My Kemppi welder is back from the doctor, the blanks (or shells as I shall call them henceforth) are neatly stacked in their crates, so time to start experimenting at last. The first new Nova prototype I made had a huge sustain, nearly 20 seconds...massive overlap of frequencies, really loud and not at all pleasant. I made it the same way as I had made the classic Kool Drums but using the new shells. In fact there is a tension in the newly formed steel that I never found in the old gas bottles, probably 50 years of standing around full of gas has tired it out (I can sympathise!).
So back to the drawing board, change the layout and note shapes, change the weights I weld on the notes to have a shorter cut, try without tempering (heating) and HEY PRESTO....
4 very successful prototypes in Ursa Minor (in D), another in B, a D Minor pentatonic with added Bb (from a unique 1st generation Hang), and a Hijaz in D. Oh happy days! I thought for a while that I'd bought 300 shells that wouldn't work but I'm really super happy now.
Many handpan players (Hang, Halo, SPB, etc) have mentioned that steel tongue drums often have too much sustain, well look no further!!!! The Nova will be just right.
The machine in the photo is put together from junk (as usual) an old grinder with 2 speed gears, a bicycle frame with the pedal bearing, chain, 2 small wheels and the bottom of a gas bottle. I have to cut down one of the shells for the base of the Nova so now I just drill a hole in the middle, bolt it on, start the grinder and around it goes, start the angle grinder, lower it onto the shell and in 1 minute it's done. Quite pleased with that.
More news of other tunings coming soon.
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