Well...does it look like a belfry?

[harryball]

I haven't cut this yet but give me an impression... if you saw a bat nearby would you recognize this as a belfry or wonder what the heck it was?


2061

[bruce_clark]

Robert,

I would make the connection, but hey I went to school in Austin and we use to get bats in the dorm all the time. And my school actually HAD a belfry.

It looks really nice. It looks like a "high class" bat house. Did you do that in VCarve Pro?

Bruce

[zeykr]

Looks like a belfry to me!

[harryball]

It is done Corel X3 then imported and completed in Vcarve Pro. It is slated to be the top of a windchime. It's about 8" high. Not sure what material to cut it from yet since it'll be outside.

I'm glad it looks like a belfry.

Robert

[jhicks]

Looks good, a nice weather vane or steeple on top might be a nice touch. Maybe a BATMAN silouette for that weather vane?

[harryball]

Our Bat House Kit in action! Yes I'm proud, I created something that even an 8 year old can assemble. :-)


2062


2063

[bruce_clark]

Robert,

That picture of the kid using a power tool without safety glasses is going to raise the ire of OSHA! Just kidding...

That batbox looks really nice. Is that the single box "plan" that I saw on the bats conservation website?

Bruce

[harryball]

This bat box is my original design. I used the requirements published by BCI (www.batcon.org (http://www.batcon.org)) and created the kit with slots and tabs so it fits together and pretty much self aligns. When BCI certified it they told me they haven't seen anything like it. It was so easy to put together that 2 biologists could even do it. :-) or should that be a caveman?

Saftey glasses for a screwdriver drill... you're probably right. But we do get permission forms.

Robert

[bruce_clark]

Robert,

Do you publish your plan for the single box bathouse? I saw the plans on the BCI but I also saw something on your website about a single box bat house.

I don't think we have a lot of bats in our area but I did see one last summer (a big fat one) on the side of a building. So that got me thinking about building a "test" house to see if I can find any "tenants".

Thanks,

Bruce

[rcnewcomb]

Robert,

I just want to say what an inspiration you have been. Your are doing something you love and you have been learning new technology to do it even better. I appreciate your willingness to share your setbacks as well as your triumphs.

[harryball]

An honor I'm sure I don't deserve, but thank you. Sometimes I think if you took my setbacks and triumphs and choreographed them it would look like I'm dancing a polka. When I get my belfry project completed I'll post some photos.

Robert

[harryball]

If you ever wondered what happened to that belfry... here is the prototype, final proto will be assembled tomorrow and ready for the catalog... finally.

Here is the first prototype complete with tubes. The tubes are not polished yet. They are tuned to each other and sounds very good. Tuning was actually the biggest challenge of the project.


2064

Here it is after some changes and tuning, stain instead of black paint in the windows, a little shorter and bats added to the belfry etc... The bat shape is the wind catch for the bottom.


2065


While I still have tweaking to do, holddown tunning etc... the only thing I don't think I can fix right now is the chatter...


2066

I thought I'd sanded it all out but with a coat of Tung oil they showed right up again. Still working on it, I know the upgrade would fix this but I'm trying to work around that right now.

When I get the final I'll be sure to post photos.

Robert

[myxpykalix]

Harry,
I like the stain instead of the black paint shows more detail. Nice. Regarding your bathouses, i have the perfect solution to attract bats to populate the house...carve a picture of Bela Lagosi on the front!

[evan]

Robert,
I don't know if you already have this info but it help us get beautiful sounding chimes for a project I helped out on at a local school (my wife is a teacher there.)


I think the chimes look great. What bit are you using? Have you tried a down spiral bit for that end grain the shearing action may solve your problem.Oris the chatter from a hold down issue?

[evan]

Robert,
I don't know if you already have this info but it helped us get beautiful sounding chimes for a project I helped out on at a local school (my wife is the Primary School Director and a Teacher there, so I get volunteered into lots of projects.
)
Physics of Open Pipe Wind Chimes (http://www.missouri.edu)(you'll have to do a search for the PDF on the site, for some reason I can't give you the direct link)
I think the chimes look great. What bit are you using? Have you tried a down spiral bit for that end grain the shearing action may solve your problem.Oris the chatter from a hold down issue?

[harryball]

I can't find the information you are referencing, but I did find a formula and installed tuner software on my PC. Once I tuned one pipe I was able to calculate the length of the next pipe for the desired note and cut it then tweak it and so on until all 5 were done. Now that I've done it it's simple but I was really having fits in the beginning.

For those that'd like to try... Cut your first tube based on how long you want your chime. Say a 1/2" copper tube at 18" long is the desired size, so cut it. Now place that tube near the tuner suspending it with rubber bands and find the frequency and note. Sand a little off the end if you want to change it's note. Once that is done, use this formula...

L2 = L1 (sqrt(F1/F2))

L2 is the second tube, you are solving for it.
L1 is the known tube length
F1 is the known frequency you just discovered
F2 is the desired new frequency
Use mm for everything, it makes the math much easier.

So, if you found out your first tube at 603mm was a B at 990Hz and you wanted a C# to go with it at 1109 Hz you have 603(sqrt(990/1109)) = 570 mm with a little rounding up. So you cut your next tube to 570mm and you should be very close. Always round up, you can sand a little off the tube but you can't add back.

The string holes go at the nodes for the tube. The nodes are where the tubes vibrate the least when making sounds. These are located 22.4% from the end. So for the 570mm pipe the node is at about 128mm.

You can download tunners, like Chromatia Tuner on the web. It's annoying unless you register it but there are other tuners as well.

I created an accurate jig with stop pins on the bot and cut the tubes on the miter saw. I use an 80 tooth carbide tipped blade and it cuts the copper like butter. I suppose you could cut tubes on the bot, but it's a simple job to chop them on the saw. The thicker and larger the tube the more mellow the sound. Aluminum is also an option but it has more "tinkle" sound to it and I prefer the rich sound of copper.

Back to the wood working...
I've cut 8 times with various techniques to get where I'm at now. I've tried straight cut, down cut, up cut and speeds from 1.5 ips to 4 ips and 2 to 4 passes. Hold down has ranged from cam clamps to now using high vac clamp. What you see now is the best results so far.

I thought I had cut almost chatter free this time and the spindle sander would clean it right up. It looked great before the tung oil was applied. The photo amplifies what is really there with the flash and you can't really feel it with your finger. In bright sunlight it is visible too. For the prototype and getting in the catalog it'll be fine. Once I get orders I guess I'll have to sand some more for the time being.

I'm running a 1:1 Alpha and I know the 7.2:1 upgrade will very likely solve this issue. For now I'm trying to work around it. It seems to be in the bot some how, when both axis are moving that's what I get. Otherwise cuts are chatter free. On the large oval you can see very minor chatter leading to what you see in the photo and then back to minor chatter to clean and so on. The chatter is most pronounced when X and Y are moving at the fastest simultaneously.

Not a show stopper, I know I need to get the 7.2 upgrade but my cash state right now is pretty tight. The last quarter of every year is property Tax time, Car tag time, HO Insurance time, car insurance time, Life Insurance time, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the list continues. This year will be tighter than most so... things that can wait will have to wait.

Robert

[evan]

Sounds like you got all the info you needed already. Just an idea but maybe you could put a wave file of the chimes on your site.

Since you can't feel them, could those "chatter" marks seen after applying finish be what's left behind by the spindle sander?

I hear you on all the expenses that come due at this time of year, and for me business tends to slow down in the winter months, but it still beats the heck out of working for a corporation.

Hope you have a Great weekend!

[lto]

If you find the sales to support the increased production you will find the ShopBot upgrade paying for itself faster than you can anticipate. We continue to be amazed at the improvement in both speed and quality we're getting. I was a rather vocal critic of the Alpha chatter 2 years ago, to be fair I need to also applaud the solution to it. I only wish the upgrade had been available sooner, but better late than never.

[harryball]

Trying to work up a decent photo... does this make you want to buy one? comments?


2067

[harryball]

Or do you prefer this...

2068

[beacon14]

I'd go for the close-up pictures to be as large as possible, covering more of the background. Show more detail and have the background be less distracting.

[ed_lang]

I agree with David and I'll add this.

Use your above picture cropped tighter as a insert picture maybe. Hang the wind chime in front of a neutral color background and shoot it. That way I don't get busy looking at the tree that is holding it or the one behind it. Make sure the bat on the bottom is facing us not off to the side.

[harryball]

Click here to hear them...

http://www.habitatforbats.org/temp/bat_chimes.wav

It takes a second or two, the wave file is 584k in size.

Robert

[evan]

Music to my ears. And I agree with Ed.
Great job. I hope it's a big seller for you.