Role

Individual project

Responsibilities

Manufacture the product from start to finish

Skills

Machining (Lathe, Mill), Sand Casting, Sheet Metal Forming, Surface Finishing, Woodworking

An idiophone is a musical instrument that produces sound when struck. The idiophonic plaque includes a bronze bell, brass tone bar, stainless steel chime, and delrin striker attached to a wood base. Through this project, I familiarized myself with common manufacturing/fabrication processes and with reading 2D engineering drawings.

Sand Casting

  • Using a loose pattern, I sand cast the bell in bronze. I learned about draft angles, designing the gate and runner, and creating the sprue and pouring cup.

Machining (Mill)

  • I machined the brass tone bar on the mill, which included features such as a drilled through hole and a shell milled step.
  • I turned the stainless steel chime and delrin striker on the lathe, which included features such as grooves and chamfered edges.

Woodworking

  • The wooden base was created using various machinery (miter saw, table saw, etc) then sealed with shellac.

Sheet Metal Forming

  • The tensioner at the back of the plaque and the striker holder are formed out of sheet metal with tools such as the press brake, shear, and corner notcher.

Finishing

  • The pieces were finished with a combination of sanding, polishing, and bead blasting. The final product was assembled with the incorporation of hardware.