Quick fun project - Lee Valley's Xylophone Kit

[Dave Stuve]

Sometimes you need a bit of whimsy in the shop, and with about 4 major projects in progress I wanted something quick that I could actually finish in an hour or two. About three years ago I bought the 25-note xylophone kit from Lee Valley, and it sat in a drawer until I finally decided to put it together last weekend. I had long since lost the instructions, so I built it from a picture on LV's web site. I used scrap cherry wood I had lying around for the frame, and finished with Watco Danish Wood Oil. (I purchased the two mallets with the kit.) It actually sounds pretty good, and will probably end up as a birthday present for one of my brother's kids.

Cherry scraps and kit pieces.
xylophone_parts.jpg

Scraps have been planed to the same thickness and laying out the metal 'notes' so I know where to pre-drill the screw holes and how long long the frame pieces need to be. The plates sit on foam strips so they can 'ring' when struck.
xylophone_planning.jpg

Finished and ready to play.
xylophone.jpg

[Jim Becker]

I saw that in the catalog the other day...it looks like a fun quick project...and yours looks great!

[Jay Aubuchon]

Nice. I have to find someone I could give one to.

[Fred Falgiano]

Really cool! This looks like it may be a good project to work on with my soon to be 5-year-old.

I love working on something that he can then play with. He's knocked out all of the little Lowe's kits and they're some of his favorite toys.