Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > June 2002 > 2002.06.05 > 07Prev  Next


How To Make A Musical Box
By Matthew Caulfield

Sr. Tamaran earlier sent the same query to the MBSI website.  Here is
what we replied:

Dear Sr. Tamaran,

Making music boxes from scratch will require considerable skill as
a machinist, in addition to the musical skill you obviously possess.
Unfortunately the fair number of books by Arthur W.J.G Ord-Hume, Graham
Webb, Alfred Chapuis, and others do not give much detail on
manufacturing details of disc or cylinder boxes.

None of the books written up to now really tell more than what the
various processes are: pinning, comb cutting, governor construction,
etc.; they do not explain HOW to do these things.   A good place to
start, if you want to see what they do tell you, is with Graham  Webb's
"Cylinder Musical Box Handbook."

A better idea might be to buy from Nancy Fratti (Panchronia
Antiquities) a little hand-cranked 20-notes musical movement which
plays from a paper strip into which you can punch tunes of your own
creation.  This might be fun to experiment with and would give you an
idea of the mechanics and techniques of music box operation and
arranging.  It sells for $55 (plus $4.50 postage).  You can contact
Nancy at musicbox@dreamscape.com.geentroep [ drop .geentroep to use ]
(phone 315-697-5881)


(Message sent Wed 5 Jun 2002, 13:47:10 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Box, How, Make, Musical

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page