For the edges, I'm going to reproduce something that caught my attention while doing the Taprons (Tapir Caper 3) - Indian fabric printing blocks. Thank you Holly and Larry for the block. I really like it and am still amazed as these blocks were hand carved! Such craft, such dexterity. I'm producing ribbons of the pattern and then wrap them around the boxes. Pencil crayon seems to add a bit of 'soft antiquity'.
Before I get down to decoration I'll prime the boxes. One coat for now - I'll sand later, maybe add another, better coat of paint. Hope this paint doesn't muffle the sound ..... guess I should have tested this first, but the train's rolling and I can't stop it now. Just 28 days to go!
Kalimbas ready for decoration. Now for the fun part!
The dowels are going to give the base for the tines. The third dowel screwed down between the two base dowels, will provide the 'spring' and 'tone' to the tines.
Another one of those 'better-remember-before-I-glue-this-all-together' things. It would be great to be able to see something through the sound hole. I settled on a 'date stamp'. Something that will fix all this nonsense to a moment in time. And it's circular!
Once you've got the support glued underneath the lid it's time for the sound hole. Just have to remember to drill the hole at the opposite at the opposite end of the support.
First job (after removing the hinges, clasps etc.) is to glue a strip of wood just inside the lid - this will be the end of the box that will support the tines. This small strip of wood give the screws something to bite into …. so, so, necessary as there will be a whole lot of tension created by the spring of the tines. I'm only writing this 'cos if you don't remember to do this at this stage you can't go back and fix it ….. you'll have to throw it in the trash.
