How to Make a Baritone Wind Chime

Baritone wind chimes add a lovely deep voice to the sounds of your garden. They are not any harder to make than any other wind chime but they do require more materials and a bit more time, especially if you want to tune them.

Tape measure

10 feet of 1-inch-diameter copper tubing

Pipe cutter or hacksaw

Knife

Drill

3/16-inch drill bit

1/4-inch drill bit

20 feet of string or twine

Two 3-inch-diameter wooden circles of 1-inch thickness

7-inch-diameter wooden circle of 1-inch thickness

4-inch-high, triangular wooden wind catch of 1-inch thickness

Pencil

Sandpaper

Drill five evenly spaced holes of 3/4 inch inside the edge of the 7-inch-diameter wooden circle with the 1/4-inch drill bit on the drill. Drill a hole in the center of the disc.

Drill a hole in the center of each of the 3-inch wooden discs with the drill and the 1/4-inch drill bit.

Drill a hole near the top of the triangular wooden wind catch with the 1/4-inch bit in the drill.

Measure the 1-inch copper pipe with a measuring tape and mark the pipe with a pencil at the following lengths: 46 inches, 43.5 inches, 41 inches, 38.5 inches and 36 inches. Add 1/4 inch to each of these lengths if you want to fine-tune the chimes.

Cut the copper pipe at your marks with the pipe cutter or hacksaw.

Hold the 46-inch copper tube 10 inches from the top and strike lightly.

Saw 1/4-inch off of the tube with the hacksaw or pipe cutter if you do not like the tone, and strike again.

Cut 1/4 inch off the copper pipe again if you still do not like the tone.

Repeat with each of the other pipes, holding them the following distance from the top: 43.5-inch pipe at 9.5 inches, 41-inch pipe at 9 inches, 38.5-inch pipe at 8.5 inches and 36-inch pipe at 8 inches.

Drill a hole through each pipe section with 3/16-inch drill bit on the drill at the same location that you were holding them to tune them.

Remove any burrs with the knife and then sand around the edges of the holes and the ends with sandpaper.

Tie a knot in one end of the twine, and thread through one of the holes in the 7-inch wooden disc and then through the largest pipe. Thread the twine up through the hole in the wooden disc to the left and down through a hole on the opposite side of the disc. Leave enough slack that the pipe is hanging freely.

Thread the twine through the next largest pipe and up through the hole to the left on the disc. Bring the twine across the top of the disc to the hole to the left of the largest pipe and through the smallest pipe. Again, thread the twine up through the hole in the disc to the left of the hole it just came down through and across the disc. Continue this way until all the pipes have been threaded.

Tie the two ends together with a slipknot and hang the chimes from a hook. Adjust the twine so that the centers of the pipes are even with each other and they all hang freely. When you're satisfied, untie the slip knot and tie the twine ends together in a square knot and cut the excess with the knife.

Cut a 6-foot piece of twine and tie a large knot in one end. Thread the other end down through the center hole of the 7-inch wooden disc and tie a large knot on the other side close to the disc so it's trapped between two knots.

Thread the same piece of twine through one of the 3-inch wooden discs and slide the disc until it hangs beneath the larger disc at about the midpoint of your chimes and tie a large knot in the twine beneath the disc. Thread the second 3-inch wooden disc onto the twine below the first 3-inch disc. Slide it within 2 to 3 inches of the first disc and tie a large knot in the twine. These will act as your ringers to strike the chimes.

Thread the twine through the hole in the top of the triangular wind catch allowing it to hang below the chimes and tie it off. Cut the excess twine off with the knife.

Using harder metals for your chimes will produce a sharper sound.

Using wider diameter pipe for your chimes will produce a longer resonance.

Try different materials for your ringers for a different sound.

Metal burrs can be sharp.