Thread: Kalimba

Afro thought my little Kalimba was pretty good so he asked if I could restore a couple of his.

The rusty Mbiras have 22 tynes with some set high to give a wider range of sounds.

They looked like they had had a lot of use. His house was flooded in the June floods in Newcastle so that probably added to the rust.

I dismantle them, brushed off the rust, straightened them a bit and buffed them.
The boards on the originals were pretty light but the wood was strong. I used some Tassie Oak

It took a bit of fiddling to reuse the holding 'mechanisms'.

The pic shows the assembled ready for Afro to tune.

After all the cleaning of the rusty Mbiras I wanted to make one.

This is a 17 tyne Kalimba.
The box gives is a sweeter sound.

The top is made from a piece of Queensland Maple with some figure.
I routed the shape.

A horseshoe shaped spacer in Celery Top Pine was cut to fit on the bandsaw.
Then a thin ply cut for the back.
A sound hole cut in the top.

The bridge is wide so I needed to get enough pressure across the full length to hold the tynes. I spaced 1/4" holes for small bolts.
The bridge is a bit of African ebony like wood recessed into the top.

The tynes, again from the rake, were cut roughly to size. In order to give it a bit more 'rustic' character, I heated them and hammered a wider end. Shaped them on the grinder and polished them on a buffing wheel.


The bolts make it easier to fit the tynes and adjust the tension.
I will recess them in the base to hide the rough edges.

The smiling face just happened.

It is a bit prettier than the others and have a good sound.

Now it is back to work. It has been an interesting week off work making these little instruments.

Good stuff scally! I'm just a sucker for anything that makes a noise!

What did you use for tynes?

P

Afraid that I am also easily distracted/attracted to anything different, shiny, interesting.......

After suggestions for the Forum I visited a bike shop. They gave me bike spokes from repair jobs.

Then I found the old fashion grass rakes at Bunnings.
These are pretty close to the dimensions of tynes I have seen on other kalimbas.

I would like to find some a bit thicker and wider to make a Mbira but no luck yet.
People give you strange looks when you ask for Kalimba tynes!

On one web site there was a reference to "Fisherman's Tape" used by electricians, but I have found it yet.

My daughter wants me to help her make 30 pairs of 'clap sticks' for her kid's music group.
Now I will be able to use the rake handles.

Looks like a fun week Scally, the smiley really adds to the instrument! I reckon making instruments is the best fun ever! I'll post on the F5 when I get some photos,

Long weekend this weekend, and Im batchin. Lock up the house and move to the shed for the weekend!

By Jove! I've collected a bunch of broken-off street sweeper bristles over the years, and couldn't figure out what to do with them. This might be the answer. They're steel, 1/8" x 0.030", lengths up to about 12"; decent tone at about 1 1/2" to 2" cantilever. McMaster-Carr lists Fish Tapes of 1/8" x 3/64" and 1/8" x 1/16", which would be just a wee bit stiffer.

Great looking work, Scally, and thanks for the inspiration.

Joe

Well blow me!

For all those years I've wondered what those bits of steel were that I'd picked up on the road!

Street sweeper bristles!

40 years of questions answered!

P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

For all those years I've wondered what those bits of steel were that I'd picked up on the road!

Street sweeper bristles!

or don kings hair

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Well blow me!

For all those years I've wondered what those bits of steel were that I'd picked up on the road!

Street sweeper bristles!

40 years of questions answered!

P

Took me a few years too. First one I found at the end of my driveway, and thought it'd come off my car. Looked high and low for damage on the undercarriage, then shrugged it off. Stopped worrying after I found a few more elsewhere. Then, browsing in a book of odds and sods, I found instructions (un-needed and unwanted) for making lock-picking tools from (guess what) street sweeper bristles. Great big AHA!

Joe

hammered out motorbike wheel spokes are what the zimbabwe ones are made of.

Do Afro's mbiras have rattles? Martins mbiras have bits of loose wire and bottle tops that give a sort of buzzing sound when the thing is played.

Also, you need to find a gourd to play your Mbira in. Actually, looks to me like you need to smuggle some african gourd seeds through customs. Er ... did I say that?

Thanks Joe.
I will see if I can find the Fish Tape here. Then I will need a better anvil.

Now I have an excuse to walk the streets. I'd be interested to see how your kalimbas look.
Matthew the moto bike spokes should be thicker than the push bike ones. My brothers have bikes. I will 'check' for broken spokes next weekend.

Afro's little kalimbas have pieces of tin wrapped around the base of the tynes to get abuzzing sound. A bit like the pic of a very rustic African Kalimba.


I haven't seen him use the mbiras in a gourd but I expect he has them hidden away somewhere.

I wonder if someone could turn a big gourd-like bowl?
That might work.
Maybe I will try thr Gourdfather at Maitland again. Customs are a bit sensitive these days.

Sebastiaan, I didn't tell anyone that I had the week off. It worked a treat. Enjoy your long weekend.

I thought I would try another one.

I haven't been able to find Fish Tape yet.

Pushbike tynes seem to deform too easy. Maybe need to find a motorbike.

The bolts on the smiling Kalimba protrude throught the bottom which makes them rough on skin and furniture. I counter sunk holes for the nuts and glued the nots in place.

The top and bottom are ply and the sides are blackwood.

The trapezoid shape is convenient to hold and play.

Hi All,
Well our Sweeper must be a little different, as I have never seen any of those Bristles in our Gutters.
Then again Our Sweeper only does our Street once every 90 Days, & that is a fact & you all know what a fact is ???.

I will be looking out for then in future, & if I can stop the Sweeper Driver, I will ask, where do th old Sweeper Wheels / Discs go. Just might be lucky to pick one up.

Do you think that maybe the Go.

G'day Scally, I love these little things too and have made loads of them. Here is my fave though, the back is half egg shaped, the tynes are Stainless steel inserts from windscreen wipers(quite stiff). The WRC top wobbles good and makes it loud and you can add extra rhythm by moving your palm over the sound hole.

JimKalimba1.jpgKalimba2.jpg

Oops, I just realised this is a 2007 thread.