Pipes and tubes are the same in wind chimes. Rods are not hollow and sustain notes longer. Hard metals such as steel and aluminum produce sharper tones. Soft metals such as copper produce softer tones. Metal objects are good at producing vibrations, so non-metal chimes such as glass sound more hollow. To test out the sounds of different metal pipes such as copper or aluminum, visit a chime store or rap on the pipes with something that creates vibration, such as a piece of wood. You’ll be creating 5 to 8 chimes out of your pipes or rods. Depending on how long you’d like your chimes to be, you may need to buy multiple pipes and rods, or just 1 very long one.
The support line material has little impact on the sound. It’s how you hang the chimes that will determine sound, so choose line materials that will last. If you want to hang the chime from a hook or a tree, buy a metal ring to tie to the lines at the top of the chime.
Strikers are often circular so that they can hit all chimes equally. Strikers can also be star-shaped, but these hit all chimes at the same time with less force.
Suspension platforms are often made out of wood, metal, or plastic.
The sail can be carved from wood into many artistic forms, such as animal shapes, but you may find it easier to choose a simple block of wood that you can drill into and hang from the striker with a suspension line. A small sail will be less durable, but a bigger sail will require more wind to move.
Mark the other side of the base, too, to indicate where you plan on drilling holes to make the base hang from the wind chime’s point of suspension if needed. Keep the holes at least 1⁄4 in (0. 64 cm) away from the edge of the base.
Try to keep the sail close to the bottom of the longest chime. The longer the sail’s support line, the stronger the wind has to be to move the sail and its extra weight. Remember that wind velocity is often stronger the higher you hang the wind chime, so a sail too close to the ground also won’t cause the chimes to sound as much.
If you decide you don’t like the length of the striker, you can adjust it later on.
C9: 6. 5 in (17 cm) long pipe C8: 9. 18 in (23. 3 cm) long pipe C7: 13 in (33 cm) long pipe C6: 18. 9 in (48 cm) long pipe C5: 26 in (66 cm) long pipe Looking for other scales? Check out this chart to find the notes and their chime measurements.
Your local hardware store may be able to cut the pipes for you. Just be sure to have your measurements handy. If you have a piano, tune the chimes by playing a note and matching the sound they make when you rap on them. Then, cut off more of the chime as needed.
Chimes that hang too low are more vulnerable in wind and move more, making the wind chime out of tune because the striker doesn’t hit them evenly.
