Slide each pipe all the way into the other pipe. Create tubes out of each material, 300 mm in length and 65 mm in diameter, and add lids. Even so though, there was no way I was going to be able to neatly fit this tube with the bend going inwards… so for this bottom resonator I went towards the player instead, and angled just a little outwards – it comes just inside the frame so I’m happy. Cut six pieces of 3-inch diameter PVC to a length of 10-inches with the miter saw. On this marimba they are on the end of the middle row of resonators. Here we see the view from the audience side of the marimba. The putty needs to be left “proud” to allow for shrinkage when drying, then sanded back. Hi all… I spent a bit of time today on the marimba frame. Compared to similar timbers in Australia this was actually pretty inexpensive and all easily available from the local Home Depot store. Whilst I had the aluminium grinding wheel on the angle grinder, I also tried my hand at producing a few of these string holders. That is essentially what you're doing. It takes a while to do anyway, but then there is also drying time to consider and the fact that everything needs more than one coat. However you can see that it will work just fine and actually look ok too. Hit a couple of low notes – adjust height – hit same notes – compare sound. These resonators can be seen in their basic rough stage below. Dec 13, 2014 - Do it yourself or purchase one at http://bourne-marimbas.blogspot.com/Please send any questions to bournemarimbas@gmail.com By using this tool you will be able to achieve a … The DIY Resource Guide To PVC Instruments. From this position I was able to find the “average” nodal line” accross the set of bars from the individual node lines found with the salt test above. The Home depot stores I looked at had the fittings for the PVC pipe… but not the pipe!! To find out detailed information about the guide, go HERE. So I reached a compromise for my main tests… I used 15mm PVC pipe which strangely actually had an internal diameter of about 19mm. It’s probably a good idea to put a third coat of estapol on any parts which will wear particularly. You see, the problem with normal resonators under the bars in the top octave, is that they are SO SHORT! Progress has been a mix of straight forward “business as usual” work for fast progress, and experimental playing around to develop some exciting brand new techniques. You need to brush everything very evenly. These wheels came in a version with and without a locking mechanism. This is a hit n’ miss affair which is difficult to get accurate as you are relying on the ear’s ability to detect very subtle differences in resonances. I also like to line the parts that ARE bolted together anyway – it doesn’t take long in the scheme of things when you consider the time spent overall. This has the advantage that it cuts down on bending the aluminium strips which hold the tubes together. These work just fine and in fact look even better than normal thin wall caps when painted up nicely. This is what I used shown here in this photo. But why waste the money when you can make your own pipe organ from simple items in your home. How to Make a PVC Pipe Organ: Buying a whole marimba can be expensive! The process takes quite a while, but the end result is really important – the diagonal struts can be cut, and the outer vertical legs on the big end section can be positioned and attached. The biggest problem is keeping the tarp from tearing, but we have found a solution to that as well! The problem was that to get four of these smaller tubes tuned was taking just as long as the single bigger tube. Each post is fine adjusted to the perfect angle with pliers before the tube is put on. I found the correct diameter tube and it cost me $6.50 – one tube was more than enough for the whole job. This method is not structurally a whole lot stronger or anything like that – it may be a fraction more simple in the dismantling and set up though and has less risk of breaking the diagonal structures whilst setting up. The highest of these was no major problem. It can be tricky to get paint into the gaps between the tubes,so it is usually better to start spraying into the gaps fromone side then the other before spraying the outside facing faces. Welome back marimba building enthusiasts! This frame when done has survived 60mph winds! Pipe cutters or hacksaws can make the edges rough and dangerous to handle. A couple of notes were sounding just a little muted owing to their bar posts being slightly off position and pulling the string firmly against the side of the bar’s hole. I also wanted to stain the frame timber. Also they have no bends. You can see in this photo here that the top sections of two tubes are wider. In this paricular case however there didn’t seem to be anything available in a soft walled tube that was big enough to go over the 25mm wide aluminium – or at least that wasn’t way too thick. Firstly it only requires a SINGLE timber block on each of the outer strut connection points rather than two – and secondly it allows the use of standard imperial bolts with wing nuts which are cheaper and easier to use than the allan key bolts. 17. This photo shows the slightly wider timber blocks I’m using on the bar support struts that the aluminium resonator support pieces are bolted to. Milling would leave a better finish, but I opted for the faster option as these bottom bits are not seen anyway – they are hammered into the timber horizontal struts. All the information required for even a complete beginner to build a profesional concert marimba that sounds every bit as good as a commercial model – or even better. Remove the resonator pipes from a marimba, and place the tubes close to the tone plates with your hands. These were quite different, but even the Meranti planks provided quite a variety of colour in themselves. This is a reasonably common issue. The design is extra good I think because in one simple structure these pieces perform both the task of providing the resonator bank support, as well as providing structural support between the timber struts and keeping their distance fixed – a needed part of any marimba design with long spans like this. Last night I temporarily bolted the frame together, and layed out all the bars on the struts in an accurate way. The bottom C and D I tuned, but did not glue all the joints as I wanted to leave some room for later adjustments. It is a simple matter of measuring and marking the point where the slot should end,then setting up the clamp so the aluminium strip is centered on the bit. I came up with a design and tuned all the lowest tubes. This was important, as the slots for them had to be cut out from the aluminium cross supports.Also the ends of the resonator banks needed a little bend in some cases to tweak them to the perfect gap so the smaller banks would fit neatly inside the bigger banks. I’m going to share some of the internet’s best ideas for repurposing PVC pipe. It tends to happen more on bars where the natural nodal lines don’t match up perfectly with drilled holes – as is common – but in general it can happen anyway. This whole frame is made of nice hard oak – a great frame timber as it tends to resist and suppress vibration – it sucks for bars but that is perfect for a frame! Here’s what I managed to accomplish in that week: Well that pretty much takes care of that week’s spare moments. Great! The new idea I’ve been working on to alleviate this issue should make producing accurate resonators possible – whether simply measuring, them or tuning them with a stroboscope or tuner. Now normally, my first port of call for rubber tubing and similar things, is my local rubber supplies shop which stocks just about everthing . Mark each inner tube with a pencil where it exists the outer tube. Turn on a chromatic tuner, then strike the top of the longest pipe with a drum stick. Looks pretty good I reckon. The middle three octaves are quite easy to tune, simply by hitting them on the bottom with your fingers or a mallet and using a digital tuner or stoboscope to test the pitch. Well that was pretty much the result of that long weekend and some bits from the week. After a little googling, I found these awesome instruments that people make out of PVC pipe and play with some type of mallet, such as a foam bat. Before I could do any of this however I needed to do the fine tuning of the bars, and before I could do THAT, I needed to drill the nodal holes for the suspension strings. The idea is that you really only need one locking wheel at each end of an instrument to hold it firmly in place. The resonators are also prime candidates for causing squeaks and rattles – mostly at the points where the ends of the banks meet each other and/or the supports that hold them up.The most effective solution in this case is to stretch some thin and soft rubber tube over the ends of the aluminium flat that form the ends of the resonator banks.