There are many different ways to make wind chimes. While making wind chimes with children can yield a fun and functional craft, in most cases these types of more simple chimes are not made to withstand the test of time. If you are looking to commit the time to making a set of chimes that will last you year after year, there are some things that you will need to know. Also, it is important to note that making a higher quality product may require the use of more professional tools and higher quality materials. Although the initial workload may be greater, you are sure to be happy that you spent the extra time to put this craft together the right way.
No doubt if you are looking to make your own set of high quality wind chimes, you have seen sets in stores that cost several hundreds of dollars. While many vendors are justified in asking this much for a high quality product, you may not be able to afford the wind chime that you want. Even if the following suggestions for making your own high quality and long lasting wind chimes prove too complex, at least you will have gained an education of what to look for in a set of wind chimes to ensure that they meet the quality standards that you are looking for.
Chimes can be very complex, though at first glance they may appear to be simply made. Most wind chimes are made out of only a few basic pieces: a wood piece for the top, metal tubes underneath, a wind catcher to provide power, and a striker or clapper to hit the tubes and produce that trademark wind chime sound. The tubes of a wind chime may be of random lengths, but many people prefer the precise notes that a wind chime can produce when the pipes are cut to a certain length and tuned to produce a certain note. Wind chimes that are hung outdoors must be built with extreme conditions in mind. There are many elements that an outdoor wind chime will be subjected to. Among these are temperature variation, rain, snow, the sun’s ultra-violet rays, gravity, and the wind. Each of these conditions will have a different effect on the various components of the wind chime, due to the fact that wood and metal have different weaknesses and strong points.
It takes a lot of energy to smelt and work metals into pipes. The job becomes even more technical when you start talking about getting the exact Hertz for each note, the optimal striking point, and precise placement of the nodes of frequency fluctuation. It is natural to feel intimidated by simply reading these terms and explanations. Realize that these things are part of what makes a high quality wind chime, high quality. The increased amount of work required to make the wind chimes precise is what justifies the higher prices.
Be sure that you choose a wind chime with good pipes. Copper is usually the pipe material of choice because copper pipe will not rust, (but if left unpainted it will turn green after being subjected to the elements). The softer copper also produces a mellower sound than steel pipe. Burnish the copper pipe with fine steel wool and coat it with a thin coat of outdoor. If you prefer the sound that a steel pipe can produce, look for galvanized conduit in the electrical section of your hardware store. Electrical conduit consists is made from mild steel and has an outside coating of zinc that is meant to resist rusting. Of course, there are several other options for the pipes that you use on your wind chime, but only pipes cut to a certain length and made from a specific material will make the notes that you may be expecting in a wind chime.
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