Tools and materials I propose:
Air compressor, nail and staple gun kit
In this video I make a kalimba out of beech wood. I tried to make it completely out of wood. As springs I tried various wood alternatives but I decided that I liked beech springs the most!
I begun by cutting my stock to size on the table saw.
I then created half lap joints which I then cleaned with a chisel.
Then I glued and nailed the frame of the instrument.
I then glued two pieces to make the bottom panel.
The top panel was much thinner so I used a wedge system to clamp it while the glue dried.
I then used my cabinet scraper to scrape off the excess glue.
I the glued the bottom in place. Then I used my cross cut sled on the table saw to trim the excess wood close to the sides.
I then trimmed it flush with a block plane and hid the nails with wood filler.
On a flat board I glued the top piece using carpet tape. I did that so i could plane it really thin on my planer.
I then glued the cleats under the top. I then shaped them with a chisel and a block plane.
I then glued the top in place and trimmed it flush.
Using a hole saw I made the air flow hole on the top.
I then sanded the body.I also rounded over the bottom edges with a block plane.
To make the bridge I cut some pieces on the table saw and I shaped them with a block plane.
To glue the bridge pieces I used the springs as clamps.
I finished my kalimba with mineral oil.
As springs I experimented with popsicle sticks and bamboo sticks. Both worked. But I preferred to use some beech springs. Beech is a pretty flexible wood but also really hard.
My kalimba sounds really interesting. Ofcourse it is not as loud as a metal spring kalimba but it is really sweet.
Anyway, I hope you liked this one, because that was it. See you soon with a new project video.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
No comments:
Post a Comment