I want to design and create my own music box by hand. I'm looking for a way to create the metal comb/teeth. It would need to be a thin but sturdy metal in order for it to make tones.
I'm looking for a cheap way of making these, as I would need to make many of these as I continuously tweak the design until the correct notes are achieved.
I plan to ask separate questions for the other components of the music box in the future.
In order for the "tines" on your comb to ring brightly, you must begin with spring steel. You may use a flat piece of steel and cut the teeth into it or use a long length of quality steel bar such as a metal yard rake.
I used a length of sewer cleaning flat bar--cheap and very good steel. I simply cut it into 15 pieces about 3 1/2" long. You must secure these onto or between heavy steel blocks. Cut at an angle to make each tooth a little shorter than the last and bring them each to a point for plucking. Using a tune meter ($10.00 at any guitar store), pluck the shortest tooth and grind or sand off a little of its surface on the back until it is the correct note. Follow in order until each tooth is in tune. Remember: making each tooth either thinner or shorter raises the pitch of that tooth.
Don't let anyone tell you this will not work! I have built four machines so far with great results. Go for it.
You can't make one for a serious music box. It is quenched and tempered to high strength, which means the steel needs to be at least low alloy. I expect the slots are cut in and cut to rough length before hardening. Then after hardening, each "finger" could be ground to exact length for the note. Also, some I have seen are ground to a special shape on the tip where it will be plucked. A friend bought a replacement comb, so they are available but expensive. For a novelty, I expect cold rolled brass sheet metal would be good--hard enough to "ring" but could still be cut (it would be cut in the hard condition).My old ,entry level music box, has tines about 0.050 " thick; I cannot measure them directly but that is close.
Most are a tempered piece of thin sheet steel. The teeth are cut by a diamond-encrusted blade in your simple hand coping saw. Then you must cut each to tune.
My first search would be "tempered thin sheet steel." Good luck to you.
