http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

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Valentine's Windchimeby Kiteman on February 5, 2009

Table of Contents

Valentine's Windchime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro:   Valentine's Windchime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1:   Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2:   Making the heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 3:   Tying the knot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 4:   The frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 5:   Finishing the heart and frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 6:   Placing the heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 7:   Alternative ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Author:Kiteman    MakerDay EnrichmentAn East Anglian Maker, who spends a lot of time in a very small shed. Interested in science, kites, beer (proper beer, not lager) and the general Maker ideal.

Need help on the site? I'm a member of the Community Team, so drop me a PM.

Credo:

Faith, noun; Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

''Faith is believing what you know ain't so'' - Mark Twain

Science, noun; Set of processes that explain the universe and its contents through hypotheses and theories based on observable evidence.

I am in the universe, a part of the universe. I was not created, I am the most recent product of several billion years' worth of random mutation selected byenvironmental and sexual pressures, plus a healthy dose of accidents.

I am a unique individual, with my own mind, knowledge, skills, dreams. I am a husband, father, son and friend. I teach others and learn from others.

No god had a part in my genesis. I have no religious faith, although I respect those that have (so long as they do not expect others to share it withoutquestion). I take responsibility for my own actions, and bear the guilt for any wrong-doings without feeling the need to confess them to a higher being. When Idie, all that will remain of me will be the memories held by those that knew me. I will go to neither heaven nor hell, nor will I be resurrected. When I am gone,I am gone.

To quote the famous philosophers; ''Cogito ergo sum'' and ''I yam what I yam!''.

''Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities'' - Voltaire.

''READ CAREFULLY.'' ''By reading this article, you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and allNON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete andacceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity,without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS onbehalf of your employer.''

Intro:  Valentine's WindchimeOf any gift, a Valentine's gift really ought to be personally made or modded.

This year, I was wanting to make something more ornamental than last year's fidget toy, but I don't like fiddly little ornaments.

Serendipity stepped in, and provided several metres of rusty chain.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Step 1: MaterialsI could have made this from new materials, but we both like the weathered, rustic look for garden ornaments.

As well as the chain, I used a length of rebar I happened to have lying around, some timber from the shed, fine copper wire, woodstain and woodscrews.

The tools I used included boltcutters, a large-diameter twist-drill, hammer and screwdriver.

Image Notes1. Roughly 13m - far more than I actually used.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Step 2: Making the heartI drew out a symmetrical outline of a heart, and laid the chain on it vertically, using the boltcutters to cut pieces of chain to lengths to match the outline.

I started at the middle of the heart, and worked my way out to both sides, to make sure that the point of the shape was a point, and to keep things balanced.

To keep them in order, I threaded the pieces onto a skewer.

Image Notes1. These are rusty chains - don't expect your template to stay clean!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Image Notes1. Doesn't look much like a heart yet, does it?

Step 3: Tying the knotI attached a length of thin copper wire to the end of each piece of chain, simply wrapping and twisting the wire around the end link.

I tied-and-twisted the other ends of the wire to the rebar, with the bar laid flat across the template.

I started at the centre of the bar, and tied half the chains in place. It started getting very fiddly to tie each chain to the rebar with all the others lying in the way, so Iswitched to making the frame before attaching the rest of the chains.

Image Notes1. Wrap and twist.

Image Notes1. All the chains with wire attached.2. Finding the centre of the rebar - my spirit level has a ruled side with zero in themiddle, just above the bubble.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Step 4: The frame.The frame is basically a large U of timber, wood-screwed at the corners, with the rebar making a fourth side at the top.

The rebar is friction-fitted in holes drilled just to size, so that it took some force to get the bar in place.

I stained the wood to darken it (the pale timber didn't look "right" with the dark chain and rebar) and to protect it from the elements.

Brushes used for wood-stain tend to have a short life, so it makes financial sense to use disposable scraps of cut-up sponge instead.

Image Notes1. Timber2. Thicker timber3. Rebar with half the chains tied on.4. Essential supplies - my shed is cold.5. Screws go through the thinner timber into the thicker - DON'T FORGET TODRILL PILOT HOLES!

Image Notes1. I drilled the hole with my largest twist-bit, then enlarged it slightly with a circularrasp and file. The fit is tight enough that it took firm blows to get the bar in place.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Step 5: Finishing the heart and frame.Once the frame was made and vertical, I started tying on the rest of the chains.

I quickly found that the whole thing was unstable, so I had to resort to drilling a hole through the centre of the base of the frame (something I had planned to do, but later),and screwing the frame to my bench.

Tying the chains to the rebar was a lot easier in the frame. I wish I had done that first. I didn't need to follow the template, either, as I simply tied each chain at the samelevel as its mirror-image piece.

I was relieved to find, when I stood back from the finished tying, to find that it really did look like a heart.

(Before taking this photo, I had to hang weights on the single links of chain at each side, as they were not heavy enough to straighten the wire themselves. Oncestraightened, they stayed straight.)

Once the heart was finished, I gave it three coats of Ronseal walnut-coloured stain. I chose to stain after tying because the stain has a four-hour drying period betweencoats. If I had planned ahead, I might have made and stained the frame the weekend before, but events conspired against me.

The Ronseal tin suggested sanding between coats, and this turned out to be a good idea - although I was after a rustic look, the way the stain soaked into the rougherareas made the wood look really rough. A couple of minutes' work with a detail sander solved that.

Image Notes1. The sponge I sacrifice a piece at a time to each wood project.2. The piece of sponge I cut off. In hindsight, sponge is not good for stain, as it ranright through the sponge and all over my hand.3. The stained wood looks a ''lot'' better than the pale softwood.

Step 6: Placing the heartThe heart needs to be visible, and it needs to be outdoors.

Fortunately, we have two dead trees in our garden - trimmed of branches long before we moved in, the one nearest the house made an ideal location to hold the heart sothat it would be visible from the kitchen window, as well as from the garden itself.

I fixed the frame to the top of the tree with a single six-inch* hex-screw through the frame, using the hole I had made to anchor the frame during construction.

Tidy away the ladder and tools, and I could call Kitewife out to see ...

She liked it :-)

*DIY chains may have gone metric, but independent hardware shops often stay resolutely imperial.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Step 7: Alternative ideasI think that many shapes could be made using hanging lengths of chain - don't feel restricted to a heart. Hollow shapes (loops, curves) could be made by hanging wire-chain-wire-chain.

Shading could be achieved by using varying thicknesses of chain.

You don't have to use rusty chain, that was just a personal choice. Hardware stores sell many kinds of chain, in whatever lengths you like.

You don't have to use copper wire - monofilament fishing line would work just as well.

You can make your frame from any material you like. If the top part is wood, simply add a row of small nails or screws to hang the chains from. You could take the panelsout of a panelled door, and replace the panels with images in chain. You would probably need to tie down the bottom end of the chain as well, and maybe use plasticchains to stop the weight ripping the doors off their hinges.

If you don't use wire at all, but use varying thicknesses of chromed or stainless chains, you could make a very effective version of a bead curtain for a doorway.

What ever you do, if you're inspired by this project, please, take a photo and post it in the comments.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

Related Instructables

How to make aValentine out ofBicycle Chainby PedalPrincess

wind chime(Photos) byaquarian_su

Squid Chime bypie popper

Valentine'sCards 2011(Photos) bypeace, love, art

A Valentine'sDay Arch byKiteman

NotepadValentine byShadow Dragon

Comments

34 comments Add Comment

 Phsycoduckie says:  Oct 24, 2010. 2:10 PM  REPLYHow many feet did you actually use?

 Kiteman says:  Jan 19, 2011. 1:58 AM  REPLYSory for taking so long to reply...

It really depends on the size you make it what length chain you use. This was probably around 6-8 feet all-in.

 juliemosaic says:  Apr 16, 2009. 9:26 AM  REPLYi love this!

 adidame says:  Mar 23, 2009. 1:38 PM  REPLYA wedding present for my friend. Thanks for the idea!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

 Kiteman says:  Mar 23, 2009. 3:15 PM  REPLYAh, that's great. I'm glad you were inspired.

 headlessbubble says:  Mar 11, 2009. 7:39 PM  REPLYaw!! love this

 Kiteman says:  Mar 12, 2009. 8:09 AM  REPLYAw, thanks. More to the point, so did she.

 lyraleperformer says:  Feb 21, 2009. 1:34 PM  REPLYthis is awesome do you have any pattern for making a star?

 Kiteman says:  Feb 21, 2009. 1:45 PM  REPLYSee step 2? I drew the pattern by hand on an A3 sheet of paper, and then measured the sections of chain by simply laying the chain on the pattern andtrimming it to size. Try drawing something like the image I just drew below:

 gmjhowe says:  Feb 16, 2009. 7:57 AM  REPLYBrilliant! I am amazed. Infact, i might even stretch to say one of your best ibles to date, a simple effective idea, carried out perfectly. Next time i look at this, iknow it will be featured.

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:58 AM  REPLYThank you, that means a lot coming from a proper Maker.

(And Jessy made your prediction come true.)

 gmjhowe says:  Feb 17, 2009. 12:19 AM  REPLYWow, it means alot to be classified as a 'proper maker'

(i wonder how long it is till i make it onto the exlcusive list..)

 Kiteman says:  Feb 17, 2009. 3:44 AM  REPLY(PM)

 mg0930mg says:  Feb 16, 2009. 10:24 AM  REPLYYeah, I knew it would be...

 Sunbanks says:  Feb 16, 2009. 6:13 PM  REPLYWow that looks really good!

 Kiteman says:  Feb 17, 2009. 3:27 AM  REPLYThank you.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

 j_l_larson says:  Feb 16, 2009. 12:11 PM  REPLYvery pretty. a video with sound would be ideal.

 Kiteman says:  Feb 17, 2009. 3:26 AM  REPLYSince there is currently very little wind, there's not a lot of point.

 lemonie says:  Feb 16, 2009. 12:43 PM  REPLYVery nice, the shape's great - does it 'chime' nicely? I think you may need to replace the copper, but it'll be interesting to see how it weathers - (blue/greendrips?) L

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 1:12 PM  REPLYSo far, with very little breeze, we get more of a tinkle than a chime. We'll see how it goes - If it doesn't survive a year, I'll replace it with something newnext Valentine's.

 gmoon says:  Feb 16, 2009. 8:10 AM  REPLYReally nice (chains have that great symbolic overtone, too.)

This will get "blogged up" big-time, I predict.

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:22 AM  REPLYWhen I mentioned in advance that Kitewife's present was going to be iron, somebody (gmjhowe?) joked about a ball and chain...

 gmoon says:  Feb 16, 2009. 10:47 AM  REPLYA little rusty, but still strong... ;-)

 CementTruck says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:45 AM  REPLYDang, someone beat me to it. When I read this instructable I chucled to myself about the "ball and chain" thing, but as I scrolled through thecomments...... Just out of cusriosity, don't the individual strands of wire twist into the neighboring strands when the winds blow?

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:57 AM  REPLYI'm hoping they won't, but if it proves to be a problem I plan to loosely weave more of the wire through the links side-to-side, letting the chainssway, but stopping them twisting around each other.

 CementTruck says:  Feb 16, 2009. 12:30 PM  REPLYThat was my solution as well. Cheers!

 caitlinsdad says:  Feb 16, 2009. 10:24 AM  REPLYNice, I love outdoor art. You could cut out letters and wire up the words NO VACANCY or MOTEL and light it up at night with blinking red LEDs. Will there besome sort of galvanic action to accelerate the corrosion between the rebar/iron and copper wire? It may fall apart prematurely. Over time that friction fit of therebar will loosen up with the contraction and expansion of the rod and the wood frame. Maybe you need to attach a permanent cross brace or cotter pin theends of the rod. Attach a water pump to make one of those dripping wall fountains. Use a sanding sealer on soft woods before you stain. It evens out theabsorbtion of the stain. This is a great jump-off point for others.

 PKM says:  Feb 16, 2009. 7:39 AM  REPLY"Of any gift, a Valentine's gift really ought to be personally made or modded."

If only everyone thought the same way! Who'd have imagined a rusty chain could become a romantic gift?

If you were in an educational mood, perhaps something similar might make a nice novelty Barton's pendulum? I'm imagining a smaller version, perhaps 15-20cm high, as a desk toy a bit like a Newton's cradle.

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:27 AM  REPLYIf only everyone thought the same way!

It really was serendipity - I acquired the chain from an old fence being thrown away (one of those low mark-the-boundary things), and I was sure it wouldbe useful.

Driving home, something just clicked and the whole project appeared in my head, parts list and all. OK, so it was basically free, but I am proud of it,especially when, half way through I stood back and looked at it and it looked like nothing.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Valentines-Windchime/

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:29 AM  REPLYOh, and for some unclear reason, I happen to have a couple of feet of chain with links about 3mm long. I may make a smaller version nearer ouranniversary...

 jessyratfink says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:13 AM  REPLYI love this! It's beautiful. Probably one of the most unique gifts I've ever seen. :)

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:21 AM  REPLYThank you, and thanks for the feature as well!

 mynameisjonas says:  Feb 16, 2009. 7:31 AM  REPLYvery sweet kiteman. and I agree totally that valentines gifts should definitely be personally made. and if your wife is anything like me, it means a lot to her.how big was your frame again?

 Kiteman says:  Feb 16, 2009. 9:19 AM  REPLYThe whole thing ended up being sized to match the rebar - about 46cm (18 inches) wide.