Grommets and Axles

From: joe2you2
Subject: Re: grommets

I was using rubber grommets (from McMaster-Carr) but found that after a year the weight of the chime tube caused the string to eat right through them - note that I was using EMT (conduit). If you're using aluminum then this should not be a problem. I have since gone to dropping a stainless steel wire with a loop in the end down through the center and inserting a piece of 12 gauge solid wire through the hole in the side of the tube, through the loop in the wire and out the far side of the tube. I then take needle nose pliers and roll the ends into a neat loop and call it done.

From: CelticHarper1
Subject: Re: grommets

Sorry about that; I should have clarified what I meant by *seeing* them; LOL . . . what I meant was that I've looked at the little grommets on already constructed windchimes; I do a lot of sewing and other craftsman and what I've seen on those windchimes that have them, resemble ordinary brass fittings I see everywhere; some examples would be small eyelets one might use in sewing; or even the little brass things one puts into plastic water cooler tubing; Celticharper

From: teeley2
Subject: Re: grommets

I buy copper tubing at auto parts stores that they sell by the foot off of a roll. They start at one-eighth inch O.D. and the sizes go up one-eighth inch at a time. After cutting the piece a little longer than the width of the chime, I slightly bell one end with a tapered punch and put it in the chime. The belled end is placed on a piece of iron and the other end is belled also. I bored a hole the size of the tubing in a piece of wood for the first flaring so the tubing won't bend too much when I hit the punch with the hammer. The two flared ends make a nice fit in the chime and it shouldn't come out. A piece of fine sandpaper makes sure there are no rough spots to fray the line. The line is threaded through. The line should last a long time as the weight of the chime is distributed over the length of the copper tubing.

From: CelticHarper1
Subject: Re: grommets

The purchased grommets (for sewing at least) are usually very well made, thus eliminating most problems regarding rough spots that might damage the line, if a bad grommet did slip through, some emery cloth, or the handy-dandy rotary tool (like Dremel) would help; really though, that would be a rare instance, since the small metal eyelets and grommets made for sewing needs are very smooth .I'd still check each one though and smooth anything that appeared suspicious. CelticHarper

From: joe2you2
Subject: Re: New to Group

meiselwoodhobby.com. </a> you can also get grommets from McMaster-Carr <a href=http://www.mcmaster.com
search for grommets. If you're determined to use grommets don't waste your time on rubber ones they break down in the sun after several months (called UV stabilized) you might give McMaster a call and see if they can direct you to something that has a UV inhibitor in the material. If you're going to make your chimes out of something heavy like EMT then I would recommend skipping the grommets and use either the insulation from some 14 gauge Romex wire or do like I did and make a pin to go through the holes out of 14 or 12 gauge wire and thread that through the first hole, through a suspension string ( I used stainless steel wire ) and out through the second hole. Just roll the ends into a small loop and call it done.

From: "lrwallig" <lrwallig@yahoo.com>
Subject: Grommet Material

I have found that small plastic screw anchors work really well as a grommet material in my chime tubes where the string pass through the hanging point on the tube. I never could deburr the drill hole well enough to not have a string break every now and then and was too cheap to buy rubber grommets.
The plastic screw anchors that I used were a #4-6 size with a 3/16 drill hole in the 1 inch aluminum tubes. I had to trim the plastic anchor length so that each one was less that 1/2 the diameter of the tube, but this is not a problem. I set the anchors in the tubes with a couple of soft hits with a hammer. Some plastic flashing appears that may need to be trimmed off after the anchor is set. I bought 100 plastic screw anchors at Lowe's for $2.49. These anchors
come in a variety of larger sizes also.

From: "gatito79925" <davidht@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: grommets

I have just joined this group and find most everyone asking the same questions as I had when first starting to make wind chimes. For an answer to grommets I found a 180 piece set (asst sizes) of grommets from my local Harbor Freight Sales outlet. Item number 46724. I paid around $6.00 for this set and it contains 1/4 inch, 5/16 inch 3/8 inch 7/17 inch ½ inch 5/8 inch 7/8 inch and 1 inch. I realize the larger are not of much use in the wind chime making but found that the 1/4 inch is very useful and then the 5/16 will be next. I have made an 8 chime, 6 chime, and now a 4 chime from info that I found on the internet, however I did not find this group until after I had made my first 3 different chimes. BTW if you do not have a Harbor freight sales outlet, go to www.harborfreight.com . They will ship to you also. David

From: "Pam & Sandy Porter" <foneisen@pshift.com>
Subject: Re: Wind Chime grommets

I’ve found that if you knock the pin from an unused pop rivet that you got a dandy grommet...they are packaged in several sizes...worked just wonderful for me... after I got the tubes all strung and where I wanted them, (with the pop rivet/grommet in place) I used a wee bit of clear silicone to hold them in the holes...sandy

From: "Gil" <maurgil@cox.net>
Subject: Re: GROMMETS

If you go to my website, www.windchimesbytheinch.com , you will find the grommets you are looking for as well as string manufactured specifically for chimes. There are also other windchime items that might be of interest. Gil

From: Phil Whitley <brewmeister999@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: What suspension materials?

Straighten out the cotter pin so it can pass through the holes in the tube.

Bend a small loop in one end (to keep it from falling out) this can be done last, but it helps with the rest
of the operation.

Drop the chain down into the tube until you can see the end link through one of the tube holes.
This is the tricky part - push the straightened-out cotter pin through the first tube hole, through the chain link, then out the other side of the tube.

Bend another small loop on the end of the cotter pin to keep it in place.

NOW, tug on the chain to bend the pin back into an inverted "V". This will allow the chain to ride the
center of the cotter pin.

IF USING STRING INSTEAD OF CHAIN

Go ahead and run the straightened-out cotter pin through both sides of the tube and affix it as described above.

Tie your string to a small weight (I use another cotter pin) and drop it into the tube from the top.

Hold the tube horizontally and rotate it 180 degrees (turn it over)

Now, raise the tube upside-down, letting the weighted string fall back out. If you did this right, the string is now around the cotter pin.

You can now tie a slipknot or simply use the double string to hang the tube from. Brew

From: "bmh1944" <bmh1944@yahoo.com>
Subject: Tube Hanging Axles

Chuck probably has more valuable and experienced information about using an axle-pin to hang chime tubes than I do; but I'll relate a little of my experience for anyone interested.

Even though tube or rod mounting is done at the "node" of the fundamental frequency to which it is cut, this point is NOT the exact "node" for any overtones because they are not exact multiples (true harmonics) of the fundamental; therefore, any degree of vibration impedance at the node will serve to dampen the various overtones which are constantly being generated (or sustained) by the fundamental frequency. I've tried a number of different methods and materials for either simple stringing or some form of axle mount; some were pretty good, and some were terrible in the degree of dampening and resulting quick-decay of the tube's produced sound. Stringing them (by the conventional method) with the smallest
diameter, most elastic line produced the least dampening, but simply isn't practical on the long run because it will break very easily or be cut (sooner or later) by tube wall abrasion. Heavier, larger diameter line was more practical, but produced considerably more dampening effect as the line diameter increased.

I've tried various pin mounts where the pin was either welded or soldered to the tube wall; I've also tried a small diameter copper tube (to prevent line abrasion), which was also soldered to each opposing tube wall. But it seemed like any hard joint between the tube walls caused quite a bit more dampening effect than any method that didn't permanently affix a hard object that traversed both opposing walls. A loose fitting "axle" seemed to work better because it didn't provide a rigid joining of the tube's walls and let the tube vibrate and/or swing on the axle with less dampening impedance from the attached mounting line(s) or the axle itself.

Whether conventional string, axle, or pin mounting techniques are used, a decreased practicality (with any of those) begins to pose a significant problem as one goes past tubes of about 3 feet in length. A very long tube mounted at a node point creates a major lever/fulcrum effect (in moderate to high wind) that starts a "teeter-totter" motion of the tube rocking back and forth (at the mounting "fulcrum") in all directions. With internal, single line, center-strung tubes the upper opening of even a fairly large diameter tube will make contact with the center mounting line and cause a major dampening effect in the tube's tone. With conventionally stung or dual-line suspension from an "axle", there must be a very wide
angle of line departure from the tube to prevent the tube's rocking motion from allowing it's upper portion (above the node) from contacting the line(s); this results from the tubes having to be hung far apart from each other and from an extremely large-diameter support halo or disk. So, for shorter tubes, there's not much of a problem, but get ready for a challenge from very long tubes.

Anyway, I've found a very good "axle" can be made from fairly hard, stainless steel, mobile radio antenna wire. If you've got any two-way radio dealer in the area, a 17" replacement antenna whip runs about $2. It can be bent very sharply without breaking (just don't do it more than once), it has little or no dissimilar-metal electrolysis that causes corrosion with almost any metal, and is extremely strong in diameter versus weight supporting ability. I've center-hung tubes by making an
inverted "V" in the wire (where the mounting line is tied), then bending up each end of the "V" at a 45-degree angle. Since this hard wire has great "spring-effect" properties, I've made the "V" a bit wider than the diameter of the tube; cutting a cross-sectional notch in the end of a long dowel stick, I can use it to push and twist the springy "V" up the inside of the tube until the bent-up ends of the "V" snap in place through the tube's mounting holes.

I've made loose-fitting "axles" from the same stainless steel wire by simply sticking it through the mounting holes, and (allowing about 1/8" clearance from each tube wall) bent it up at about a 70-degree angle. Using a pair of needle nose pliers, I bent a small loop in each end of the axle (about an inch past the bend) from which I could tie a support line to each end of the axle. While all of these worked pretty well with a minimum dampening effect, I still had the earlier
described problems when messing around with long tubes; and, it's for that reason alone that I started messing around with capping a long tube at one end.

Regardless of what particular explanation of internal air column changes or any effect on tube dynamics (that total cross-sectional antinode sealing) may have resulted in producing, I noticed a very appreciable degree of positive improvement in long tubes of 1" OD or greater. The ultimate goal was to then try to center mount the tube from a single line through a small hole drilled in the center of the cap; the line was simply ran through the hole and on out the open end of the tube, a knot tied in the end of the line, then pulled back through the hole until the knot seated against the inside of the cap.
When doing the "acid test" of hanging this thing next to an equal open-ended tube (conventionally strung at the node with very fine monofilament line), I could tell no difference whatsoever. As a result, I can now hang very long, very heavy tubes by a single (relatively large diameter/very strong) braided nylon line from the end of the tube with little or no abrasive effect on the line by the tube's swinging motion. Not only can I mount the tubes much closer together from a considerably smaller diameter halo or support disk, but a moderate to high wind only makes the long tubes pretty much
sway together instead of creating a wild individual rocking motion of each particular length tube.

I've had good results with many of the different hanging methods in shorter tubes of smaller diameters; but, for anything over 1" diameter and 3-feet in length, I'm not going back to the old ways (simply out of sheer practicality, aesthetics, and much longer endurance with no noted difference in performance). Brent

Here is where the brass comes From: "morecyber5" <morecyber5@yahoo.com>
Subject: That Stupid Axle Problem

First off I want to thank Brent for a great idea on how to set an axle in a tube. The broomstick trick was inspired. Looked great on paper. Seemed functional outside the tube.

Here's what I ended up doing. Take some brass rod 1/8" diameter. Drill 1/8" hole in pipe. Stick rod thru hole. Cut it off, leaving about 1/2" sticking out either side. Take a couple feet of baling wire. Fold in half. Prepare hanging wire or rope (whatever you like) with loop on end, as it is to be hung. Pull brass rod out of far hole just a bit. Stick looped hanging thing and "V" part of bailing wire down tube and thread rod thru them and back out the far hole. Pull both to make sure you didn't miss one (otherwise it can suck if you missed the hanging wire). Now, take a hacksaw blade or other flexible item
and reach down tube and whack looped hanging wire to one side. Now slide baling wire to center of rod. Take some good strong pliers and grab both pieces of baling wire close to top of tube. Now, slowly either apply leverage upwards or roll pliers (both work nicely) and bend tube until you have a nice "mountain-top" and the ends of your rod just barely protrude from tube. Snip excess off into play in a big way. Apply some brazing flux to rod area. Take your grinder and grind smooth. You just killed 2 birds with one stone. Rod is flush with exterior of tube and has just brazed itself into tube, no excessive heat necessary. If you were tricky you might be able to use pre-fluxed brazing rod as your axle. Unfortunately that didn't occur to me until afterwards. Jim

From: "Brent" <bmh1944@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: That Stupid Axle Problem

Jim;

It sounds like you've got a pretty good idea as well by simply sticking the rod through the node holes, then bending it to a "V" shape with the wire. I thought of that once, but never tried it because I was afraid it would warp the holes in either the aluminum or copper tubing I usually use.

I think maybe there not enough beers consumed and perhaps the broomstick could have been the reason for your difficulty because I used a 7/8" OD long dowel rod (about like a broomstick) to seat the axles in chimezilla that was made from 5"OD tubing. I've usually used only a 3/8"OD dowel to seat 1/8"OD axles in 1"OD tubing because the dowel rod must be around 1/3(or less) the diameter of the tube to allow the "V" to compress enough to slide in smoothly. A relatively wide push stick (in relationship to the tube's OD) won't leave enough space between the outside of the stick and the tube's inner walls for the "V" to compress very much.

Another tip in seating an internal axle inside a relatively long tube is to first round and smooth the little "feet" of the V-axle which will snap through the node holes. Rounding them will let them slide better without trying to dig into the walls of the tube, and shooting a little WD-40 down the bore will help things glide even better.

Admittedly, I've snapped a few 3/8" dowel rods when trying to twist an axle in place, and a cranky axle will sometimes make the rod bend while you're pushing hard and make controlling things difficult; so I've been using a new puller tool lately that works a little better. I now use nothing but a long 1/2"OD dowel rod with a stout little screw-hook that I've screwed into the center of the dowel's end. Similar to the bailing wire method, I just compress the V-axle and push it into the end of the tube; then I send the long 1/2" dowel down the tube and hook the V with the screw hook on the end. It's much easier to pull the V into the general area than pushing it. The other end of the dowel rod has the 1/8" wide notch cut across the
end; so I use that end to go over the V and do any minor twisting it takes to coax each little foot into snapping through the node hole.
First, let me scare you completely away from welding the axles; even though the results are beautiful when a good
weld is smoothed and polished to total invisibility, the hours of frustration (and expense) in learning how to produce such a weld are probably not worth it unless you plan to do a lot of aluminum welding on other things. I am NOT a welder, but with many hours of practice, I've learned to do a pretty good job at relatively minor aluminum welding on thin tubing.

I'd completely forget trying to use any kind of aluminum welding rod and any kind of gas torch because it isn’t going to happen. Depending on the alloy, aluminum can have a melting point from about 650-800 degrees; but the problem is that aluminum is almost as good a heat conductor as copper, so you've got to do some major heat sinking very near the welding point. Any gas torch has too much variance in heat depending on just where the tip of the flame is; so the slightest split-second too long in one spot will instantly give you a nice hole that suddenly collapses in the tube wall. Another problem is that you simply can't weld aluminum to any satisfaction in the open air because the oxygen immediately forms an aluminum oxide coating on the aluminum's surface that takes almost twice as much heat to melt while the aluminum underneath suddenly falls apart.

A MIG or TIG welder having a good enough wire feeding system to use aluminum alloy wire (most cheapies only feed steel wire well) and using a pure argon gas welding environment will get you started. Then after hours of doing much homework on technique, more hours of practice, and much frustration, you might have some success - haha. I've got a relatively cheap (home/farm grade) $500 Hobart MIG welder that I was pretty good at using on steel. When I changed gas and tried my hand at aluminum welding many months ago, all of my pride went straight down the toilet. I can do pretty well with it now, but
it's been a long hard road - grrrrrrr.

Actually, I've done some really nice looking fixed-axle tubes with nothing more than good 'ole JB Weld - which I would highly recommend for most people because I've yet to have a joint break loose. Simply drill the node holes to be just a bit larger than the axle diameter like you would with a loose axle; then bend the "V" part of your inverted-V axle to be about 1/16" less in width than the inside diameter of the tube. A major hint is to rough up the axle feet with coarse sandpaper before seating the axle into the tube, this gives a much better bonding surface for the glue. Once the axle is seated
(with the suspension line already attached or hanging from a wire with a hook around the axle), you can push against the protruding axle foot on one side of the tube to let the opposite foot protrude out a little (because your internal V isn't quite as wide as the inside of the tube).

Apply a little JB Weld to the protruding foot and a little around the hole, squish/pack it into the space around the axle with a toothpick, then push on the end of the axle to move it back into the hole. Move back to the other side of the tube and push the glued end of the axle out again, and work it back and forth a couple of times to get the glue well applied inside the hole and around the axle foot. Repeat the same procedure of sliding the axle back and forth after applying the epoxy weld to the other side; center the axle when finished, and let the tube hang from the suspension line until the JB Weld cures up for at least 24 hours. Filing and polishing the axle ends flush with the tube walls will leave only a very tiny little dark ring around the axle (where the glue is) and is very hard to notice unless one is really putting the
trophy inspection on it.

If you use a loose axle, it's much easier and all the above can be avoided if you don't mind the end of the axle foot sticking out of the tube's walls a little. As I said earlier, I've not done any comparative testing between a fixed axle and a loose axle to see if there's any noticeable difference other than aesthetics of a smooth sided tube compared to one with protruding axle feet. If you want Fred Flintstone's method of tuning, it's to first tune the tube BEFORE drilling any holes at all. I've described my primitive method of using two large loops of very fine monofilament fishing line (or a
number of thin rubber bands tied together) to horizontally suspend the tube (at both nodes) from some horizontal beam like my crude T-post rig. Carefully measure the tube to get the node points correct and slide the loops to the exact point near each end. Once you take any length off the tube to tune it, re-measure and reposition it in the node suspension loops again for the next tone test. When you've got it tuned to your liking, then drill the node holes.

Upon getting all of your tubes tuned, drilled, and finished constructing your inverted-V axles, making the decision to use a loose axle or fixed axle is easy. I simply take two of the tubes that are closest in length, seat the axles in them, and suspend them with mono or anything else to temporarily hang them close to each other. Don't get overzealous, but just a tiny bit of superglue to each axle end on one of the tubes (let it dry for at least 30 minutes) will give you a temporary "fixed" axle. Experiment with striking each tube at the center and end - then decide which one (if any) sounds more to
your liking. If you decide you like the loose axle better, you can break the little superglue joint loose with a little constructive prying using a dowel rod slid down inside the tube, remove the axle, clean it up, and go forth with the loose concept.

Yes, you have to plan your suspension line pretty well before you get started; and if you plan to use wire, chain, or cable with a fixed axle, it has to be attached BEFORE you seat the axle because there's no slip knots or attaching it later - well, unless it's 5" tubing and you've got a slim arm - lol. As I rambled on too long in an earliier "cable" posting, I've gotten very partial to 1/32" diameter stainless steel cable (wire rope) because it lasts a lifetime without replacement, has a 150 pound test strength, is much more flexible than wire (and doesn't permanently bend or kink as easily), and it
has much less mass/weight than the lightest of chain to minimize tone dampening.

Cable is even more abrasive than chain or wire (especially around a relatively soft aluminum axle), and will quickly saw through an axle from the tube's rocking motion; so using your idea of a smooth steel ring as an intermediate connection between the axle and any metallic suspension line is a must. I've used a tiny smooth steel cable thimble as my "loop" around an axle for larger diameter tubes; and, as I described in the earlier posting, used a tight, crimped, non-
slipping cable wrap around the axles of smaller diameter tubes where a loose connection would let the tube rock a little more and make frequent contact with the suspension line at the tube's upper end.

I hope you send us pictures of the trampoline chime set because it sounds really unique. You're right in the idea of getting a cleaner sound by spacing the inline tubes farther apart and using a horizontal trapeze-style wood or plastic striker rod for a center strike. I've tried using suspended wooden balls for strikers, but when the wind gets up a little, it seems like they spend more time wrapping around the tubes than striking them. Brent

From: "abhunkin" <abhunkin@uncg.edu>
Subject: Re: Center Suspension Ideas

Maury Gilburne (Gil) has a super-simple method for center suspension.

He's created a basic tool that allows you to make the inverted V *inside* the chime. From start to finish: less than five minutes. Maybe we can entice him to tell more.

Gil's been wonderful with creative ideas - and to bounce creative ideas off of. He's got an 800 number and he stocks about anything you'd need to make your own chimes. His website (a very basic one which he's currently redesigning): http://www.windchimesbytheinch.com

Art Hunkins

From: "Brent" <bmh1944@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Capped / glued ends?

Charles;

Maybe you've found a honey-hole for buying anodized aluminum, but the prices I've seen online are even higher for that than they are for equal OD/wall thickness of good drawn brass. I've seen some nice chimes made from various colored anodized aluminum, but you've really got to handle the stuff with kid gloves because it's very easy to scratch and bugger up with the slightest little slip in cutting or drilling. Of course there's the natural aluminum color showing at the cut ends and node holes that's not to apparent with gold anodized, but really shows up with dark colors.

Last time I looked at Home Depot, a 10' stick of Type-L hard copper was running around $25, and their utility metal area usually has some 3' lengths of 1/16" or 3/32" diameter solid brass rod that makes an excellent axle rod. One thing to remember about all copper plumbing tube is that it is always 1/8" (.125") larger in OD than it's stated size suggests; so 1"OD copper plumbing tube will actually be 1.125" in actual OD. Most Type-L (don't use Type-M) has a wall thickness that varies somewhat from .045" to .050" depending on the manufacturer. So, when figuring your lengths using Chuck's calculator, using 1.125"OD and 1.025"ID will get you very close. If you use the recommended "first" natural frequency in the "ideal range", you'll find tube length for the 1" copper running from about 16-3/16" to 13-3/16"; so, a ten foot stick of copper will give you enough to make 4 chimes with some left over to experiment with.

When drilling the node holes in the tubes, use the same sized bit as the diameter of the node axle rod and very slightly wallow it out just a tad - NOTE: there are two tads in a skoosh, and it takes two hairs to make a tad. You want a relatively snug fit on the node axle, but just enough small space so the solder can flow into the hole around the axle. We've all described our various techniques for pushing or pulling an inverted V-axle into a tube, so you can go through some past postings to decide on that. Personally, I use a wooden dowel rod with a 3/4" wide piece of flat metal (bent in a
narrow U-shape at the end) that's glued into a deep notch in the end of the dowel with JB Weld. I can push the rod through a relatively short tube (less than 3' long), hook the axle into the flat metal U-hook, then pull it into the tube after slightly compressing the axle's leg extensions that will eventually slip through the node holes. The snug-fitting, flat U-hook lets me twist the axle as I pull it to align it with the node holes.

I prefer to make my "V" for a 1" tube pretty sharp where the vertical distance from the node hole legs to the apex of the V is about 1"; this lets the V compress a little easier to pull into the tube and presents no wall contact problem if it's going to be soldered or welded in place. The big secret here is to take a little extra time to file the ends of the axle legs to a blunt, slightly tapered, rounded end so they will have no problem slipping into the node holes. If one gets a little cranky and doesn't want to pop all the way into the hole, I've got a larger diameter dowel rod with a broad,
V-shaped end cut (like a chisel) that I can push up under the axle's V to expand the legs a little so they'll snap on through the holes. I simply bend a hook in both ends of a straightened metal coat hanger or stiff piece of wire, slip it into the tube to hook around the inverted-V axle, then suspend the tube from something overhead by hook in the other end of the wire. A little tug on the tube will ensure the internal V-axle is vertically aligned, and I solder or weld the protruding axle legs into the tube's node holes while it's suspended.

Carefully filing off the excess axle legs flush with the tube walls, using a few grades of wet automotive wet/dry sandpaper, and finishing it off with polishing compound will make an almost invisible joint. If you use a can of Brasso and lots of elbow grease, you can polish up a piece of copper tube to just as bright a finish as good brass. The polished copper will have a beautiful gold color with just a bit of very light orange hue where brass will have a bit lighter yellow
hue. I've always finished off a high-polished tube by hanging it again from the old coat hanger, putting on a cheap pair of surgical gloves to keep from adding fingerprints, then wipe the tube down well with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol to remove all traces of oil from either fingerprints or the oil base in various polishing compounds. I then take an old cotton sock and put it over my gloved hand, then lightly saturate the part of the sock in the palm of my hand with a few plastic spoons full of MinWax outdoor grade clear polyurethane spar varnish. By gently grasping the tube with the socked hand, I slowly draw it down along the length of the tube; repeating that process two or three more times in slightly different
hand positions will apply a nice thin coat of varnish that won't run and keep the tube shiny for years.

Once you get the axles installed and the tubes ready for hanging, I'd suggest experimenting a little with different suspension lines to see which one is going to produce the best sound. Brew has had good luck using fine steel wire like old model airplane control wire or the hobby-type music wire used on door harps (from www.cherrytreetoys.com). I've also used it with pretty good success on longer, larger OD, heavier copper; but for the very short length of suspension line you're going to be using (and doing a top-end strike), I'll cast my vote for something with more flexibility and linear elasticity like thin nylon or mono line. Using that type of line will also let you use a slipknot to firmly cinch down around the internal axle for a tight, but non-dampening bond to help reduce tube sway from the line slipping on the axle. Brent

From: "Brent" <bmh1944@yahoo.com>
Subject: Center Suspension Ideas

Howard;

Doug's idea works very well with very fine, braided SS cable for longer life and little need to ever replace the suspension line. If you choose to use braided nylon or mono suspension line, it can still be easily knotted around an internal tube axle with no problems. Doug may have better ideas, but here's how I do it.

The major secret is not having a straight internal axle. Instead, use the inverted "V" axle like Chuck has described on his website. You simply make a (not too sharp an angle) inverted "V" in your wire or rod for the internal axle - then on each leg of the V, bend the axle straight out (-v-) so the straightened portion will fit into each mounting hole of the tube. Make the V portion wide enough so the distance across the open end of the V is the same as the inside diameter of your chime tube (and the short the legs will protrude through just a little smaller than the inside diameter of your chime
tube. Once in place, the inverted V axle will self-center any suspension cable or line - so no problem there.

NOTE: You will be slightly compressing the V axle so the short horizontal leg extensions will go inside the tube and allow you to push it up in place - then snap into the node holes; so, make sure to slightly round the ends with a file so they will slide along the inside of the chime tube without scratching or binding up.

I've made an axle-installation tool from nothing more than a 1/2"OD or 5/8"OD wooden dowel rod that's about 3 feet long for shorter chime tubes; for longer sets, an old broom handle works great. First, drill a 1/4" centered hole about 1/2" down into one end of the dowel rod. Next, use a hand saw to cut a cross-sectional kerf notch (across the end of the rod and the drilled hole) to the same depth as the hole that was drilled. If necessary, use a wider saw blade or thin file to widen the slot in the end of the dowel rod so it will fit over the internal axle rod; the wide-space in the center of the notch (from the previously drilled hole) will allow room for the suspension line's added width to the axle rod's diameter.

If you use Doug's cable suspension technique, go ahead and make a small loop in the cable and crimp on the small cylindrical cable-clamping sleeve. Insert your inverted-V axle through the loop, then slip the axle into the dowel rod slot (with tip of "V" pointed forward). Gently compress the V-axle until it's protruding legs fit inside the bottom end of the chime tube; then begin pushing it up inside the tube with the dowel rod. The slot in the dowel rod will allow you to twist the axle into alignment so it's short horizontal legs will snap into the node holes when it gets there. Bending a little hook in the end of a long piece of wire or straightened wire oat-hanger makes a great fishing tool to pull the suspension cable from inside the tube if it gets balled up during installation – or you forget to push it in ahead of the axle during installation - lol.

Some prefer to leave the internal V-axle loose, but I prefer to weld or solder it in place (depending on the metal) then file off the outside leg protrusions to make a nice smooth tube exterior when it's polished up later. The SS wire cable will probably outlast the chimes, so there won't be any need to ever replace it; and heat from soldering or welding the axle in place (if one chooses to do so) won't affect the cable. If you prefer to use braided nylon or monofilament suspension line AND wish to weld/solder the axle in place; then just install the internal V-axle as previously described
(without the line already attached) and finish any welding or soldering necessary. There are a number of very good slipknots that you can use to install the line to a permanently affixed internal axle. Simply drop the line down the tube and use that coat hanger or wire "fishhook" to reach into the tube, hook the line, and pull the loose end back up over the other side of the internal axle. With both ends outside the tube, use whatever type slip-knot appeals to you to tie the short end around the long end of the line, cut off the excess line past the slip-knot, then pull the long end of the line until the slip-knot tightens around the "V" portion of the axle.

What if the nylon or mono line breaks or needs replaced later? A single-edged razor blade fits very nicely into a little saw cut in the end of a long 1/4" dowel rod and works like magic to cut anything from around the internal axle. In either method you use, the inverted "V" axle is the key to keeping the suspension line centered on the axle. Brent

From: "Jack Maegli" <jackmaegli@jvlnet.com>
Subject: RE: Mark's Lonely Chimes

On single line suspension axles, I usually use ¼” straight aluminum rod with a groove lathed shallow in the center for the suspension line. I have a pointed jig that mounts on my vice to expand the rod ends into the ¼” hole I bore through the tubes without distorting the rod or tube. File flush and polish w/o welding. But, up in the north, the winds blow hard
and double suspension works best for the tubes not clanking.

From: "Brent" <bmh1944@yahoo.com>
Subject: Jack's Straight Axle Idea

Jack;

I really like your center-grooved straight axle concept for a fixed axle because it really makes a lot of sense now that I think about the physics involved. When a fixed inverted-V axle is used, the upper apex would be moving back and forth to pretty much the same degree as the tube's transverse mode would be making the tube move at the same point above the node. Even though the axle's primary mass would be centered at the tube's node point the suspension point would be vibrating to some degree that could be dampened by the suspension line.

If the axle were loose mounted, this wouldn't be a problem because the axle's feet could slip in the node holes as the tube vibrated back and forth and not apply any degree of movement to the suspension point. I'm getting ready to make some 2.25"OD aluminum chimes, so I'm going to try your thick, center-grooved, straight axle idea out.
Since I've already undergone the necessary mental trauma of learning aluminum welding, I'll probably continue that route with the straight axle because it can be filed and polished to invisibility; but I'm glad to hear the relatively large diameter axle doesn't seem to have any adverse dampening effect. Brent

From: "Jack Maegli" <jackmaegli@jvlnet.com>
Subject: RE: Mark's Lonely Chimes

From: "Brent" <bmh1944@yahoo.com>
Subject: Jack's Straight Axle Idea

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Updated 3-24-05