Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build CompendiumPage 1 of 52 Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium By: Lee Hite Copper by Dan from Virginia Aluminum by David from Alaska Aluminum & Brass by Chuck from Columbus EMT by Jeff Aluminum by Craig from the UK Copper by Travis from California Father daughter project by James Copper by Michael Cast iron by David Additional information at www.home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Hite, Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 1 of 52 Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 2 of 52 Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Background ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Forward ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 The Build Plan ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Tubes, Pipes or Rods ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Resources ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Musical Note Selection.................................................................................................................................... 8 A Must Read Caution ................................................................................................................................. 8 Chime emulation ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Strike a note or strike a chord ..................................................................................................................... 9 Caution at a distance .................................................................................................................................. 9 Choice of metal.............................................................................................................................................. 10 What metal sounds best ........................................................................................................................... 10 Not all tubing is created equal................................................................................................................... 11 About tubing dimensions .......................................................................................................................... 11 Chime dimensions......................................................................................................................................... 12 Pre-calculated .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Calculate your own chime dimensions - DIY ............................................................................................. 13 Tuning the Chime .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Frequency Measurement .......................................................................................................................... 14 Mechanical Support ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Chime Support ......................................................................................................................................... 15 First support location ................................................................................................................ 16 Second support location, end caps ........................................................................................... 16 Chime Support Suggestions ..................................................................................................... 17 Support Line ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Non metallic support line .......................................................................................................... 20 Metallic support line .................................................................................................................. 20 Deburring ................................................................................................................................. 21 Grommets/Eyelets .................................................................................................................... 21 Additional protection ................................................................................................................. 21 Sources .................................................................................................................................... 21 Support line suggestions .......................................................................................................... 22 Support Disk & Striker Patterns ................................................................................................................ 23 Support Disk & Striker Patterns ................................................................................................ 23 Support disk calculator with points on a circle calculator .......................................................... 23 Support Disk & Striker Patterns ................................................................................................ 23 Chime location sequence ......................................................................................................... 24 Disk and ring support suggestions ........................................................................................... 24 Additional information at www.home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Hite, Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 2 of 52 Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 3 of 52 Striker / Clapper ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Strike zone ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Striker shape ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Striker weight............................................................................................................................................ 27 Striker material ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Keep it Clean ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Conceal and carry chime .......................................................................................................................... 28 Striker suspension .................................................................................................................................... 28 Striker motion ........................................................................................................................................... 28 Striker Clapper Suggestions ..................................................................................................................... 29 Wind Sail / Wind Catcher .............................................................................................................................. 31 Patterns for wind sails/catchers ................................................................................................................ 31 Solving the Dingdong: .............................................................................................................................. 31 Need More Dingdong ............................................................................................................................... 32 Orthogonal Saiingl .................................................................................................................................... 32 No Sailing Today: ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Tank Bells & Chimes ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Length matters, maybe not! ...................................................................................................................... 34 Cutting Tanks: .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Decorating the Chime ................................................................................................................................... 35 Lightweight coatings ................................................................................................................................. 35 Patina, the aged copper look .................................................................................................................... 35 Patina Procedure ...................................................................................................................................... 36 Sparkling Copper ...................................................................................................................................... 37 The science of chiming ................................................................................................................................. 38 What is a tubular chime? .......................................................................................................................... 38 Loudness limits......................................................................................................................................... 38 Proportional dimensions: .......................................................................................................................... 38 Strike note vs. sustaining note .................................................................................................................. 39 The missing fundamental.......................................................................................................................... 40 A bell-like chime ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Appendix A - The Math .................................................................................................................................. 43 Appendix B - Music Scale with Overtones ..................................................................................................... 44 Appendix C - Software Resources ................................................................................................................ 45 Appendix D – Tubing and Rod Sources ......................................................................................................... 45 Appendix E - Standard Tubing Dimensions .................................................................................................... 46 Aluminum tubing ....................................................................................................................... 46 Brass tubing ............................................................................................................................. 47 Copper tubing ........................................................................................................................... 48 Electrical metallic tubing (EMT) aka thin-wall steel conduit ....................................................... 48 Iron pipe ................................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix F - Internet Resources/Links........................................................................................................... 49 Appendix G - Credits ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Appendix H - Design styles ............................................................................................................................ 50 Appendix J - Example for an audible fundamental ......................................................................................... 51 Additional information at www.home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Hite, Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 3 of 52 Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 4 of 52 Introduction: This compendium is about providing you with options and about making good choices when designing and building tubular-bell wind chimes from tubes, pipes or rods. Our goal is to make it easy for you to incorporate your personality and your style into the design rather than building to a fixed set of plans. A variety of best practices and patterns are presented to accommodate your particular skill level, your construction resources, and your budget. Avoid some of the common mistakes and you can easily design and build an attractive and a great sounding set of tubular bell chimes. Background As my good neighbor pointed out when faced with the challenge of designing a new state-of-the-art toaster, you first determine what makes toast, toast; rather than dried bread, before you design a great toaster. Clearly the question should have been, what makes a chime a good chime, rather than what musical notes should be selected when designing a set of wind chimes. I had originally asked that question back in 2001 and learned I should have also asked what makes a good chime? While I would not consider myself an expert by any definition, the findings can be valued for the understanding of tubular bells. My experience with this project has evolved over time and is presented to help you design and build a great set of tubular bell wind chimes. Updates continue almost monthly as development continues. Forward This compendium is a work inprogress and if you spot something that is not clear or needs clarification, please let me know. As an eReader document it is easy to change. Thanks eMail
[email protected] Companions to this compendium are available for download from the web site www.home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm and they include: 1. Precalculated dimenions for the complete note range from C1 thru C9 (tubes total = 75, rods = 90) 2. DIY calculators for the complete note range from C1 thru C9, for the pentatonic scale, and for the C9 chord that determine the correct length and hang point for tubes or rods unrestricted at both ends. 3. Look-up tables for stand size tubing. 4. Standard Music Scale with overtones 5. Look-up table for material properties. 6. An embedded Top Support Disk Calculator allows you to determine the correct layout based on your chime diameter, striker diameter and the clearance between the striker and the chime tube.. 7. An embedded location calculator for points on a circle can be usedfor layout of the top support disk holes or radial star strikers) 8. Chime-set support disk and striker patterns for a 3-chime set thru an 8-chime set, including patterns for either a traditional circular striker or the new radial star striker. 9. Wind sail/wind catcher patterns. 10. Stand alone support disk calculator with points an a circle calculator Material type = Aluminum, Brass, Cast Iron, Copper, Steel, Stainless Steel and EMT (thin-wall conduit). All dimensions are calculate based on the OD and ID in inches and for specific material types and displayed for both english and metric units. The calculator uses nominal values for material properties. However, if you know the exact material density and the exact modulus of elasticity, you can enter that data for your specific material. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Hite, Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 4 of 52 Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 5 of 52 The Build Plan Just a few decisions and you’re ready for construction. There is a lot of information in this document but don’t let it overwhelm you. Most of the information provides choices for making a design decision. Step 1; Select the number of chimes (typically 3 to 8) for your set and the musical notes. It is helpful to understand the limitations for effective note selection as discussed in the section on the bell-like chime. Keep in mind the physical size for the set. Whether you use precalculated dimensions or one of the DIY calculators, observe the length for the longest chime as a guide for overall size. Remember to include extra length for the wind sail that hangs below the chimes. Step 2; Select the metal for the chime tube. Step 3; Cut each chime to the length provided by the precalculated table or the DIY calculator. Best to cut slightly long (about 1/8”) to allow for smoothing and deburring the ends to final dimensions. Step 4; Smooth the ends to remove sharp edges and to provide a professional appearance. Place an old towel or cloth on a table to protect the chime from scratches. Roll the chime back & forth as you file or sand the ends smooth. Slightly chamfer or round the outer edge. If you're new to cutting metal and looking for an easy method, I use an abrasive metal cutting saw blade in a radial arm saw and it works equally well with a cut-off saw, aka chop-saw. The blade pictured right is under $5.00 at Home Depot. The traditional tubing cutter or hacksaw works well also. Step 5; Drill the support holes at the hang-point location provided by the precalculated table or the DIY calculator. Deburr the support holes in preparation for whatever method you select for support. How to drill the tubes without a drill press or V block: Using card stock or a manila folder cut a strip about ½” by 8”, wrap it around the tube and tape it so that you now have what looks like a “Cigar Band”. Lay it on a table and flatten it so a crease forms on both sides. Example: Let’s say that the instructions ask for a hole 10 ½” from the end of the tube. Slide the “Cigar Band” down the tube to the 10 ½”. Mark at both creases and drill each hole. They should be opposing. Step 6; Select the method or style for the top support disk or ring and select the material to be used. Step 7; Select the top support disk cutout pattern for your specific tubing size and number of chimes in the set. Download the support disk & striker patterns PDF from the web site and just print the page specific to your tubing size and number of chimes in the set. You may need to print two copies one for the support pattern and hole locations, and one for the striker. Step 8; Select a circular striker, a radial star striker, or a striker-keeper, all are included in the patterns from step 7. Step 9; Select and print a pattern for the wind sail from selections in Patterns for Wind Sails/Catchers PDF available on the web site, or design your own. Step 10; Weather protect the top support disk or ring, the striker and the sail with a UV protective finish. Decorate the chime tube as desired. A few suggestions here. Step 11; Select the line, cord or chain for supporting both the chime tube and the top support disk or ring. Additional information at www.home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Hite, Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 5 of 52 Assembly: in your workshop temporally hang the support disk or ring just above eye level.e. a 1" steel rod for middle C. Continue ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. i. Step 13. center aligned or bottom aligned. bottom or center) hang each chime according to both the alignment requirement and the chime sequence diagram. Typically a rod will have a much longer sustain time and in some environments this maybe desirable and annoying in others. For example. the ideal strike location. Select the sequence for locating the chimes on the support disk or ring. For the purpose of tubular chimes we consider them the same. top aligned. Pipes are passageways. Hite. a rod is a solid metal cylinder that can produce a very diferent sound compared to a tube. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 6 of 52 . the inside diameter and the type of metal. Two additional issues are the weight difference and loudness difference. All three locations work okay when you keep the striker away from the center dead zone. Hang the striker to avoid dead center for any chime.home. Rods typically have a relative small diameter offering a smaller sound radiating surface producing a quieter chime. Step 14. Pipes or Rods What's the difference between a pipe and a tube? The way it’s measured and the applications it’s being used for.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. If you want to design and build a chime set using rods rather than tubes all you have to do is set the inside diameter to zero and enter the outside diameter and type of metal into the DIY calculator. If you are trying to decide between using a tube or a rod as the chime element one important difference is the sustain time of the musical note.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 6 of 52 Step 12. Step 16. The important parameter is the outside diameter. Top aligned may have a more aesthetic appeal and on occasion some like center alignment. The DIY calculators on this web site can predicted the resonant frequency for a circular rod and the hang point location. Bottom aligned is best because it allows the striker to easily contact the end edge of all chimes. On the other hand. but on occasion the longer sustain time can offset the reduced loudness and sound quite acceptable. Attach the support line or chain to the chime using a simple jig you can make here Step 15. Tubes are structural.net/engineering/Chimes.fuse. (C4) is 26 1/4" while it is 32 7/8" for a 1" EMT. Depending on your alignment selection (top. Another difference is a shorter length requirement for a rod to strike the same note compared to a tube from the same metal. Select the style for hanging the chime tubes. Tubes. look for a discarded metal swing set. Choices include fishing line (both braided & monofilament 30 to 50 pound).fuse. Small eyelets can often be located at your local hobby store in the sewing department or a shoe repair store.065 inch). a chop saw or a table saw as described in step 3 above. brass plated. scuba diving tanks or fire extinguishers. they can yield very economical rod and tubing. and braided electrical conduit pull line. mandellas or macramé. braided plumb line. Metal Tanks Metal Hoops & Rings Eyelets & Grommets Metallic Support Line Non Metallic Support Line Continue ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. A most likely source can be your local testing facility for each type of tank. braided Dacron kite line. You can also use the outer shell of a 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch aluminum pop rivet. or decorative chain that is zinc plated. Hite. Metal Tubing Online Speedy Metals accepts small quantity orders for tubes or rods. Try your local metal recycler. string trimmer weed eater line (. Support rings can be cut from an out of service aluminum fire extinguisher using an abrasive metal cutting saw blade in a radial arm saw.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 7 of 52 Resources Always try your local building supply store. Try hobby stores for rings or hoops often used for dream catchers. chain link fence rails and post. braided nylon line. venetian blind chord. Try a hobby store for small aircraft control line cable. Online source: Speedy Metals you can order small quantities of tubes or rods. Yard or garage sales can yield surprising results. tubular shelving. etc. Some are chrome plated steel and others may require paint. Make sure the line is UV resistant. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 7 of 52 . Metal Rods Tanks bells can be crafted from out-of-service compressed gas/air tanks. Ask your local fire department. In addition to visiting the hardware section in these stores investigate tubing used for closet hanging poles.net/engineering/Chimes. shower curtain poles. awning chord. or painted can be located in hardware and home improvement stores. welding shop and scuba diving shop for their recommendation for a testing company. Remove the nail-like center and use the rivet. With permission look for discarded materials on constructions sites. Heat shrink tubing can be found at Radio Shack®. Thin braided wire or 1/32 to 1/16 inch rust resistant steel cable. You may be required to provide a letter to the testing company stating that you will cut the tank in pieces and render it unable to hold compressed air or gas.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.home. On the other hand. When you strike C2 on a piano that is indeed what you hear but not true of a chime cut for C2. Instead. DIY Tubular Bell Wind Chime Pentatonic Scale Calculator Base A=440 Hz. because of the large complement of overtones even though the fundamental is missing. will the strike note for a chime sound pleasing and bell-like? Yes. and the calculator will prove the correct length for each note. look at the precalculated tube length tables for your specific metal and chime size to learn where a 24-inch tube is positioned in the overall scale. Selections from about C2 to C4 sound the most bell-like but will not adequately radiate the fundamental tone. The best thing to do is test a 24-inch tube for a pleasing sound. To see a visual representation for what a chime is apt to sound like see the chart in Appendix J. Why this happens is discussed in the section "The Science of Chiming". Unfortunately this effect complicates note selection if you are trying to strike exact notes below about C5.home. Selecting musical notes for a chime is NOT like selecting notes on a piano or other string instrument. Above about C5 the strike note will actually be the fundamental and you can expect to hear the note you selected but the sound will be less bell-like than the C2 to C4 range. If you’re happy with the sound then remove 2-inches from each succeeding chime. Hite. An enhancement to the pentatonic scale is often the C9 Chord (C E G Bb & D) which has a wider note separation for a good sound both close in and at a distance from the chime. or reed instrument. All you really need to do is support the chime tube at the correct location to allow for the best possible sound from that tube.4% point. Caution. we have a DIY calculator for either choice where you select the metal and the tubing size. you want a 5-chime set about 24 inches tall not including the sail. 22”. in MS Excel DIY Tubular Bell Wind Chime C9 Chord Calculator Base A=440 Hz in MS Excel DIY Tubular Bell All Notes Wind Chime Calculator Base A=440 Hz in MS Excel notes) (Select your own If you're not sure what notes to select and want to experiment use the Wind Chime Designer software below. absolutely. A Must Read Caution: Ending your project with a successful and pleasing sound is important and setting the right expectations will allow that to happen. On the other hand. the loudspeaker connected to your computer has the ability to play the low notes from C2 to C4 but a chime will not reproduce those sounds. As long as the note is above C2 and well below about C5 to C6 you should be good to go.fuse. Tie a slipknot in a string and position it at exactly 22. Hold the chime with the string at the 22.). strike the chime on the edge of the end with an object that is medium-hard object like a wood mallet. 20”. you will hear a host of overtones with the fundamental and the first overtone missing. First. if you want a more coordinated sound a traditional and safe choice by many wind chime suppliers has been the pentatonic scale (C D E G & A.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 8 of 52 Musical Note Selection: Do you need to select a musical note? Not necessarily unless you are looking for a specific sound. a wood cooking spoon or the hard rubber heel of a shoe.4% from one end. I arbitrarily used a 2-inch removal measurement and suggest not more than 3-inches between any two chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.net/engineering/Chimes. Say for example. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 8 of 52 .224 to locate the support location. For example. With that in mind. You can lengthen rather than shorten each successive chime for an overall increase in height as long as you remain in the suggested range from C2 to C6 for all notes. 18” and 16” and proceed to step 4 above. Multiply the tube length by . ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. an orchestra grade chime that is physically cut for C2 will actually sound about like C5. Typically this occurs when you select notes in the lower part of the scale.0. Click on Wind_Chime_Designer_Instructions PDF 6. TUNING.home. 1997-2006. However. Hite. It will help you determine what notes sound pleasant on a chime and what scale to use. 1. Using right mouse. Strike a note or strike a chord? Over the years much effort by many well-intentioned folks has been placed on exactly what is the best chord for a set of wind chimes? While a musical chord can be pleasing to the ear. Download the Zip file Wind Chime Designer Software 370 Kb by Greg Phillips (software + Instructions) 2. Place all three files in a folder of your choice 5.exe. Caution at a distance I often hear the comment. Remember. High frequency sounds attenuate more quickly in the atmosphere than do the lower frequencies.) This choice can sound pleasant close to the chime set but not so well at a distance. Why is this?” The answer lies in the conditions that make up the notes for the chime. The striker only contacts one.exe to run the program. they sounded out of tune. In fact. and mostly missing the fundamental. The chime can sound completely different under these conditions. if you dedicate a striker to each chime tube (internal or external to the chime) that configuration can ring several chimes at nearly the same time and approximate a chord. (contains Chime32A. and Wind Chime Designer Instructions) 4. I was over to my neighbor’s the other day and the chimes did not sound so good. Additional information at www. When using the traditional round striker it is much better to select notes that have a fair amount of separation allowing the ear to easily discern a variety of notes. The original combination of strike frequency and overtones are not the same at a distance. Click on Chime32A. At a distance you are not hearing the same sound you hear close in. the effort to simultaneously strike all the notes in a chord using the traditional circular shaped striker/clapper has been mostly a waste of time. More on this in the striker section. the loudspeaker connected to your computer has the ability to play the low notes from C2 to C4 but a chime will not reproduce those sounds. "I have a set of chimes on my deck and they sound great. As mentioned in the science section.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 9 of 52 Chime emulation: A well designed freeware called Wind Chime Designer V 2. select Download Linked File 3.net/engineering/Chimes.fuse. Also.zip to unzip the folder. maybe two. you can get this distance effect. a chime note is a combination of the fundamental strike frequency and the many overtones. The C9 chord (C E G Bb & D) can be used to widen the note separations for a five-chime set. not always does the fundamental frequency contribute to the note and not always are there many overtones for a given note. select Save Link As Safari.DAT. chimes simultaneously. select Save Target As Google Chrome. The problem at a distance is the ear has difficulty discerning the closely spaced notes of the pentatonic scale. The actual note depends on exactly where in the musical scale the chime is operating. by Greg Phillips will emulate a chime for notes between A2 (110 Hz) thru B8 (7. Click on wind_chime_designer. select Save Link As FireFox. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 9 of 52 . Some of the overtones attenuate more rapidly than others at a distance. Often a traditional choice has been the pentatonic scale (C D E G & A. save to a folder of your choice Internet Explorer.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Some of the high frequency sounds can be greatly attenuated or missing. The good news is that with some innovative striker designs we can now strike a chord. Remember. When you have a chime that contains a larger number of overtones that are located in the higher frequencies.902 Hz) in many different scales (82 in all). Lbm / in3 0.home. p. While each set will have different calculated lengths. From the chart to the right you can see that aluminum has the lowest density and the lowest modulus of elasticity (deforms easier than the others).000 16. Why is that? Contrary to intuition there are only two variables that control the sound of a chime. the tubes are properly tuned and properly mounted. However.net/engineering/Chimes. the difference among metals does not make one metal good and another bad. 2” OD with a 1/8” wall thickness.2835 But what does all of this have to do with what metal sounds best? The differences among metals cause a difference in timbre for the same note. Chimes from EMT (electrical conduit) are galvanized and resist rust but not at the support hole or the ends.2600 0.000. When it comes to size if you’re on the fence between two sets of chimes and one set has either a thicker wall or a larger diameter. A set of chimes designed for the C2 to the C3 octave have good acoustic radiation properties close to the set but not so good far away because of this distance effect. and for a given input of strike energy the aluminum chime can be louder and have an increased sustain time. while copper has the highest density but is only midrange for elasticity. they are just different in how they sound. weight and aesthetics.fuse.0980 0.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 10 of 52 If your interest is making the chimes sound good at a distance of say 80-100 feet or more. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 10 of 52 . thicker wall and/or larger diameter.400. 2” OD with a 1/8” wall thickness. Modulus of Elasticity. Copper chimes have a different timbre than steel chimes. Your budget may not approve the cost of copper and aluminum may be more favorable than steel because of weight. Also see the section on “proportional dimensions” for considerations of diameter.e.i . There are no bad sounding chimes when the notes are properly selected. the density and the elasticity of the metal. i. On occasion you may hear someone say they like aluminum chimes best. Rust could be an issue long term for EMT.000 17. see the table on the next page organized smallest to largest for middle C (C4). Aluminum Brass Cast Iron Copper Steel 10. and the other set from steel. Some like a deep rich sound and other like the tinkle tinkle sound. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. The best I can advise is to visit a chime shop and test-drive a few chimes of different metals and different sizes. If you want the smallest possible chime set for a given note range select brass tubing.000 13. What metal sounds best? After the issues above are properly considered we can move to the question of what metal sounds best for a tubular chime? The short answer is the thicker the wall and the larger the diameter the better they sound.000.3080 0. Hite.000.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. what sounds best is a personal choice and I have not found a good answer for everyone. i. To better understand the difference in metals let’s properly build two 5-tube sets of chimes using the C9 chord beginning with the C2 octave.s. It's impossible to have a set of chimes for the same note range made from aluminum sound the same as a set made from steel or any other metal because of their difference in density and modulus of elasticity. they will both strike the same fundamental note. but sound quite differently.3226 0. One set from aluminum.000 30. consider increasing the diameter of the tubing from the traditional sizes ranging from ½” thru 2” up to at least 3” or more.e. 4” to 6” are better. select the tube with more mass. EMT will provide the largest physical set for a given note range. not necessarily the type of metal. You may hear someone say they like aluminum best or copper best. That is likely because the lower modulus of elasticity for aluminum requires less strike energy for resonant activation. Choice of metal: Most often the chime designer considers cost.000 Density.000. As an example. wall thickness and length. Opposite to brass. Those two variables control the specific length dimensions to achieve a desired note for a given tubing size and wall thickness. However. Brass . copper tubing does not. I want to emphasize that good tuning will certainly help to accurately produce the appropriate overtones for the selected note.fuse. Listen HERE (mp3) to the beating sound for the tube shown to the right. The four common copper schedule s are named K (thick-walled). Some people enjoy this type of effect and others may find it annoying. If you want to avoid this wah-wah effect.065 wall Aluminum . Both type M & type L can be found in the plumbing section at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s in the USA. Wall thickness for copper pipe varies with the pipe schedule. and DWV is Yellow. brass. L (medium-walled). However. and DWV (drain/waste/vent . Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 11 of 52 .home. The problem with tubing that exhibits this effect is that it makes precise tuning more difficult. Hite. it may be just fine for structural needs. The elasticity and the density of the tubing will be different depending on where the tube is struck.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Commonly available sizes for aluminum. While some tubing may be considered poor quality for musical requirements.035 wall EMT 26 1/8" 27" 28 7/16" 29 5/16" 30 7/16" 32 7/8" Not all tubing is created equal: Some tubing may produce a frequency beating effect when struck. M is Red.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 11 of 52 Length for a one-inch diameter chime at middle C (C4). The printing on the pipe is color coded for identification. make sure you acquire high quality tubing – or test a small piece before buying in bulk.non-pressurized). enter those parameters into the DIY calculator on frequencies causing the wah-wah sound effect the data page when using the DIY calculator.net/engineering/Chimes. K is Green. This is often due to variations in the cross section of the tubing from variations and inconsistencies in the manufacturing process. The tube can produce two closely spaced fundamental frequencies and these two frequencies will produce the beating effect. Aluminum and brass tubing tend to exactly follow their stated ID and OD dimensions. L is Blue. M (thin-wall). particularly for the higher note ranges. copper. smallest to largest. About tubing dimensions see standard dimension tables in Appendix E. If you are able to determine the exact material density and the exact Beating between two fundamental modulus of elasticity.065 wall Copper M Cast Iron Aluminum . steel and cast iron are also in the DIY wind chime calculator ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. 50 Requires a free PDF reader like Adobe® or Foxit™ Wall Thickness (inches) Alum Alum Alum Alum Copper Copper .049 18 Gauge Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Brass . Do not use these calculations for an orchestra or a musical setting because an orchestra will typically tune for A= 442. Precalculated Length and Hang Point Dimensions for Tubes & Pipes [English & Metric] PDF Tubing OD or Nominal Size (inches) . Also.00 Alum Alum Copper Copper EMT Caution.00 1 1/8 1 1/4 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 7/8 2.0 2. there are manufacturing dimensional tolerances that may cause slight inaccuracies in the actual results not to mention the effects of poor material handling along with slight variations in material properties and impurities.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 12 of 52 Chime dimensions: Precalculated lengths for some common metal tubes. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 12 of 52 .125 Type L Type M 17 16 14 1/8" Blue Red Gauge Gauge Gauge Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Copper Copper Alum Alum Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Copper Alum . This is not normally required for wind chimes.065 .035 20 Gauge Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum Alum .25 2.0 1.00 1 1/8 1 1/4 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 7/8 2. Additional information at www. elasticity. density and poor handling.083 . iPad.50 1.fuse. roundness.75 1.net/engineering/Chimes. If in doubt. cut slightly long and grind to final values.50 .htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.00 1 1/8 1 1/4 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 7/8 2. these values allow you to get close to the desired note (typically within 1%) but if you desire an exact frequency. pipes and rods.00 Brass 1/4 3/8 1/2 5/8 3/4 7/8 1.00 Steel 1/4 3/8 1/2 5/8 3/4 7/8 1. Hite. Android or a software programs like Audacity® See the section “Tuning the Chime” Read the Caution Precalculated lengths for resonant metal rods Rod Length & Hang Point.75 2. You can measure frequency for verification using any of the free apps for an iPhone. A4=440Hz Diameter inches Aluminum 1/4 3/8 1/2 5/8 3/4 7/8 1.home.00 Diameter mm Aluminum 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 Brass 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 Steel 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 Values can vary slightly because of manufacturing tolerances for diameter. 43 or 44 Hz and this chart uses A=440 Hz.065 Wall Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Steel EMT thinwall EMT EMT EMT EMT EMT EMT EMT Cast Iron Sked 40 Cast Cast Cast Cast 3.058 .25 1. it is best to cut slightly long and grind to the final length. 6%. ID in inches and specific material types OD = outside dimension of tubing (inches). Unfortunately.net/engineering/Chimes. The calculator provides the correct location for placing the chimes (R) and (CS). ID = inside dimension of tubing (inches) Material type = aluminum.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.6%. the tuning for each tube increased from about 5% to 9% depending on length. Most symphony grade instruments are shipped with A4=442 Hz. DIY tubular bell wind chime all notes calculator Base A4=440 Hz DIY tubular bell wind chime pentatonic scale calculator (C D E G A) Base A4=440 Hz DIY tubular bell wind chime C9 chord calculator (C E G Bb D) Base A4=440 Hz DIY tubular bell wind chime all notes calculator Base A4=432 Hz (Old Original Tuning) NOTE: Do not use these calculations for an orchestra or a musical setting unless you are certain they use A=440 Hz. cast iron. The above chart uses A4 = 440 Hz. G =+7. Angle-Cut Tubing: A 45° cut at the bottom or top of the tube can add a nice aesthetic touch. D =+6. E =+7. Instructions for use are included with the calculator. Additional information at www. TM Viewer (Free) Get it here.5%. copper. or Apache Open Office TM (Free) Get it here. steel. 43 or 44 Hz. The set was originally cut for the pentatonic scale (CDEGA) beginning at C6 using 90° cut tubing. the rate of change was not a linear value but instead a value specific to each length of tubing. brass. Specific values were C6 =+5. After a 45° cut at the bottom end of each tube.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 13 of 52 Calculate your own tubular bell chime dimensions . the tuning for each chime tube will change considerably from the 90° cut value. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 13 of 52 .8%. The shorter the chime the more the tuning will change. stainless steel & EMT (thin-wall conduit) Note selection by frequency in Hz Embedded top support disk calculator Embedded points on a circle calculator The embedded top support disk calculator asks you to decide on the chime diameter (CD).5%. ^ To Index^ DIY Calculator includes the following features: Calculates length and hang point for tubes open at both ends or with end caps by using the ratio calculator. select save target as and save to a folder of your choice. the striker diameter (SD) and the clearance between the striker and the chime tube (D).home. An orchestra or symphony may brighten slightly and will typically tune for A4=442. A=+8. and the diameter of the support disk (PD). Also included is a points on a circle calculator for use in the layout of a top support disk holes or a radial star striker. For example. Look-up tables for standard size tubing Look-up table for material properties Standard Music Scale All dimensions calculated are based on OD. Hite.115 inch.DIY The calculators require any of the following programs to view and execute: MS Excel it here. however. here are the changes in tuning for a 5-chime set made from 2 inch OD aluminum with a wall of .fuse. or MS Excel TM (Cost $) Get Click to download or using right mouse. The results were very consistent. Additional information at www.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. If you want to maintain exact tuning using a 45° cut. maybe? Read the caution below! There are a host of apps for Chromatic Tuners available for an iPhone. On the other hand. Hite. pictured right. Mark the support nodes 22. Site visitor Mathew George uses “gStrings” on his Android. I use the $. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 14 of 52 . A few scrap pieces of wood to make two Ubrackets. If exact tuning is not required or important cut the tubing to the suggested length and trim the end at 45°.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 14 of 52 Additional testing was performed for a number of different diameters and different lengths using aluminum. rubber bands and you're in business. iPad or Android. Short tubing (around 20 inches) could increase the tuning by as much as 9 to 10%. If you have just a few measurements to make a quick & easy support is a string slipknot positioned at the 22.4% node.4% from each end for locating the rubber bands. long. It was impossible to predict the change other than the trend stated above for short vs.home.fuse. Tuning the Chime: If you are attempting to create exact notes for an orchestra setting. cut the tube longer than the value suggested by the DIY calculator or the pre-calculated tables and trim to final value using your favorite tuning method. pictured right with the iPad. Long tubing (35 to 40 inches or more) could change as little as 2%.net/engineering/Chimes. ^ To Index^ Frequency measurement: Measuring the exact frequency and musical note of the chime couldn’t be easier. if you desire a good sounding set of chimes but do not need orchestra accuracy then carefully cut and finish a tube to the length suggested by the precalculated table or the DIY calculators listed above.99 app “insTuner” on an iPad and freeware Audacity® on a laptop shown below. Short thin-walled tubing of any diameter changed the most and long thick-walled tubing of any diameter changed the least. copper and steel tubing. exact tuning is required and the use of an electronic tuning device or a good tuning ear is necessary. Similar to other percussion instruments. Additional information at www. Thick-walled tank chimes/bells can measure with surprising accuracy because of a single pure tone above C4 that is not cluttered with unimportant sidebands. there are numerous non-harmonic overtones present which (depending on their individual frequency and amplitude) can be predominant to a tuner or analyzer. Long low frequencies tubes mostly measure incorrectly because of the "missing fundamental effect" and the preponderance of high amplitude overtones. thin-walled tank chimes/bells seem not to do as well and they may be impossible to measure accurately. In fact. In my opinion incorrect support ranks as the number one mistake made by some commercial chimes sets for sale both on the internet and in stores.net/engineering/Chimes. I have used the microphone on a headset used for Skype and it works quite well.fuse.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 15 of 52 A word of caution. but in general I find most any note below C4 difficult to measure and on occasion below C5. I have good success supporting the chime horizontally at one node by a rubber band and at the other node by a thin wire looped around the chime and attached to an accelerometer. try moving the chime further away from the tuner to help minimize unimportant frequencies. the tuner is listening to a predominant overtone so just ignore that measurement.42% from either end or at the very end using an end cap. chimes do not produce a range of fundamental frequencies and pure harmonic frequencies like string instruments. Yes. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 15 of 52 . Mechanical Support: Chime Support is at either of two locations. wind tubes and reed instruments for which chromatic tuners are intended. To eliminate the annoying background noise when using a microphone. poor quality tubing exhibiting dual fundamentals will drive the tuner nuts and cause it to constantly switch between the two fundamentals. even incorrectly supported chimes will produce a tinkle tinkle sound when struck but lacks the rich resonant bell sound that would result from proper support. A chromatic tuner may display the predominant amplitude and frequency but that may not be what your ear actually perceives as a result of the brain's "fuzzy logic" processing the many overtones associated with a particular fundamental frequency. Chromatic tuners listen and display sound as it is being produced on a linear basis for both amplitude and frequency but our brain process the same information using "fuzzy logic". A good software solution for FFT spectrum analysis measurement is a freeware program Audacity® used on a Laptop pictured above. In addition. Using the values for length provided by the tables and DIY calculators on the web site will get you very close to the exact note. the human ear is probably the most non-linear and narrowband sound listening device we know of. it can be tricky at best and at times impossible to get a chromatic tuner to register correctly for a chime. It is difficult to provide an exact recommendation for when to use the tuner to measure a chime's note. at the fundamental frequency node located 22. If you get a good steady reading and it is not what you expected. A few additional sources are listed in Appendix C. Why is this problem? Unfortunately. both of which could be incorrect. Two causes that can render a chromatic tuner useless for a chime measurement are the nonlinearity of the human ear and the chime's non-harmonic overtones. However. Hite. If you are not displaying the note you expected. If the tuner cannot make a believable measurement use the calculated length for the tube. use an accelerometer.home.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Most any computer microphone will work. Instead. but make little or no difference to the human ear. Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 16 of 52 The first support location uses the traditional fundamental frequency node which is 22.42% from either end. If you happen to have a background in both mechanical vibration and acoustic vibration. it is easy to confuse overtones and harmonics.42% from either end and is the most optimum location. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. See the transverse vibration mode diagram below. This acoustic harmonic relationship has no connection to the radio frequency definition of harmonics. An important objective for a bell-like chime is to preserve the resonance of the chime as long as possible. Hite. or Harmonics = Overtones + 1. End Caps: The second support location is where the chime tube is supported by a cable or cord through a hole in an end cap. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 16 of 52 . or sustain time for the chime.fuse. 2nd Harmonic 2nd Overtone. it is possible to support the chime at the first. try to place the top of the hole so it aligns with the location mark. Accurate placement for the support holes helps to assure the high quality (Q) or hang-time. If you're curious about other support locations. the fundamental is lowered by about 3% to 6% from calculated values on this page. For 1/2" copper tubing type L.home. A hole size of 1/16” can be drilled directly on the location mark but for larger holes like 1/8”. second or third overtone node but not recommended. All charts and calculations in this paper are for the support line to be located at the fundamental frequency node which is 22. You will notice a considerable increase in sustain time for the end cap supported tube. It is important to understand that the end cap lowers the fundamental frequency and some associated overtones from values calculated by the DIY calculators or precalculated charts. 1st Fundamental Frequency 3 Harmonic rd 1st Overtone. The good news is that the end cap noticeably increases the duration for the first overtone and the chime has a much more bell-like sound.net/engineering/Chimes. For 3/4" type L copper tubing the fundamental is lowered by about 11% to 12%. Overtones = Harmonics -1. See the diagram below.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Look at these two spectral waterfall displays and specifically compare the hang time of the 1st overtone for each. Additional information at www. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 17 of 52 .net/engineering/Chimes. Hite. Method 1 Eyelets or grommets help when deburring is difficult or impossible Method 2 Method 2 Knot on the outside Deburring the inside allows for one top support hole is support point.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.fuse.home. important.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 17 of 52 Waterfall display for a chime tube supported by a hole Waterfall display for a chime tube supported at the in the end cap. Similar to the traditional orchestra traditional fundamental frequency node. chime Chime Support Suggestions Method 1 Method 1 Traditional two-point Important to deburr mount and the most the outside holes stable in high winds for string supported chimes. Method 5 Method 5 A small rubber Can be used to support grommet on outside the concealed striker of the chime for each side prevents buzzing Additional information at www. connection Held with super glue or flair the ends with a ballpeen hammer.home.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 18 of 52 Method 3 Converts from a two point mount to a single point mount and may be more pleasing to the eye with less visible line. Both ends feed from the outside to the inside Method 3 The knot can be tucked inside and out of view Method 4 The half wrap is a convenient connection for a chain mount Method 4 Method 5 Slide the knot out of 1/8" metal rod flush view for the chain cut and deburred. Hite.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Method 3 Internal view Method 3 Side view Method 4 1/2 Wrap. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 18 of 52 .fuse.net/engineering/Chimes. Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 19 of 52 Method 6 Horizontal cable mount provides a new look Method 6 1/32" or 1/16" steel cable threads thru each hole Method 6 Small plastic beads assure even spacing among tubes Method 6 Even without the beads the tubes have a tendency to space evenly Method 7 End cap support for copper tubing Method 8 Rigid mount using 1/8" bolt or larger. Securing nuts not shown Method 8 4-point rigid mount allows maximum support vertically or horizontally Method 8 4-point rigid mount resist abuse in a park or playground setting Method 9 Horizontal support using a noninvasive soft chord or line Additional information at www.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Hite. Securing nut not shown Method Dual rigid mount using 1/8" bolts or larger.home.fuse. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 19 of 52 .net/engineering/Chimes. brass plated. The arms tend to be selfcentering. or small aircraft control line cable. and braided electrical conduit pull line. wiggle the arm until the tips pop out of the holes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. not to mention the many freeze/thaw cycles. Remove the wire arms from the clip. Rapid wind changes and UV light can quickly deteriorate support lines. Support Line: Longevity for a chime is important and careful attention to the support lines and thru holes should be considered. braided Dacron kite line. decorative chain that is zinc plated. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 20 of 52 .net/engineering/Chimes. braided plumb line. A solid 1/8" pin glued in place works well. Additional information at www. Adjust the loops to not touch the chime below the hole An inverted V is not absolutely necessary. and position in place using needle nose pliers.home. braided nylon line.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 20 of 52 Forming the inverted V wire pin: This example uses a #12 copper wire but you can use aluminum. Choices include fishing line (either 80# braided or 30-50# monofilament). or painted. string trimmer/weed eater line (. brass or whatever works best. awning chord. 1/32 or /16 inch steel cable (rust resistant). Adjust the form decorative loops loops to not touch the chime below the hole Position the pusher board perpendicular to the wire Using moderate pressure to form the inverted V A slip knot works well to secure the line Form the second decorative loop.fuse. Nonmetallic support line: Make sure the line is UV resistant. An alternate inverted V support can be the wire arm from a binder clip shown on the right. Hite. Metallic support line: can be thin wire. The binder clips are available in different sizes so you can match the clip to the diameter of the pipe. Sharpen and fit a pusher board to the ID of the chime Insert wire thru both holes Form decorative loop on leaving sufficient wire to one side only.065 inch). The wire diameter increases with the size of the clip so make sure to check before you drill the pipes. stretch them out a little. Be sure to attach your hanger line first. venetian blind chord. fuse. first remove the burr using a long round file or sandpaper on a stick. Additional information at www. Grommets/Eyelets: are mostly for protecting the outside edge of the thru hole. An easy method to deburr the outside edges of the thru hole is to use a larger drill bit to slightly chamfer the outer edges. center. one or the other sharp edges of the thru hole require deburring. Jigs to position the chime for attaching support line or chain. After you have selected the alignment configuration. eyelets from the hobby store in the sewing department or at the shoe repair store. You can also use the outer shell of a 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch aluminum pop rivet. Sources: Include Radio Shack for heat shrink tubing. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 21 of 52 .htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. For center aligned chimes attach a small section of masking tape to the center of the chime and scribe the chime center location on the tape. Rubber. Scribe a mark for the bottom. Below are three possible jigs. Repeat with the remainder of the chime set using the scribed reference mark.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 21 of 52 Deburring: Depending on whether the support line exits the chime from the inside or outside of the chime. a simple jig can assist the installation of the support line. or the adjustable post at that location on the jig. By hand.net/engineering/Chimes. but small sizes can be a challenge to locate. Hite. a pencil mark. center or bottom.home. Stretch the line up to the reference post and tie a loop or a knot or mark with a felt tip pen. Remove the nail-like center and use the rivet. both with red adjustable stops for alignment. careful not to break the drill bit. Place the longest chime on the template and secure with tape. This motion will tend to further chamfer the outside edge and help to burnish the inner edge of the hole. Small eyelets can often be located at your local hobby store in the sewing department or a shoe repair store. plastic or metal (grommets or eyelets) are encouraged. insert the smooth shaft end of the drill bit or other hardened steel rod into the hole and rotate in a circular motion. a square-grove jig and a v-grove jig. Begin with the longest chime and select an appropriate length for the attachment line from the chime to the support point on the support disk or ring and locate a nail. Additional protection: Use a small section of heat shrink tubing over a nonmetallic support line where it exits the thru hole from the inside where it is often difficult to deburr or chamfer. If the inside edge of the thru hole is of concern. top. a clamp or maybe lay a book on it. A third jig made from a section of cardboard or wood strip works well. Grommets can be from a hardware store. the model airplane store or the hobby store. or top alignment on the jig. net/engineering/Chimes. Pictured below are a few examples. Heat shrink tubing can protect the line from the sharp inside edge of the hole Shrinkable tubing in place and operational Good place to use heat shrink tubing Eyelets required for the outside edge only #12 copper wire bends Double support line for easily to form an inverted V an unusually heavy Updated 5/15/2013 Additional information at www.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 22 of 52 The knot in the support line or wire can be mostly hidden by use of a countersink hole when using thru holes to anchor line to a solid support disk.fuse.home. Support Line Suggestions Deburr inside hole using stick & sandpaper Chamfer outside hole using 1/8" & 3/16" aluminum an oversized drill bit eyelets and a pop rivet Outside hole with aluminum eyelet Eyelets do not protect the line from the inside edge 1/8" & 3/16" eyelets using the shell from a pop rivet. Hite. Published 10/01/2012 Page 22 of 52 . Use only for thru line.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. fit a 1/8" brass pin into a 1/8" place Epoxy in place.net/engineering/Chimes. If you want to avoid using the above calculator an easy work-around is to select an appropriate generic pattern from the Support disk & striker patterns document. 4. & 8 chimes. hole and file smooth File smooth and finish the tube with either an aged copper look described below or a clear finish For steel tubing.fuse. and the diameter of the support disk (PD). Support disk calculator with points on a circle calculator included 170 K b You may wish to calculate your own dimensions for the top support disk using the support disk calculator. See Appendix H for a variety of chime support design styles. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. Solder or epoxy the pin in tear on the connection. You decide on the chime diameter (CD).home.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. fit a 1/8" steel or brass pin into a 1/8" hole and file smooth Solder or epoxy the pin in place File smooth and finish with a decorative paint Support Disk & Striker Patterns Support disk & striker patterns are available in the document to the right. The patterns are for tubing sizes from ½” to 2” in ¼” increments. Generic layout patterns are also included.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 23 of 52 chime Support Line Suggestions Continued Half wrap hides the knot inside the chime Solid pin eliminates wear and For copper or brass tubing. 7. and for chime sets for 3. 6. Hite. and scribe the accurate location for support holes using the pattern. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 23 of 52 . Instructions for use are included with the calculator. the striker diameter (SD) and the clearance between the striker and the chime tube (D). The calculator provides the correct location for placing the chimes on radius (R) and the spacing between the chimes (CS). 5. Strip paint and brush with a wire wheel.5 . Support rings can be cut from an out of service aluminum fire extinguisher.5 . Adjust a compass to the distance (L) and walk the compass around the circle to locate the points. Updated 5/15/2013 Additional information at www. and the calculator provides you with the distance between points.net/engineering/Chimes. Circular configuration Inline configuration 1-3-5-2-4 1-4-2-5-3-6 1 .fuse. When this happens you can enhance the overall sound by placing widely separated notes next to each other.7 .home. Published 10/01/2012 Page 24 of 52 .8 Disk and Ring Support Suggestions A circular ring or hoop provides an open air and transparent appearance.6 -3 .htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.2 . For example. Uses include automatic calculations for locating chimes on a radius. or cutting saw blade in a radial braided fishing line can be used arm saw. Use an abrasive metal Chain.7 . table saw.2 .4 1 . decorative cord. select the number of points and the radius (R) for those points. An easy lookup table is provided for locating 3 to 8 points. below are location suggestions with chime number 1 as the shortest.6 -3 .Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 24 of 52 Also included is a location calculator for points on a circle.4 . and points used to draw a multisided polygon such as a star striker or support disk arranged as a star. Rather than using a protractor to layout the angles for the shape of your polygon. Height of 3/8” to 3/4 “works well. Chime location sequence A circular striker will typically strike just one chime at a time but on occasion it may simultaneously strike two chimes. a hexagon or an octagon etc. a pentagon. Hite. a chop saw or a with this top support hoop. sports logo or a A decorative hand painted favorite hobby can adorn the funnel or pan lid adds top of the chime disk.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 25 of 52 Use the generic patterns document to mark the 3point mount location holes and a generic pattern matching your number of chimes.075" aluminum with a 3/6" x 3" eye bolt used with the keeper-striker arrangement A single screw eye is an easy connection but more difficult to balance level Chain or UV resistant cord can be configured for a 3point or 4-point mount If the star pattern is used for the striker it can be duplicated for the top support A solid circular disk offers a wide choice for mounting including screw eyes or thru holes You can also use the chime Bottom view set as a birdhouse. Pets.home. mandellas or macramé Support disk cut from . Hite. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 25 of 52 . uniqueness to the set ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes. Chrome plated steel rings and hoops available in a variety of sizes from hobby stores and online Look in hobby stores for rings or hoops often used for dream catchers. or about an inch below the centerline as pictured below. The Strike Zone: An important consideration for a bell-like chime is the strike zone. perhaps for aesthetic reasons. the suspension. Make sure you avoid the dead zone. An easy solution to assuring the strike occurs at the very end of the chime is to use bottom alignment and a tapered striker as shown in striker suggestions. below that line about ½”. or at the very below that line. Hite.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 26 of 52 Striker/Clapper Orchestra chimes. The optimum location is at the very end of the tubular chime because this location will assure that all possible overtones are energized.net/engineering/Chimes. bottom. the weight. the material. Typically there is little strike energy from normal winds so preserving and applying that energy is the challenge. of course. and the strike location. The ideal strike zone is from the end of the chime to about 1 inch from the end. bottom or center alignment Strike Zone Top Aligned Chimes Strike Zone Bottom Aligned Chimes Strike Zone Center Aligned Chimes Find the centerline for the longest Find the centerline for the shortest Find the centerline for all chimes and chime and position the striker slightly chime and position the striker slightly position the striker slightly above or below that line.fuse. the motion. While I recommend striking the end of the chime. about ½”. there are good aesthetic reasons to align the chimes for a center alignment or a top alignment. need a human to strike the chime and a rawhide-covered rubber mallet works well.home. Design considerations below include single or multiple strikers. and the resulting sound can be very clunky even though the even numbered overtones were well energized. Often you will see the center selected as the strike location for a wind chime. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 26 of 52 .htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Additional information at www. When the exact center of the chime is struck the odd numbered overtones can fail to energize. This should not be surprising since orchestra chimes are struck at the end. Strike zone for top. about ½”. the ideal strike zone. A rawhide-covered baseball or softball can work well for wind chimes but only in a very high wind environment where there is ample strike energy from the sail. the shape. Striker Material: The choice of material depends somewhat on the note selection. If the wind is quite strong and gusty you may need to soften the striker even further by using a rawhide-covered baseball/softball. Considerable strike energy can be achieved by using an oak disk machined to a knife-edge and loaded with a 1 oz. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 27 of 52 . lower frequency chimes with a good movement from the wind sail works better with a soft heavy striker. An alternate shape is the circular traveling radial striker which can be effective for striking a musical chord. However. The striker has a tendency to rotate CW & CCW as it bounces to and from each chime. Some choices are a hockey puck. Depending on your typical wind conditions there may be occasions when you need a lightweight striker for large chimes. an enclosed star.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 27 of 52 Striker Shape is most often circular because the chimes are located in circle. Near the seashore winds can be rather strong and you may need to soften the strike with a lightweight striker or switch to a rawhide-covered baseball or softball. A circular striker used for larger diameter. redwood. the star shaped striker can synchronously contact most all of the chimes. The rawhide helps to produce a very mellow strike in a strong wind. a successful star-striker should be from a relatively hard material yet lightweight allowing for a quick response to circular movements. The radial striker most often takes the shape of an open star. weight. teak or Osage orange aka hedge-apple.home. Hite. >2”. The loudness of the chimes struck with a star striker is somewhat reduced compared to the circular striker because the strike energy has been distributed among the various chimes. The loudness of the chimes struck with a star striker is reduced compared to the circular striker because the strike energy has been distributed among the various chimes. Be sure to coat the striker with a UV resistant coating.net/engineering/Chimes. Smaller diameter higher frequency chimes benefit from a harder wood like white oak. On the other hand. See a YouTube video HERE Striker Weight: A heavy striker for large chimes and a lighter weight striker for smaller chimes is a good recommendation most of the time. A circular striker will typically contact one or maybe two chimes simultaneously. A most melodious bell sound is achieved with a softer strike that energizes overtones without spurious sidebands as shown in the purple spectrum display to the far right.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.fuse. and a harder material is required for a strong strike. all pictured below. Keep it Clean: A dirty strike can energize a host of unwanted spurious sideband frequencies as demonstrated by the steel striker in the blue spectrum display to the right. aka keeper-striker. 1/8 inch aluminum or sheet plastic works well to accomplish both goals. See striker suggestions below. red cedar or treated lumber. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. for a demo.home. when you attempt to resonate the striker line. A stiff wire like coat hanger wire can be used as an axle as shown below in striker suggestions. the ratios can be quite different. A heavy striker is difficult to resonate. The easy solution was to resonate the support line that supports both the striker and the sail using the second mode bending principle. On the other hand. You can easily recognize this movement by using both hands to hold a string vertically and have a second person pluck the center of the string. With that in mind. It is difficult to provide an exact ratio between the weight of the striker and the weight of the sail. When resonance is working well you will notice as the sail comes to rest. mostly above a 2 inch diameter. If you position the striker at the exact center between the top and the sail you can achieve this resonance. Even though the sail moves in the wind it will act as an anchor for the resonant movement of the striker. an indication the striker is dissipating the stored energy from resonance. The natural resonance of the string will cause the center to vibrate. I realize that if you use a CD as the sail a lighter weight striker can be difficult to achieve. a bank sinker or an egg sinker. This resonance will help to amplify and sustain the motion of the striker with little input energy from the sail. Striker Motion: I happen to live in a wooded area with little wind and have struggled to achieve good strike energy with low winds. The wood striker (hard maple) produced a most melodious bell sound while the metal strike was harsh and annoying. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 28 of 52 .htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.net/engineering/Chimes. I set out to improve the low wind performance of the striker.fuse. I suggest the striker not exceed the weight of the sail and ideally the striker should be about 1/2 the weight of the sail. This helps to keep the disk horizontal during rapid and sudden movements from high winds. for medium to high winds and for a non-resonate mounting. The objective is to maximize striker movement with little input energy from the sail. See striker suggestions below. In general. Notice the large movement of the striker compared with little movement from the sail. Depending on the actual weight for both. Wrap the sinker with about two layers of black electrical tape to prevent the harsh sound from a metal strike and still provide a strong but muted strike. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 28 of 52 Both strikers produced equal loudness for the fundamental while the steel striker did a better job of energizing overtones (louder) but at the cost of unwanted dirty sidebands. See this Resonant striker video WMV. Hite. a bell sinker. Striker Suspension A small 1/16-inch brass tube about 5 inches long thru the center of the striker allows for the suspension line to be threaded and used as an axle for the disk. The striker is a lead weight normally used as a sinker for fishing and can be any of the following: a cannon ball sinker. the wind catcher/sail should have a weight less than 25% of the striker. the striker will continue to bounce off the chimes for a few more strikes. Conceal and carry chime© hides a lead striker on the inside of the chime for large diameters chimes. home. Hite. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 A radial striker rotates on contact with the chime bouncing back and forth effectively striking a chord or most of the chord Page 29 of 52 .fuse.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 29 of 52 Striker Clapper Suggestions Straight edge wood disk striker with axle Knife edge wood disk maximizes strike energy Knife edge disk striker with weight and axle Close up for tapered edge wood striker with weight & axle Bullet nose wood striker with Enameled coat hanger wire works well for an axle hollow axle or wire axle maximizes strike energy Tapered edge wood striker with axle allows striking the end of the chime edge for maximum strike energy Typical tapered edge striker with axle for bottom aligned chimes A sculptured tapered edge striker assures contact with A sculptured tapered edge the very end edge of the striker adds a decorative touch for striking the edge of chime the chime end. Typical arrangement for a tapered edge striker with an axle for bottom alignment Additional information at www.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.net/engineering/Chimes. and provides a unique style with a more subtle strike A 2 oz. aluminum or other light weight but relative hard material 3-Chime Keeper-Striker 5-Chime Keeper-Striker Baseball / Softball good for a Conceal & Carry mellow strike in a high wind The chime carries a environment concealed lead striker inside a 2 inch diameter or larger chime. Can be too strong for some ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. Hite. lead weight wrapped with two layers of black electrical tape provide a strong but muted strike A billiard ball or croquet ball are choices for a strong strike on small chimes.fuse.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 30 of 52 The open star radial striker loudness is reduced compared to the traditional round striker Multipliable configurations exist to achieve a radial strike.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. The enclosed star radial striker works great for maintaining alignment in high wind conditions and produces a more subtle strike The enclosed star radial striker can be made from 1/8” sheet plastic. Test first for harshness. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 30 of 52 .home.net/engineering/Chimes. This one might be appropriate for someone working in the nuclear business. You may need to glue the line in place for the long term. the realist adjusts the sails. but depending on your particular type of wind it can work surprising well. and this motion will easily avoid the dingdong sound. The best solution for you will depend on your type of wind. Traditional wind sails generally work well and can be configured with a variety of materials. even from straight-line winds.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 31 of 52 Wind Sail / Wind Catcher The pessimist complains about the wind. particularly if the chime set is hung from a high deck or the second story and beyond. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 31 of 52 . Perhaps we can exploit this force to make a better wind sail. Hang the top support disk not from a fixed ring or hook but from a single support line as pictured to the right. Hite.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Thread the support line through two small holes next to the center of an old CD disk and tie the knot slightly off-center to create the 45O slope. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. it is a multidirectional force with an ample amount of wind shear. A third solution is to make sure the top support disk can easily rotate in a circular direction.home. The very nature of the star striker is to quickly rotate CW & CCW from any input motion of the sail. The very nature of the wind will catch enough of the chimes to rotate the entire set allowing the pendulum motion of the sail to strike most all the chimes. dingdong as the striker hits only two chimes. You probably noticed the swirling motion mixed with single-direction winds and the random uphill and downhill movement aka pitch & yaw. Patterns for wind sails/catchers 1. Let's take advantage of this turbulence to create a striker movement that is somewhat rotational in nature and does a better job of striking all the chimes. Instead. As you may know wind close to the ground can behave differently than winds aloft and often does not blow horizontally as intuition would suggest.fuse.3 Meg PDF My dissatisfaction with the traditional wind sail is that single-direction winds have a tendency to cause the sail to swing like a pendulum both to and from the direction of the wind not allowing the striker to contact adjacent chimes. Mount the sail at 45O to the horizontal so as to catch the pitch and yaw forces as pictured on the right. By William Arthur Ward The objective of the wind catcher is to cause the striker to randomly contact all the chime tubes. Counter intuitive. A second solution is to hang the sail perfectly horizontal. You may need to try a few different sails for success.net/engineering/Chimes. Solving the Dingdong: The first of several solutions to better capture wind turbulence can be quite simple. sizes and shapes as shown in the document on the right. I agree. To better understand wind turbulence mixed with single-direction winds watch this 20 sec WMV. the optimist expects it to change. With this condition the chime set sounds much like dingdong. A fourth solution can be the radial traveling star striker described above. Bidirectional wind vane video showing a bi-directional wind vane mounted on my deck. adults. BE CAREFUL ! Additional information at www. or lurch. This rotary motion works quite well to approximate striking a chord but requires more energy than normally supplied by the traditional wind sail. we developed the radial striker. a more robust strike is required to increase the loudness of the chimes. See the next page. We often describe the motion of an object in terms of displacement.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Each chime receives less energy because of this distribution and produces a somewhat muted sound. Dangle a heavier object like the sail for a wind chime and it will either push away from the wind and return or just hang there and spin in a circle. there is a condition when excessive pendulum movement of the striker is useful and not sufficiently supplied by the tradition wind sail. The strike energy from a radial striker is better distributed among the chimes in the set than it would be from a single circular shaped striker. The sail has the unique ability to fly aggressively at right angles to the wind direction. This quiet operation and wide swing can cause people to be unaware of the danger. the sail will fly East and West. thus the name Orthogonal Wind Sail. and stall. or acceleration. Dangle a string in a breeze and it will blow away from the wind. There may be an occasional pendulum effect when the sail continues to swing to and from the direction of the wind.home. The aggressive motion of the sail will eventually exceed its ability to fly.fuse. also known as the dingdong. If the wind is from the North. The sail makes no noise and can swing a full 180 degrees in a half circle motion. we developed a wind sail with the ability to deliver considerable energy to the striker. In an effort to strike a chord rather than individual notes in a wind chime set. Therefore. Orthogonal Sailing: Toward that end. an additional motion description seldom used is the rate of change of acceleration. The design is simple and easy to build. Hite. Immediately the process repeats and continues to supply considerable energy to the radial striker. or animals. The unit of measurement is often termed jerk but is also known as jolt. surge. Yes. Normally this is sufficient activity to cause an acceptable movement of the wind chime striker. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 32 of 52 . also known as the keeper-striker. The sail is flat thin metal and can possibly cut the skin or damage an eye as it swings. However. Do not hang the chime set where the sail can contact children.net/engineering/Chimes.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 32 of 52 Need More Dingdong: At this point you are most likely saying “WHAT” more dingdong? We just got done solving the dingdong and now you want more. fall into a chaotic state. CAUTION ! The orthogonal sail can be dangerous. Jerk supplies the sudden and rapid motion from the wind sail to the rotary keeperstriker. velocity. Depending on the distance between the striker and the chime tube not all chime sets require a sail. Both the neck-end and the base-end seriously alter the vibration performance of the cylinder rendering existing formulas useless. Additional information at www. Other choices work well also. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 33 of 52 . the large diameter striker often associated with a large chime set can capture adequate wind for a good strike. However. The frequency spectrum does not always follow the traditional overtone pattern for a chime tube and can include a host of additional overtones normally associated with the bell-like sound. A golf ball or baseball can work well but requires a robust strike to properly energize the overtones.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 33 of 52 No Sailing Today: Long and large diameter chimes present a considerable surface area to the wind and can move sufficiently to cause a good strike without the need for a wind sail. Hite. Based on physical measurements can we pre-determine a musical note for these tanks? To the best of my research I do not find a mathematical method for calculating a musical note for these tanks. once the tank has been cut to your desired length it is easy work to determine the fundamental frequency using an analysis program like Audacity®. Tank Bells & Chimes Out of service compressed gas/air cylinders. I have not had good success using a wood striker unless it's a really robust strike not typically possible with a normal wind sail.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. You may need to try a few different sails for success.fuse. See the spectrum diagram to the left. scuba diving tanks or fire extinguishers are often cut and used as a chime or bell.home. Energizing all the overtones and avoiding the harsh sound when using a metal striker can be a challenge. . The best solution for you will depend on your type of wind. In addition.net/engineering/Chimes. 4 Hz vs. not true for sets A. however. The difference in overtone structure is pictured to the right. and T = wall thickness. While both chimes strike almost exactly the same fundamental frequency (295 Hz vs.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 34 of 52 Length matters. All chimes for sets D and E sounded distinctly different and each had a different height and a different fundamental frequency and overtone structure. as a possible explanation for this effect. B. Set B has both a neck-end and a base-end chime from a compressed-gas cylinder. sets A. while there was a considerable difference in length for each set. In comparison each chime in set A sounded exactly the same and had nearly identical fundamental frequencies and nearly identical overtones but represented three different lengths. I investigated circular mode resonance which is a function of just material type.fuse. The calculated vs. 354 Hz. and E pictured to the right. Hite. Additional information at www. There was an ever so slight difference in timbre among the bells in each set but barely discernible.net/engineering/Chimes.7 Hz vs. and C. C. B. The same was true for sets B and C. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 34 of 52 . Set C= 71. The formula was provided by Chuck from Chuck's Chimes and is: F = (T/(2*D^2))*SQRT(E/Density) where F = frequency. 290 Hz). 133 Hz.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.home. 290 Hz. We tested five sets of tank chimes. maybe not? A most perplexing situation can exist for some tank lengths. Unfortunately the circular mode resonance was considerably lower than the observed resonance and offered no correlation to the actual measurements. D = mean diameter. they are of different lengths and have a slightly different timbre but sound mostly the same.7 Hz vs. Tank B was more melodious than tank A but not a lot. OD and wall thickness and not length. D. observed resonances were as follows: Set A = 35. Set B= 29. E = modulus of elasticity. metal cutting band saws and other resources in a welding shop work well Safety Caution: All of these tanks are highly regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Hite. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. The blade pictured left is under $5. spray paint. but enough to cause concern and points to a need for further investigation. Of course. is completely empty (fill with water and empty to assure all gases are exhausted). aka chop-saw. The first is a rust remover that contains phosphoric acid. spray polyurethane. the aged copper look a web site visitor sent me a procedure to artificially age copper to provide the patina appearance. I use an abrasive metal cutting saw blade in a radial arm saw. Hammered Paint Finish Patina. A couple of sources are Naval Jelly® or Rust Killer™. I suspect a few hand painted flowers from a heavy paint would work okay. Decorating the Chime Lightweight coatings The chime tube can be anodized or decorated with a light weight coating such as a thin coat of spray lacquer. The procedure works very well and pictured on the right are the satisfactory results.fuse. Secondly.home. powder coat. The blade also works well for steel or aluminum tubing and rods. table or chart on the web site to predict a tanks musical performance. and for small diameter tanks it should work equally well with a cut-off saw. it can take several days to complete but the results are terrific. You will need two commonly available chemicals to complete this process. a toilet bowl cleaner that contains either hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. However.net/engineering/Chimes.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. or by Transport Canada (TC) and others. Misty® Bolex 23 Percent Hydrochloric Acid Bowl Cleaner and LIME-A-WAY® Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Make certain the tank is safe for handling. Clearly this was not a rigorous scientific test. I have included the procedure here for your reference. use caution. Wear all recommended safety equipment including eye protection. The tanks are heavy and can be dangerous when handling. and is safe for cutting.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 35 of 52 I remain a bit perplexed on exactly why length appears to have little effect on the fundamental frequency and the overtones structure above some critical length point. crackle/hammered/textured finish (pictured right) without a noticeable reduction in the sustain time. or the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). hearing protection and respiratory protection. Read the content labels carefully and look for any brand of rust remover that contains phosphoric acid and a toilet bowl cleaner that has either hydrochloric or sulfuric acid in your local store. Toilet Bowl Cleaner. avoid thick heavy coats of latex as they seriously reduce the sustain time and can kill the resonance. Some choices are Zep® Inc. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 35 of 52 . Cutting Tanks: If you're new to cutting steel or aluminum tanks and looking for an easy method. Be patient with this procedure. Do not use any formula. I was pleasantly surprised how easily the blade cut the hardened steel cylinder. The Works® Toilet Bowl Cleaner.00 at Home Depot. net/engineering/Chimes. rubber gloves and follow all manufactures safety recommendations. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 36 of 52 . This temporary line will get messy and can be discarded at the end of this procedure. Hite.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. This step causes the bluish green patina to develop in the etched surface and will darken the smooth surfaces. The finished chime may not look like the picture above when newly completed.fuse. using either end caps or a support line at the 22. 2. Do not use water. These are dangerous chemicals. Begin by cutting your chime tubes to length and make any length adjustments necessary for tuning. Deburr and remove any sharp edges from both ends and the support hole. 6. Allow to drip-dry. 8. 4. old clothes. Wear safety glasses. 9.42% location. It can take a few weeks to completely darken and turn green in spots. A second coat will help to improve the patina look. Hang the chime vertically. This could take from a few hours to a few days depending on your local humidity. Use in a well-ventilated area. This step slightly etches the surface of the copper in preparation for the next chemical step. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. Allow a few days to dry and the chime should ready for handling to install the final support lines. Decide how you are going to support the chime. 7. Attach a temporary line to support the chime vertically.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 36 of 52 Patina Procedure 1.home. I also used a fine grade steel wool to lightly scrub the surface. Re-application of the toilet bowl cleaner may be necessary 10. Clean the chime using a soapy solution of dishwashing detergent like Dawn™ or equivalent. I have had this patina set of chimes for several years and the patina look gets better every year and holds up well in all kinds of weather. If the chemical gets on your skin wash immediately with a liberal amount of water. 3. Soak a small soft paintbrush or dry rag with the rust remover solution and completely coat the chime. Dry completely. Soak a small soft paintbrush or dry rag with the toilet bowl solution and completely coat the chime. This could take from a few hours to three days depending on your local humidity. When the chime is completely dry remove the dried rust remover from the chime using a dry cloth. 5. net/engineering/Chimes. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. See picture on the right. it gets better with time and weather After a few weeks in the weather Left hand picture after about two months. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 37 of 52 .Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 37 of 52 Time lapse for completing the patina process above.fuse. At this stage it doesn't look like much has happened but be patient. Right hand picture after another coat of toilet bowel cleaner Sparkling Copper: An easy way to obtain the sparkling copper look is to sand the surface of the copper chime using an orbital sander with about 150 grit sand paper. Dried in about two days Second coat of toilet bowel cleaner dried.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. The tube on the left has been sanded with 150 grit sand paper while the right hand tube has been cleaned with steel wool First coat of rust remover applied Rust remover dried in two days Dried rust remover wiped with a rag First coat of toilet bowel cleaner containing hydrochloric acid has been applied. Hite. This will completely expose fresh copper and leave behind orbital scratches on the surface.home. Cleaned and ready for the process. Coat the sanded chime with a clear spray lacquer or a spray polyurethane to preserve the new copper look. As the wall thickness increases there is a small decrease in the length requirement for any specific note. The increased diameter greatly increases the length requirement for a specific note. it just makes the chime set longer as the chime diameter is increased.html Somewhat of an exception is when the resonant frequency of the tube matches the air column resonance for the tube as described by Chuck from Chuck's Chimes. You can view the loudness sensitivity range vs.net/engineering/Chimes.e. One of the objectives of this information is to assist you in achieving the most bell-like sound as possible when building tubular chimes. and they are detailed below. In addition there will be an increase in sustain time from the increased mass. A unique set of physical limitations and design challenges exist for a tubular chime that does not exist for a string instrument or for a brass instrument.000 years.home. frequency of the ear by viewing the Fletcher/Munson Equal Loudness Curves. Compared to a string instrument where a sounding board is used to amplify the vibration of the string. Loudness limits the first limitation for loudness depends on the physical size of the chime i.fuse. or compared to a brass instrument that is fitted with a flared tube to amplify loudness. A traditional church bell or a tubular bell can be characterized by its strike note (the fundamental frequency plus overtones). Hite. This loudness limitation will have a direct effect on what notes work best for a chime. Tubular bells (chimes) were developed in the 1880s when using regular bells in an orchestra setting became impractical. As an example.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 38 of 52 The Science of Chiming What is a tubular chime Wind chimes date to prehistoric times for a number of cultures. See the graph to the right for musical note C4. Assistance from the energized air column adds a small amount of loudness. The ear has more sensitivity in the range from about 300 Hz to about 4 KHz than at other frequencies and helps to explain why we cannot always hear all the overtones. increasing the wall thickness has the opposite effect as an increase in diameter.com/product/arche. then loudness is easily achieved. even if they are present. which is not necessarily bad. One definition is when a chime is properly designed and constructed it can imitate a bell and the other definition is that a chime may not imitate a bell.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Overall. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 38 of 52 . a chime has no amplifying assistance other than the inherent surface area of the chime tube. The second limitation for loudness from a tubular chime depends on the location of the selected note compared to the natural sensitivity of the human ear. Tubular bells closely imitated church bells and the practice of using a resonant tube as a bell soon flourished and became the traditional orchestra bell. back nearly 5. its overtone structure. see the two chimes-sets at the right from the web site tamado. if you go beyond the size for a typical chime-set into the really large mega chime. See an example here. Proportional dimensions: Increasing the chime diameter increases the radiating surface area and contributes to a louder chime but at a cost. On the other hand. the radiating surface area. See the graph to the right. On the other hand. its sustain time and its loudness. this loudness limitation will provide serious limitations for the available range of effective note selection. Additional information at www. That sounds simple enough but imbedded in that explanation are two definitions. X 5. aka the missing fundamental.64 and X 31. X 8. the higher partials are dampened but the fundamental strike frequency remains. If we could hear the complete compliment of all overtones for each note of a chime tube. This condition also limits the available range of notes that have a bell-like sound. The good news is that the brain processes the information present in the overtones to calculate the fundamental frequency. However. Unfortunately. When the chime is supported at the fundamental frequency node. X 13. Hite. See the graph to the right. along with little audible contribution from the first overtone (180. X 18. not all of the fundamental tones and/or all of the overtones can be adequately radiated as an auditable sound by the chime tube for all possible lengths of a chime. This condition also limits the available range of notes that have a bell-like sound.93.34.home. The remaining overtones combine to produce a perceived musical note. the sustaining note: for a chime is not an integer harmonic as in string instruments but instead. have theoretical multiples of the fundamental multiplied by X 2. the fundamental frequency is audibly absent. not all of the fundamental tones and/or all of the overtones can be adequately radiated as an auditable sound by the chime tube for all possible lengths of a chime. Overtones exist and in a perfect metal where the density and the elasticity are constant.net/engineering/Chimes. see diagram at the right.40. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 39 of 52 .76. Unfortunately. it would be a most wonderful bell-like sound.5 Hz). non-harmonic as in other percussion instruments.87. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.fuse. a chime cut for C2 (65.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 39 of 52 Increasing the outside diameter while keeping the length and wall thickness constant will cause a substantial rise in resonant frequency. The strike note vs. in the real world of metal tubing that does not have a consistent density or elasticity the multiples will drift from the theoretical values either up or down by as much as +2% to -8%.4 Hz). For example. The perceived note does not coincide with any specific overtone and is difficult to measure without a frequency spectrum analyzer or perhaps a good musical ear. The process involves the accounting for all frequencies from the fundamental (whether present or missing) through the many overtones by the use of math calculations. To gain a better understanding of the perceived note I examined a set of orchestra grade chimes manufactured by a UK manufacture. The note range from C2 thru C4 produce the most melodious sounds.4 Hz (65 x 2. the Strike Note.fuse.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. The remaining sound is solely the fundamental strike frequency. the range of C2 to C3 contain a large number of audible overtones while the range of C5 to C7 contains very few. the sound for a chime cut at fundamental C6 (1046. and has that traditional chime sound for a short period of time.30 Hz) to G6 (1568. has two characteristics. The fundamental frequency for this length is around 65 Hz.5 Hz (near C4#). The fundamental strike frequency of 65 Hz and the first overtone at 179.net/engineering/Chimes. Precise tuning (+ / .5 Hz) and above is mostly the fundamental and the overtones are audibly absent or mostly absent. and the careful grinding of the chime to achieve the correct length for the desired note. As you might suspect. The set was 1. see the data audible fundamental and overtones for wind chime notes as a simple example for the range of audible fundamental frequencies and overtones. It comprises both the fundamental and the first four overtones. Note the long sustain time for the fundamental.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 40 of 52 You can see from the display at the right that a chime cut for 272. the loudness of a particular overtone changes as we move up the scale.1/10 Hz) is not required. aka the missing fundamental. The 2nd. ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. Hite. most bell-like. The first characteristic is the sound when the chime is first struck. yet there is not a specific fundamental or overtone at that exact frequency.0625 inches and ranged from C5 (523. For a typical ear sensitivity range of 300 Hz to 3 KHz. In fact. aka sustain time or hang-time In contrast to the above example.00 Hz). The length of C5 was 62 5/8 inches.4 Hz) are audibly absent. They have little contribution to the lingering perceived sound. which is C5 at 523 Hz. In particular. Waterfall spectral display for a chime supported at the fundamental frequency node In addition to the many overtones that may be present for a chime we have the difficulty of knowing which overtones are prominent for each note because of the ear's sensitivity as represented by the equal loudness curve. Obviously this is not the entire audible range of the ear but is presented as a simple example of the limited ability of the ear to hear all the frequencies generated by the overtone structure. and are easy to build. I spoke with the folks at a major USA chime manufacture for symphony grade instruments and confirmed that indeed the process of tuning an orchestra grade chime is a complex process and understandably a closely held trade secret. acoustic measurements. even the second overtone at 351 Hz will not be strong in loudness.76 = 179. The 1st overtone contributes for about two seconds and rapidly deteriorates.home. about C2# yet the perceived note is C5 at 523 Hz. 3rd and 4th overtones are present and contribute to the strike note but attenuate quickly. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 40 of 52 . The remaining overtones (mechanical vibration modes) combined to produce what the ear hears acoustically. The missing fundamental is when the brain uses “fuzzy logic” to processes the information present in the overtones to calculate the missing fundamental frequency.5" chrome plated brass with a wall thickness of . The 2nd chime category: (Almost bell-like) has a note range from about C4 through most of the C6 octave. A bell-like chime: Using the above characteristics for a chime I found a limited set of notes that will produce a bell-like sound from a tubular chime. The fundamental strike frequency is mostly audible and some overtones contribute to the perceived sound. but an imaginary note created by the combination of the overtones. Using the musical scale as a reference.net/engineering/Chimes. The sound can be acceptable but may not be the sound you are looking for. Some good sources are: Hyper Physics.home. Wind Chime Physics. The perceived note is not the fundamental strike frequency and not the overtones. More on this in chime tube mechanical support. The larger physical size of this chime for this note range causes the loudness to be quite adequate. Often the first overtone can also be inaudible. From testing I find that the end cap not only enhances the bell-like sound by increasing the duration of the first overtone. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 41 of 52 . The fundamental strike frequency is present but audibly absent (the missing fundamental) and there are a host of wellpronounced overtones. To the ear this is a very melodious sound and clearly a bell-like sounding chime. The loudness is acceptable but not great. is fitted with an end cap that contains a small top hole through which a steel cable supports the chime. and easily supports radiation for the many overtones. Hite. Many have spent time investigating the missing fundamental and the perceived note from a chime. and Wikipedia. This has an almost bell-like sound and can sound fairly good.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Additional information at www. but it also lowers the fundamental frequency by about 4% to 12 % from calculated values depending on tube material and diameter. but instead. they fall into three categories as follows: The 1st chime category: (Most bell-like) has a note range from about C2 to the C4 octave. Note in the spectrum displays below as we move up the musical scale the overtone contribution becomes less and less.fuse. The perceived sound is not the fundamental strike frequency and not the overtones.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 41 of 52 An orchestra chime is not supported by the classical wind chime method using a string through the chime at the first frequency node. but a combination of both that produce a perceived musical note. but not particularly melodious. Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 42 of 52 The 3rd chime category: (Non bell-like) has a note range from about C6 through the C8 octave. This note range may not be particularly pleasing to the ear but should not be ignored as a pure tone. In addition. and is definitely a non-bell sounding chime. Not unlike other percussion instruments this category is characterized by an audible fundamental strike frequency (a noticeable pure tone) with overtones mostly absent. the loudness is typically low caused by the short length of the chime causing a low radiating surface for the higher notes. Overtones have minimal contribution to the perceived musical note.home.net/engineering/Chimes. Hite.fuse.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Appendix next page ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 42 of 52 . The rapid attenuation of high frequencies in the environment causes this note range to quickly diminish at a distance. net/engineering/Chimes.859 for the fourth natural frequency. The bending natural frequency for a tube open at both ends is predicted by Euler's equation where: w = (B x l)2 x √ (E x I/(rho x l4)) w .The math I am not aware of calculations for a tube closed at one end.html If you want additional math on the subject here is a paper by Tom Irvine ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.home. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 43 of 52 .7 for the second natural frequency. For a given material then the frequency of a thin wall tube reduces to f = constant x d / l2 The formula reduces to: Area Moment of Inertia = π x (OD^4 .modulus of elasticity I .wall thickness rho = mass per unit length = Area x mass per unit volume = π x d x t x density l .ID^4)/64 Area = π x (OD^2 .for frequency in cycles per second (Hz). i.length of tube w= (B x l)2 x (d/l2) x √ (1/8) x √ (E/density) (B x l)2 . g = 386. (B x l)2 = 61.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. (B x l)2 = 199.mean diameter t .fuse. a chime with an end cap.area moment of inertia = π x d3 x t/8 for a thin wall round tube d .373 for the first natural frequency.edu/~drussell/Demos/radiation/radiation.kettering. (B x l2 = 121 for the third natural frequency.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 43 of 52 Appendix A . To get the units correct you must multiply the values inside the square root by gravity (g).e.Constants based on the boundary conditions for a wind chime (Free-Free Beam) (B x l)2 = 22. Hite. f = w/(2 x π) E .4 in/sec2 for these units.frequency radian per second .ID^2)/4 K = √((Elasticity x Moment x Gravity)/(Area x Density)) Chime Length (inches) = √(22.42 x K/(2 x π x f)) If you're curious about the circular mode (not considered here) see this http://paws. 22 6.25 560.632.24 214.825.29 1.70 220.19 680.397.068.76 3.284.317.360.89 6.80 49.24 44.475.794.98 572.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 44 of 52 Appendix B .33 33.887.568.40 23.96 194.10 5.79 5.69 1.00 16.588.00 6.00 6.504.00 8.099.44 924.43 2.293.60 56.177.11 2nd Overtone X 5.02 285.20 20.960.44 1.947.417.80 274.244.00 3.639.17 4.212.93 982.82 49.40 14.32 101.996.00 5.08 908.40 20.30 2.24 360.244.74 582.113.09 13.282.71 44.217.74 3.home.26 297.163.301.00 2.93 146. Hite.00 1.079.31 2.80 82.264.30 659.76 1.80 8.82 2.41 23.970.55 160.25 13.00 629.603.24 413.274.652.53 120.23 1.160.50 529.36 42.714.98 584.336.272.56 93.637.353.51 70.70 65.034.05 320.84 52. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 44 of 52 .75 60.42 26.87 15.001.12 2.26 1.70 38.673.054.279.80 174.174.45 1.458.70 1.441.94 6.98 39.150.380.01 103.766.40 69.659.56 489.02 618.02 264.90 706.972.48 9.84 198.00 1.834.35 1.34 5.39 127.602.406.588.376.34 227.76 45.30 2.78 245.102.37 62.108.24 9.43 12.57 463.801.40 2.667.854.82 333.774.333.950.49 2.83 779.69 809.46 437.868.36 104.82 7.59 826.47 3.85 45.721.73 347.64 67.01 308.998.79 18.37 748.480.641.05 3.489.53 235.45 154.00 5.40 2.00 4.424.159.834.941.48 2.136.11 107.040.670.23 926.219.984.70 1.52 594.30 622.21 606.76 111.69 1.10 30.55 3.94 16.096.09 95.676.747.41 3.320.92 202.20 28.532.29 4.48 8.706.21 436.585.94 292.10 666.436.31 14.720.865.11 1.900.00 3.51 254.76 26.80 290.478.00 10.07 4.00 33.489.60 2.90 55.920.016.81 308.46 258.608.529.980.95 10.08 962.98 151.80 2.00 233.60 880.84 10.520.00 51.237.41 24.527.74 2.20 3.902.50 130.412.58 1.40 88.410.588.40 17.871.32 1.750.168.335.94 7.58 2.53 52.397.05 314.42 3.00 4.95 1.075.84 4.50 157.01 8.004.708.80 Note G G /A A A /B B C5 C#/Db D D /E E F F#/G G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C6 C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A /B B C7 C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C8 C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C9 # b b # b # b # b Freq Hz 392.108.338.28 5.39 35.304.008.24 59.84 404.81 138.30 1.13 1.80 28.20 493.00 1st Overtone X 2.116.65 3.net/engineering/Chimes.17 85.273.00 1.580.743.01 1st Overtone X 2.85 655.40 7.25 9.181.557.45 56.329.10 4th Overtone X 13.334.66 692.881.86 176.601.42 99.956.90 7.883.198.62 2.01 1.20 7.258.18 17.98 1.144.74 4.58 518.06 222.24 520.85 1.72 124.635.486.371.40 17.69 53.49 19.717.92 942.00 830.60 277.920.51 1.495.622.68 21.30 49.779.60 33.716.40 4.22 1.18 353.239.080.119.00 1.42 3.564.84 366.58 8.30 140.614.432.74 1.319.47 491.00 27.58 259.80 7.058.50 5.55 6.91 ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.00 1.68 454.75 735.68 13.00 5.778.04 23.96 1.12 7.41 77.72 823.20 8.12 5.00 4.58 1.661.816.40 41.00 196.00 784.00 3.917.92 2.15 326.40 19.12 31.568.40 1.203.10 329.90 12.02 481.309.42 5.80 3.242.310.71 763.80 1.669.74 132.88 17.70 2.63 93.58 37.98 180.80 15.18 190.01 19.964.087.690.472.26 7.47 3.479.943.318.935.873.80 23.00 1.39 14.00 207.349.35 733.01 1.89 21.36 22.322.50 1.60 36.475.002.86 1.434.886.171.137.20 12.500.25 3.14 5.38 1.43 428.20 66.56 11.22 7.60 164.05 9.86 23.046.94 1.61 185.01 11.76 6.917.24 4.79 232.60 15.63 17.467.667.24 117.80 83.66 1.62 29.85 3rd Overtone X 8.42 499.36 18.20 11.795.30 698.233.00 142.885.164.924.10 246.543.760.05 2.34 218.80 110.40 2.30 61.960.489.929.70 2.39 11.36 26.21 13.56 135.05 6.934.647.92 38.98 19.34 55.28 1.342.697.03 875.548.09 2.41 420.864.40 24.95 46.154.98 327.70 11.60 10.30 987.90 41.22 3.08 872.43 37.06 15.848.72 1.63 3.00 40.19 412.992.00 415.394.06 9.72 840.051.17 113.99 9.20 20.30 440.42 3.85 3.951.50 1.019.64 653.52 70.47 8.188.867.517.64 1.80 35.60 21.24 889.771.50 2.395.49 1.00 3rd Overtone X 8.90 2.226.67 206.790.61 6.89 999.30 50.06 63.306.30 7.857.17 27.30 370.59 5.01 58.50 98.06 62.944.618.50 740.229.63 75.54 47.395.858.559.50 1.913.301.900.615.008.86 275.68 539.52 15.442.73 6.14 857.745.40 148.00 4.96 4.30 18.119.88 1.00 2.993.697.83 346.44 792.89 1.07 4.96 340.16 374.96 12.40 1.217.848.428.61 4.27 11.05 509.fuse.467.81 4.770.360.950.821.136.554.18 210.302.668.56 3.834.307.76 80.68 9.958.42 19.50 29.60 1.271.97 25.81 111.10 642.72 2.00 5.90 32.10 24.752.077.60 146.18 245.093.467.109.00 20.40 2.21 12.60 3.01 2.975.92 78.355.Music scale with overtones A=440 Hz displaying the fundamental frequency and the first four overtones for a tube open at both ends Note C0 C /D D D /E E F F#/Gb G G /A A A /B B C1 C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C2 C#/Db D D /E E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C3 C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C4 C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb # b # b # b # b # b A=440 Freq Hz 16.325.40 4th Overtone X 13.38 368.48 29.97 303.204.35 2nd Overtone X 5.10 5.30 73.841.13 90.05 1.80 7.98 6.153.679.20 1.90 261.40 587.96 471.453.21 720.641.956.24 183.275.55 694.485.96 39.00 7.92 1.38 381.65 14.547.01 390.30 92.00 116.15 1.62 550.78 230.458.685.40 87.31 173.90 3.345.40 22.85 388.770.233.22 1.95 74.84 270.46 979.496.973.576.60 10.48 88.412.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.121.70 34.20 2.00 932.50 26.39 2.237.968.82 2.934.440.40 4.978.01 240.60 17.62 169.177.62 4.37 2.49 164.96 59.88 13.367.20 293.70 311.60 280.40 8.22 18.70 7.66 4.28 218.44 8.186.848.91 523.20 31.986.12 31.651.93 3.22 461.76 1.61 1.60 4.06 105.040.389.978.60 30.01 466.12 22.24 14.543.288.98 250.729.338.650.869.37 1.471.93 549.38 20.58 186.50 123.96 617.081.21 43.11 3.50 71.37 1.64 2.27 1.69 10.160.698.037.12 444.30 16.714.60 99.669.038.739.236.560.30 554.80 16.76 35.604.70 46.697.881.83 777.11 6.80 155.433.540.644.16 74.384.85 41.00 2.22 396.80 5.14 166.20 11.216.61 349.175.66 66.11 2.92 1.97 5. look for a discarded metal swing set.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 45 of 52 Appendix C . Ask your local fire department. In addition to visiting the hardware section in these stores investigate tubing used for closet hanging poles. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 45 of 52 . Windows Mobile Pocket PCs.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. Tune Lab Pro version 4 Laptop freeware good for fundamental and overtone frequency measurements. tubular shelving. shower curtain poles. chain link fence rails and post. Try your local metal recycler. DL4YHF's Amateur Radio Software: Audio Spectrum Analyzer (Spectrum Lab) Laptop freeware good for fundamental and overtone frequency measurements. Smartphones.fuse. Appendix D . open source. welding shop and scuba diving shop for their recommendation for a testing company.home. Tanks bells can be crafted from out-of-service compressed gas/air tanks.Tubing and rod sources Always try your local building supply store. Online source for metal tubing and rods: Speedy Metals you can order small quantities of tubes or rods. scuba diving tanks or fire extinguishers. Yard or garage sales can yield surprising results. At a cost. and the Android. available for the iPhone. cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.Software resources Read the Caution Here Audacity® Laptop freeware.net/engineering/Chimes. With permission look for discarded materials on constructions sites. Good for fundamental and overtone frequency measurements. they can yield very economical rod and tubing. Windows laptops. etc. Additional information at www. You may be required to provide a letter to the testing company stating that you will cut the tank in pieces and render it unable to hold compressed air or gas. A most likely source can be your local testing facility for each type of tank. Hite. iPad and iPod Touch. 745 0.870 0.384 0.120 2.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. M is Red.035 0.065 14 0.049 0.902 0.035 18 0.083 12 0. Both type M & type L can be found in home plumbing at Home Depot & Low Aluminum Tubing Tubing Gauge Wall Thickness 22 0.000 ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.750 2.250 0.083 *0.035 0. Aluminum and brass tubing tend to exactly follow their stated ID and OD dimensions while copper tubing does not.000 0. and DWV is Yellow.028 20 0.834 1.035 0.500 Wall inches 0.058 0.035 0.508 0.049 0.509 1.125 *0.930 0.home.652 0.555 0.065 0.058 0.125 *0.430 0.444 0.870 1.120 1.370 0.250 1.584 1.065 0.109 * These sizes are extruded. Hite.884 0.527 0.250 0.035 0.384 1.049 0.035 0.049 0.500 2.250 2.334 1.125 *0.000 ID inches 1.028 0.759 1.049 0.non-pressurized) The printing on the pipe is color coded for identification.net/engineering/Chimes.035 0.509 0.058 0.370 2.049 17 0.065 0.058 0.055 1.000 Wall inches 0.058 0.495 0.370 1.035 0.152 1.058 0.084 1.065 1.634 1.058 0.125 1. Tubes are structural.125 *0.083 0.500 0.058 0.058 0.750 1. Wall thickness for copper pipe varies with the pipe schedule.402 1.777 0.750 1. L is Blue. and DWV (drain/waste/vent .083 0.134 1.334 2. Pipes are passageways.584 0.058 0.065 *0.875 3.058 16 0.049 0.083 *0.084 2.430 1.250 1.065 0.049 0.000 2.065 0. L (medium-walled).058 0.834 1.083 *0. ID Wall ID OD OD inches inches inches inches inches 0.065 0.375 1.625 1. K is Green.680 0.035 0.750 2.152 2. M (thin-wall).065 0.Standard Tubing Dimensions What's the difference between a pipe and a tube? The way it’s measured and the applications it’s being used for. all other sizes are drawn tubes.065 0.500 0. The four common schedules are named K (thick-walled).Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 46 of 52 Appendix E .180 1.805 0.759 0.fuse.402 0.555 1.250 0.083 0.902 1.009 1.083 0.250 0.870 2.569 0.620 0.028 0.625 1.065 0.049 0.049 0.250 OD inches 1.305 1.500 2.259 1. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 46 of 52 .035 0.634 0.875 2.083 0. 032" Wall 3/4" OD {A} x 0.065" Wall 1" OD {A} x 0.04" WALL x 1.620" ID {B} x .065" Wall 3/4" OD {A} x 0.03" WALL x 0.51" ID 2" OD x 0.815" ID 0.065" Wall 5/8" OD {A} x 0. Hite.109" WALL x 1.065" WALL x 0.5" OD x 0.5" OD x 0.12" WALL x 0.25" OD x 0.049" WALL x 1.032" Wall 5/8" OD {A} x 0.37" ID 0.065" WALL x 2.87" ID 4" OD x 0.692" ID 0.5" OD x 0.62" ID 1.065" Wall Available sizes for BRASS TUBE 0.125" Wall 1-5/8" OD {A} x 1.250" ID {B} x .686" ID {B} x .065" WALL x 1.120" ID {B} x .029" WALL x 0.42" ID 1.04" WALL x 0.87" ID 1.75" OD x 0.495" ID 0.370" ID {B} x .12" WALL x 1.065" Wall 2-1/4" OD {A} x 2.03" WALL x 0.75" OD x 0.065" WALL x 1. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 47 of 52 .436" ID {B} x .04" WALL x 1.745" ID 1" OD x 0.870" ID {B} x .495" ID {B} x .370" ID {B} x .782" ID 2" OD x 0.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.875" OD x 0.76" ID 2.065" WALL x 3.fuse.902" ID 3" OD x 0.75" OD x 0.561" ID {B} x .065" WALL x 0.12" WALL x 1.032" Wall 1/2" OD {A} x 0.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 47 of 52 Brass tubing Available sizes for Tube Brass 1/2" OD {A} x 0.567" ID 0.065" WALL x 0.5" OD x 0.120" ID {B} x .62" ID C330 TUBE 0.44" ID 0.042" WALL x 0.065" Wall 1-1/4" OD {A} x 1.065" WALL x 0.049" WALL x 2.065" WALL x 2.94" ID 1" OD x 0.065" WALL x 1.75" OD x 0.37" ID 1.065" Wall 2" OD {A} x 1.5" OD x 0.375" ID {B} x .home.065" WALL x 1.625" OD x 0.87" ID C330 TUBE ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.37" ID 3" OD x 0.620" ID {B} x .625" OD x 0.17" ID 1.870" ID {B} x .67" ID 0.902" ID 2" OD x 0.065" Wall 1-1/2" OD {A} x 1.5" OD x 0.75" OD x 0.029" WALL x 0.net/engineering/Chimes.87" ID 2" OD x 0.51" ID 0.25" OD x 0.125" Wall 1-3/4" OD {A} x 1.75" OD x 0.03" WALL x 0.065" WALL x 0.416" ID 0.12" ID 1.875" OD x 0.065" Wall 1-1/2" OD {A} x 1. L is Blue.057 17 1 ¼” 1.120 0.625 0.122 DWV 0.non-pressurized) The printing on the pipe is color coded for identification.000 3.625 4.197 2.652 0.125 2.072 0. 0.493 .065 16 2 2.375 1.072 15 3 ½” 4.163 1.500 4.495 2.527 0.706 . and DWV (drain/waste/vent .265 1.192 Wall Thickness L 0.125 0. L (medium-walled).083 0.065 16 1 ½” 1.055 0. M (thin-wall).045 0.465 2.055 1.042 0.541 2.049 0.625 3.058 0.707 4.981 3.042 0.740 1.481 1.065 16 2 ½” 2. Both type M & type L can be found in home plumbing at Home Depot & Lowe’s.125 3.334 .295 1.072 15 3 3. Nominal Pipe Size ½” 5/8” ¾’ 1" 1 ¼” 1 ½” 2" 2 ½” 3" 3 ½’ 4 5 6 Actual O.834 .04 0.995 1.025 1.049 0.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.857 4.090 0.D.785 1.897 4. and DWV is Yellow.035 0.045 Electrical metallic tubing (EMT) aka thin-wall steel conduit Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT) aka thin-wall steel conduit Actual EMT (ID) Wall (OD) Gauge (inches) (inches) Thickness (inches) 3/8” .985 2.040 0.569 0.435 2.049 0.095 0.03 K 0.net/engineering/Chimes.042 19 ½” .945 3.072 0.080 0.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 48 of 52 Copper tubing Wall thickness for copper pipe varies with the pipe schedule.125 1.fuse.385 3.042 0.959 2.845 M 0. Hite.070 0.041 3.009 2.750 0.380 .100 0.109 0.510 1.875 1.060 0.291 1.065 0.032 0.500 3.356 .805 5. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 48 of 52 .875 2.425 3.042 19 ¾” .D.home. M is Red.065 0.125 I.245 1.527 2.095 0.160 0.109 0.028 0.125 5.622 .083 14 4 4.505 1.140 M 0.049 . K is Green.545 0.577 .049 18 1 1. The four common schedules are named K (thick-walled). K 0.065 0.125 6.657 5.050 0.259 3.731 .042 0.610 .065 0.907 3.083 0.601 DWV 1.134 0.625 2.083 14 ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.875 5.666 0.067 .922 .824 .811 1.745 0.741 L 0.114 0. 000 7.htm Pitch Perception Psychoacoustics of pitch perception.D.020 3.D.960 Wall Thickness 0.hibberts.500 2 2.msu.140 8.ei.450 0.net/engineering/Chimes.800 4.960 6.900 9.875 I.380 1.800 6.133 0.500 Wall O. 3.fuse.ei.html ^ To Index^ Additional information at www. 3.315 1. 3 4 6 8 10 ^ To Index^ 3.html The strike note of bells www. www.390 0.Internet Resources/Links Chuck's Chimes another engineer.D. Available in eight classes. 3.de/persons/ter/top/strikenote.154 0. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 49 of 52 .Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 49 of 52 Iron pipe Pipe is specified by a nominal dimension which bears little or no resemblance to the actual dimensions of the pipe.de/persons/ter/top/pitch.030 9. Joints are made by threading pipe into cast iron fittings. Hite.468 Thickness 0. 1.edu/~carillon/batmbook/index.mmk.130 10. www.sites.900 2. Wrought iron pipe (Schedule 40) is used for water supply in older houses and is available in either black or galvanized.420 0.D. has an excellent web site for chime calculations and information for building a special set of chimes where the chime tube resonates for both the air column resonance and the metal wall resonance.home.google.049 1.120 4.mmk.100 Class B 200 Foot Head 86 psi I. www.uk/index.020 8.com/site/chuckchimes/home The Sound of Bells This site has pages for bell sounds and tuning in addition to free software that lets you listen to the effects of overtones and allows you to tune your bell or chime using a sound card and microphone.250 1.204 Cast iron pipe is typically used for sewer lines and municipal water. 1.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L. A through H.510 0.tum.140 0.D.100 9.tum. Nominal Pipe Size inches 1 1.145 0. www.co.440 0.htm The Acoustics of Bells.050 11. Chuck.100 6.420 0.610 2.480 0.375 2.570 Appendix F . Nominal Pipe Size inches O.100 Wall Thickness 0.050 11. rated by pressure in increments of 100 feet of head.960 5.660 1.100 Class A 100 Foot Head 43 psi I.460 0. See chapter 5: The Acoustics of Bells is a nice introduction to bell physics.500 O.067 2.D. net/engineering/Chimes. Appendix H: Design styles In-line arrangement with a conceal & carry striker. No requirement for the support disk to be horizontal. Rod chimes use a solid metal ball as the striker.home. Closely space large diameter chimes do well without a wind sail ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.fuse. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 50 of 52 . Horizontally mounted chimes with individual strikers. Hite.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 50 of 52 Appendix G Credits Thanks to the many web site visitors for several ideas and suggestions included in this document. 168 1.713 3.110 3.397 4.304 3.025 1.559 1.626 2.087 1.50 98.872 4.10 246.915 10.834 9.958 2.948 3.918 4.170 1.475 2. Octave 1 Musical Note C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 1st Frequency Overtone Hz X 2.150 1.827 1.476 1.home.337 8.30 92.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium Page 51 of 52 Appendix J: Table for an audible fundamental or lack of and its overtones for chime.869 8.771 2.660 4.019 1.240 1.34 436 462 490 519 550 583 618 654 692 734 778 823 872 924 979 1.360 9.30 101 107 114 120 128 135 143 152 161 170 180 191 202 214 227 241 255 270 286 303 321 340 360 382 404 429 454 481 510 540 572 606 642 680 721 764 809 857 908 962 1.479 2.00 233.336 2.936 4.058 1.076 2.876 5.255 3.150 4.050 2.602 4.10 329.654 1.998 2.172 2.209 2.40 87.81 138.70 46.896 6.472 1.93 292 309 328 347 368 390 413 438 463 491 521 551 584 619 656 695 736 780 826 875 927 982 1.966 2.000 Hz.385 1.438 2.390 1.80 110.858 1.00 207.70 311.119 3.368 1.619 7.753 1.90 41.247 6.30 61.935 3.450 1.333 1.76 90 95 36.680 1.565 5.41 77.736 2.80 174.238 1.167 5.652 1.87 1.750 1.00 116.307 7.897 7.554 1.252 5.122 1.00 196.855 1.00 392.40 69.505 11.099 1.103 1.584 2.698 3.30 49.165 1.490 3.340 2.886 1.536 1.615 2.467 1.042 1.082 2.60 277.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.259 1.900 3.103 1.61 349.959 5.540 5th Overtone X 18.038 1.511 6.61 185.313 1. The blue shaded area of the chart represents a frequency range from 300 Hz to 3.302 2.60 164.475 5.308 3.30 370. This demonstrates a range for audible fundamental frequencies and their overtones beginning at about C2 and moving upward to about C4.40 177 187 198 210 223 236 250 265 280 297 315 333 353 374 396 420 445 471 500 529 561 594 629 667 706 748 793 840 890 943 999 1.627 1.849 1.080 1.236 2 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 3 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 4 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab Additional information at www.80 155.21 43.084 2.072 3.117 2.468 2.00 415.294 3.562 1.292 1.493 13.311 1.936 5.653 3.935 2.01 58.90 55.70 220.80 82.501 3.169 4.219 1.90 261.724 1.64 610 645 684 725 768 815 863 913 967 1.965 2.307 1.fuse.040 1.329 2. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 51 of 52 .234 1. Hite.623 2.144 6.741 6th Overtone X 31.429 7. Note that the fundamental is mostly inaudible below about C4.20 293.70 38.205 2.011 7. The more overtones present the more melodious the strike note.799 6.647 1.229 5.188 1.792 12.101 4.679 4.497 1.709 4th Overtone X 13.448 3.417 4.782 2.413 1. The range of 300 Hz to 3000 Hz was selected as an example for a possible listening range and does not represent the complete audible range.943 3.345 4.506 3.50 123.243 3rd Overtone X 8.780 1.50 130.60 146.124 3.778 2.198 2.132 11.30 73.745 1.00 51.144 2nd Overtone X 5.70 65.net/engineering/Chimes.586 1.393 1.01 103. 395 16.677 66.01 466.613 69.417 7.027 82.433 28.069 10.325 8.766 6.826 2.334 37.918 133.00 3.376 2.754 10.00 6.097 49.91 523.686 13.678 17.668 11.00 784.637.177 13.951.867 66.171 3.Tubular Bell Wind Chime Design and Build Compendium A Bb B 5 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 6 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 7 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 8 C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B 440.895 23.353 27.486 41.020 13.869 35.642 93.974 12.178 37.698 10.917 22.212 1.395 49.834 44.790 15.00 6.584 24.795 9.325 84.661.413 19.321 46.790 98.532 12.706 55.293 14.789 46.941 19.397.914 99.365 237.077 4.859 131.714 14.636 19.816 1.504 10.604 23.002 14.216 14.008 20.245 5.345 9.301 8.20 1.994 3.837 Page 52 of 52 ^ To Index^ Additional information at www.965 32.335 22.009 59.168 49.261 23.929 4.480 30.318.004 29.160 23.338 33.226 139.944 105.00 1.669 31.153 9.236 3.699 251. Hite.30 554.080 55.948 25.489.520.335 99.408 141.770 2.957 49.756 36.00 7.282 37.568 2.970 9.090 188.921 29.039 2.910 123.81 4.986 26.219 6.50 1.403 17.434 33.30 622.00 2.349 116.557 5.560 3.80 7.752 5.054 3.968 33.332 43.284 1.665 87.885 112.00 830.60 1.50 2.01 1.218 12.20 3.608 7.371 26.413 8.794.920.806 34.40 4.467 8.770 224.823 39.471 28.424 2.425 62.361 1.272.046.951 5.978.109 6.00 2.00 3.587 29.001 7.021 44.481 33.712 31.40 2.671 3.040.794 14.632 3.025 147.279 18.774 12.61 1.154 52.670 199.981 7.482 16.858 8.957 44.202 8.472 6.849 5.517 2.60 880.174 58.568.651 5.00 2.040 27.302 35.289 13.530 15.203 35.238 6.182 118.136.160 110.866 56.080 11.717 19.644.50 1.485 4.881 28.240 15.174.00 5.home.00 932.673 4.093.801 20.337 149.045 94.669 74.206 9.40 587.320 4.870 6.950 26.522 47.50 1.00 1.960.972 52.434.00 3.228 30.396 7.30 659.975.717 16.360 3.30 698.00 1.640 9.589 18.580 31.088 15.310 17.175 31.442 1.217.872 10.544 78.835 15.841 59.265 7.186.902.274 10.548 24.947 11.649 168.604 70.603 41.578 92.288 2.307 104.889 211.835 8.00 4.992 8.197 24.996 4.698.527 1.htm All Rights Reserved © Leland L.046 29.760.984 16.234 4.40 7.589 6.973 83.302 11.041 89.014 41.741 16.091 59.739 12.600 12.429 3.748 52.272 39.108.565 5.729.618 1.987 6.01 2.888 6.163 4.378 18.023 14.20 493.274.666 21.441 14.244.338 62.120 7.435 39.227 23.034 5.772 3.012 22.458.455 61.407 70.858 15.743 20.489 11.885 11.934 17.821 9.720 7.082 178.343 6.588.381 39.930 65.00 5.016 40.306 19.30 987.669 18.00 1.647 78.614 15.833 21.704 70.869 79.507 20.544 7.668 88.fuse.857 7.50 740.275 42.495 105.512 73.641 18.697 8.349.160 62.459 11.41 3.901 10.318 9.411 4.738 158.334 5.334 10.548 21.850 125.901 52.437 13.454 47.20 2.669 16.883 3.355 74.690 19.714 1.443 5.651 17.602 17.864.net/engineering/Chimes.721 2.00 4.480.70 1.137 5.155 8.80 1.322.944 13.662 42. Published 10/01/2012 Updated 5/15/2013 Page 52 of 52 .959 66.138 21.395 20.160 2.475 13.478 24.924 2.690 9.849 4.667 2.960 14.978 22.874 26.352 35.942 56.882 38.113 11.00 5.577 26.577 4.