×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Anyone knows how music box drums are made?
3

Anyone knows how music box drums are made?

Anyone knows how music box drums are made?

(OP)
Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone knows how music box drums are made.

From what I've seen in a video, one type is basically a metal sheet rolled into a hollow cylinder. Small holes are drilled on the cylinder. Then, wire is inserted into each hole and is trimmed. The cylinder is then filled with resin to fix the wires in place. This forms the "pins" that, when the drum rotates, hit the musical "comb" and produce music.

However, I have this music box whose drum seems to be manufactured differently. The pins seem to be welded or formed directly on the drum (see pics below).

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5121/5303387162_8e03...
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/closeup-old-music-b...

On the inside surface of the drum, there are very shallow depressions where the pins are located, and there's of course no resin or anything.

Does anybody know how this second type is manufactured? Thanks.



RE: Anyone knows how music box drums are made?

The options could be:
> pressfit pins
> stamped -- some sites say it can't be done
> molded?

One very interesting possibility might be to 3D print the cylinder

TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
[IMG http://tinyurl.com/7ofakss]
Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers


Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!
There is a homework forum hosted by engineering.com: http://www.engineering.com/AskForum/aff/32.aspx

RE: Anyone knows how music box drums are made?

(OP)
Thanks for your reply IRstuff.

Can you give me the link to those sites you mentioned?

As for 3D printing, that's indeed an interesting idea. Do you thing the material is strong enough though? (I'm not familiar with the material used) Will the pins withstand the stress of the strokes in the long run?

RE: Anyone knows how music box drums are made?

Tiny stud resistance capacitive discharge welder? Little ones are used in making dental work and putting solder tabs on battery packs. The depressions could be from the electrode pressing on the inside surface of the cylinder. I think the drill and fill method is chosen for its clean appearance - the cylinder surface will be unmarked, but welding is cheaper so you see the welding in low end units. It could be solder, but I don't think solder is strong enough and it would not leave marks on the inside of the cylinder.

This is a page from someone who felt they succeeded http://www.unity303.com/musicbox/ using polymer clay and a small drill. I would think an attractive unit might be made with acrylic rod and music wire pins.

RE: Anyone knows how music box drums are made?

The drums that are made in large quantity are die cast (your first picture).

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources