, a tubing length calculator and other cool stuff! []

For a simple but decorative design (no tube lengths though, trial and error required to tune these): []

Another simple design with lengths: []

As you find good resources link them to your page or let your instructor know so he\she can upload them here!