Wind Chimes
As a way to improve my metalworking skills, I enjoy making wind chimes with my grandpa. Together we used a plasma torch to cut all the pieces from steel sheet and weld them together at the top to create the chime. Each piece is a different length to make different tones.
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These chimes have a wind catcher to help create momentum to hit the wooden striker against the sides. Each wind catcher is unique and cut out by hand with a plasma torch. My first wind chime features an eighth note wind catcher that I cut out by hand.
For my next wind chime I wanted to make a more repeatable pattern. I welded small diameter rod together to create a rocket ship shape. This involved bending rod and tacking it together to make a sturdy pattern that I could use with the plasma torch.
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I successfully cut out the wind catcher using the pattern and attached it to the chime, after breaking the edges, polishing, and painting it. These wind chimes are a really fun way to combine many skills into one project, and I really enjoyed working on them with my grandpa.