It may not be music to some ears, but I'm wondering if readers can help
with a mechanical sound problem.  I have an antique cast iron vending
machine in the shape of a hen, that, on insertion of a coin, delivered
an egg, made of either tin or papier mache and filled with sweets.
Although I've now restored this I've had difficulty with the cackling
hen noise.

What I have used is the reed from a duck decoy; and whilst I have
fiddled with it endlessly and it makes a cluck, cluck, cluck, cluuuuk
sound, it still sounds rather more like "Donald Duck" than "Clara Cluck".

Any advice from anyone with experience with such matters, or who might
be able to point me in the right direction as far as any literature
available on this subject, would be most welcome.

Bob Klepner

 [ A skilled organ pipe "voicer" might help, when he stops laughing!
 [ -- Robbie   :)