Flexiphone Keyboard Build [Part 2/2] - Bell Carriage

Above all else, this is an elaborate proof of concept. Bells are rich with harmonics, so playing anything more than a couple notes brings out a pretty shrill sound. I really just wanted to show that you could make a manual & analog transposing instrument and I think I was successful.

I really want to make multiple carriages with different sets of chromatic pieces (these bells, chimes, tuning forks, a few other odds and ends that I've got laying around) but I didn't want to overload this video. I really just wanted to showcase that you could make interchangeable carriages that make this instrument pretty versatile.

As it stands, this carriage itself allows you to remove it and replace the bells with something else because of the t tracks. It also allows you to tweak the positioning of the bell bar's height/proximity to the hammers in case you ever need to go in and refine the feel of the instrument.

I learned a lot and I already have a ton of improvements for v2.0. For example, a lever mechanism to lift & shift the carriage rather than lift it up (by hand) and place it into position, a damper system connected to the chromatic set rather than part of the action, an alternating hammer configuration so you can spread out the chromatic pieces over a larger area (sort of how some celestas are laid out). But, for now, this works for me. The cabinet is beautiful, I got to practice some new woodworking techniques and it's a more than playable instrument.

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