I am going to make a metal xylophone / orchestra bells for an orchestrion
and I have the sizes from the Orchestrion builders manual, but is there a
certain type of steel that should be used or is mild steel okay?

I have not yet decided between steel and aluminium as I want to make a
few of each and hear the difference, so my question also applies to
aluminium grades.  And If the aluminium bars are anodised does this
matter?

Peter Coggins

 [ I think I read that the Deagan Company originally used a steel alloy
 [ for their Vibraphone and orchestra bells products, and then sometime
 [ in the 1930s they changed to a hard aluminum alloy.  Our orchestrion
 [ experts can tell us more.  -- Robbie