The Musical Inventions Supply Closet
Many of the projects in this book can be made using only common household items and crafts materials. I assume you already have things like scissors and paper or a hammer and nails, or that you know where to find them easily.
The items below include tools and materials that you may not have on hand, and the lists give you some suggestions for what kind of materials to get and where to find them.
Don’t worry, you won’t need all these items for every project! In fact, in some cases, you may be able to make do with what you have on hand. For instance, you can cut wire, and even strip off the plastic insulation from a wire, with a regular pair of utility scissors that you use for cutting different materials. It won’t be as quick and clean as it would be with a dedicated wire cutter and wire stripper, and you may have to try it a few times to do it right, but in a pinch, using scissors will work almost as well. Also, some items—such as a metal mixing bowl or a portable device (smart phone, mp3 player) for listening to music—are only needed temporarily, so you can use what you already own.
And for any of the materials you need for this book, it’s OK to use items you find at thrift shops and garage sales. Ask friends and relatives if they have any of these materials tucked away in their garage or basement that they don’t need any more. Or try eBay, Craigslist, or local freeshare groups. Be creative, and you won’t have to spend a lot of money to become a Musical Inventor!
Here are some of the things you’ll need:
Thrift Shop Materials
Although some of these are only borrowed temporarily for the project, such as bowls, it’s always safer to look for used items that you can build into projects or that you can take apart without worrying about destroying them.
- Stemmed wine glasses
- Old wrenches, various sizes
- Old bowls, various sizes
- Old keys
- Old LP records (throwaways, not cherished classics—they may become damaged)
- Wooden cigar box
- Small tabletop electric fan
- Battery-powered AM (or AM/FM) radios (at least 3)
- Remote control (RC) car
- Plug-in (not wireless) mp3 player amplifier
Dollar Store/Discount Department Store/Supermarket Materials
Cheap versions of these items are fine for the projects in this book.
- Nylon fishing line, different weights
- Plastic straws, assorted widths
- Cucumbers, carrots, and assorted vegetables
- Apple corer (from the cooking utensil aisle)
- Mini wind chimes
- Large bobby pins (in the hair care aisle)
- Bamboo skewers
- Mini bells
- Glass marbles
- Wooden rolling pin
- Musical greeting cards (look for American Greetings)
- Sewing needles (or pins)
- Large belt rivets (from the sewing section)
- Earbuds (several pairs, as cheap as possible since they may be cut up and built into the project)
Portable device for listening to music, such as an mp3 player or FM or AM transistor radio (it will not be built in permanently, so you can use your smart phone or tablet)
- Plug-in cell phone/mp3 player speakers (not wireless)
- 9V (9 volt) battery
Recycling Bin Materials
Hold onto these items if they come through your recycling basket.
- Extra-long cardboard tubes from wrapping paper
- Cardboard tubes from paper towels
- Empty cookie tins
- Metal coffee cans or large metal or cardboard cans with metal bottoms
- Metal bottle caps
Art Store/Office Supply Store Materials
You probably have a few of these lurking in the bottom of your junk drawer.
- Pencils (with erasers)
- Wooden craft sticks of various sizes (coffee stirrers, popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, etc.)
- Wooden beads
- Pushpins
- Thumbtacks
- Index cards
- Soft lead pencils (look for art pencils marked 2B, 4B, or higher)
- Hot glue gun (low-temp is fine)
- Manila folders
- Clear wide packing tape
- Brass brads
Hardware Store Materials
In addition to the items I list here, you may need tools like hammers and screwdrivers in various sizes. An electric or manual drill is also handy. For nuts, bolts, washers, wood pieces, and so on, check project directions to see if you need exact sizes.
- Small metal pail
- Eyebolts and matching nuts
- Nails (for poking holes in cans and other uses)
- Assortment of washers (flat metal disc-like rings)
- Wooden screw-in extension handle for a paint roller
- Rubber cane tip
- Thin, soft nylon cord (enough to use in several projects)
- Sandpaper (medium and fine)
- Utility knife (box cutter)
- Scrap wood, especially small square boards and 1×2 strips (which are actually closer to ¾×1½ inch (19×38 mm)—pine is easy to work with, hardwood is sturdier; look for scraps in the lumber department or ask them to cut a piece to size for you)
- Assorted wood screws
- Corrugated tubing (such as drainage hose from the plumbing aisle), assorted widths
- Wooden paint stirrers (sometimes free in the paint department)
- Assorted small flexible springs (can also be salvaged from ball point pens and other household items)
- Aluminum foil tape (in the heating duct aisle)
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
Electronics Parts and Kits
Look for these items at your local electronics supply store or on Amazon and eBay, retail websites such as www.sparkfun.com, www.adafruit.com, and www.jameco.com, or science education retail websites like miniscience.com. Radio Shack (if there is still a store near you!) has been a good source for some of these items, but they tend to be more expensive.
- littleBits Synth kit and additional modules (littlebits.cc)
- Copper tape with conductive glue
- Makey Makey (www.makeymakey.com)
- Alligator clip wires (also known as test leads) Note: If you have a Makey Makey kit, it includes alligator clip wires that you can use for the other projects in this book.
- Magnet wire, 22, 26, or 30 gauge (Radio Shack sells a three-pack with these sizes)
- Crystal radio earphone
- Germanium diode (1N34A)
- Additional wire (several yards/meters) for an antenna and ground wire, if needed, for the radio project (hook-up wire is easy to work with, but almost any kind of strong thin wire will do)