My first project: Bent Fimbles

[Kees]

I think it went pretty well.  Certainly the most enjoyment I have had for 50p since the night I met Mrs Uiterspees.

The result is available for your listening enjoyment at http://www.4shared.com/file/93493651/f594b42b/circuit_bent_fimbles.html

I have a few questions for more experienced benders:

1. Paradoxically, the great advantage of the Fimbles Machine is at the same time its greatest weakness. There are three tunes in there, initiated in turn by rotating a knob which causes a spring loaded contact to wipe across a flat metal segment, making the circuit. But each tune only plays for 20 seconds or so, and the next one will have a different rythm. So I'm wondering if there is likely to be a bend to get just one tune to play, or alternatively, to get the machine to loop.

2. If that is impossible, as I expect, then I would probably want to be able to do looping during a live stadium performance with the Fimbles Machine. Can anybody tell me how to make a simple looper, either from scratch, or from a kit, or by bending something?

3. I stripped some telephone cable to get the wires for my project, but I think I'm going to buy a few rolls of wire. What gauge and type of wire is nicest to use for circuit bending?

[Gordonjcp]

Madness.  Sounds like it's got a lot of potential...

[the_zombiest]

for the looping function, I'd use a 555 circuit on a rotary switch to choose between the 3 tunes. have a look for MIKMO on google. He has a 555 lfo stripboard schematic which is so easy to put together.

As for the wire, I like 8 to 12 strand wire, some people like solid core... It's all about personal preference. Generally 1mm to 1.2mm is workable, anything bigger than that can be a pain. I accidently bought 100m of 16 strand wire and I doubt I'll ever use it. If you have a bunch of IDE ribbon cables, or phone wire, it all does the trick and recycling is what bending is about, kind of.

[Kees]

for the looping function, I'd use a 555 circuit on a rotary switch to choose between the 3 tunes. have a look for MIKMO on google. He has a 555 lfo stripboard schematic which is so easy to put together.

Thanks Zombiest, that looks like what I am looking for. And Vero boards looks like the next thing for me to get to grips with.

Unless I look for a standalone looper.

Does anybody know how to make one?

[computer at sea]

I'd stick with the 555 circuit.  It's a good one to learn and useful in a lot of different machines.  I usually build a couple if I'm sitting down to do some work and don't have a specific project in mind.