Small hammer-like actuator ideas

I'm imagining a 'frame'. Beginning at the left, there's the first upright part of the screen or structure. Then, there is the 6 foot tube, supported on it's right by a full height column. the right side of this column has the 5.5' tube supported. Then a space, the 5' tube is supported by the next column, with the 4.5' tube on the other side. continue - tube,column,tube - tube column tube - tube column tube. Stikers could be inside the columns.

you 'could' mix in some 'dead' - non-sounding tubes as well. Just to help with the aesthetics.

good luck

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan
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I wasn't imagining a "side" -- but that's not important (I was just going to hang everything from the ceiling downward -- taking full advantage of gravity :> )

Ah, OK. I've always envisioned just an "array of tubes". With the only attachment point being from above, this lets the bottoms of the tubes describe a curve (which can add to the interest of the piece, esp if you imagine the tubes alternating sides:

xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

This end down --->

Reply to
Don Y

lumn

Once again, I guess I missed this part of the design. I was thinking a 'screen' just as a standing frame with the chimes inside - not like a 'curtain'.

perhaps the 'cap'-type of chime discussed much earlier could be suspended with a small diamter tube in the center of the cap. Now imagine a solenoid that can extend a piece of spring-steel rod/wire down trhough the end of this supporting tube inside the chime. This wire would be pre-formed into a curve. ('memory' wire?) On its end could be attached a ball of lead or steel ball w'ever. When retracted, the ball would be just at the end of the support tube. When the solenoid extended it, the curve in the wire would allow for the ball the strike the inside surface of the chime. The support tube could even be adjusted farther inside the chime if this allowed the striker to hit in an acoustically better position. This is hard to describe I guess - but think of a hummingbird poking its tongue out. lol!

I also think you should consider a remote (wireless?) keyboard for this device in case someone wanted to 'play' it.

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

Yes, "curtain" is a more specific description. "Screen" is just a generic term (e.g., you can have a screen in your yard formed by a row of bushes, etc.)

On entering the house, you look "down" on one end of the living room (sunken living room). The normal traffic flow has you immediately turning to the left walking *alongside* the LR (though "a step above" it). Currently, there is a wrought iron railing to discourage you from walking forwards and *stumbling* (most folks fail to perceive the step down into the LR; we are trying to address this with choice of floor treatments).

I would like to replace the iron railing (tacky) with something more decorative. And, in the process, help to block the view

*into* the LR (e.g., visitors at the front door can peer *into* the LR if motivate to do so). I figure pipes would both obscure the view and confuse the *viewer* ("What the hell are those? Pipes??")

I was hoping to use a softer striker to eliminate some of the harsher overtones. But, that's beside the point.

And *that* ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is yet another "unknown".

Understood.

I was planning on just driving it with MIDI scripts. I don't think it would be a good "instrument" because there (probably) won't be a great range of control over *how* notes are struck, sustained, etc.

Reply to
Don Y

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