They set the mood inside
and out and invite a little summer to linger all year long.
But, before we talk about
unique wind chimes, let's take a minute and talk about the word
"unique".
Qualities defined as
unique by one might be defined as peculiar or even plain by another.
Here are a few words and
phrases commonly used to describe something that is unique:
- One-of-a-kind
- Original
- Rare
- Limited edition
- Without equal
- Unusual
- Different
- Distinct
- Unlike anything else that you have
- Different from anything anyone you
know has
- Totally unlike anything else
- Turned a little
different
How do you define unique?
I define it as anything that's quirky. Is quirky even a
word?
The point is this:
"Unique" is a concept that's almost impossible to describe, but you
know it when you see it. Right?
Having personally come face-to-face with unique
many times, I can depend on having an emotional reaction to it. I
don't get hysterical or anything. But I definitely feel something
shift.
When that happens, when I
get that feeling, I don't care about the price (to a point).
Some of my wind
chimes are very unusual-looking, and others look like any other wind
chime you've ever seen. But all of them are unique, because of how I
came to have them.
A truly unique wind
chime, might cost a little more. Not always, but sometimes.
I have 2 beautifully
unique wind chimes I paid between $250 and
$300 for.
What can I say, they moved me!
The artist who created
the chimes featured at the top of this page makes several other
unique wind chimes that cost less than $60.
So we're not talking an
arm and a leg.
I mention this here so
you're not surprised if the cost is more than $15. And also to tell
you that unique doesn't mean out of reach.
There are
some benefits to paying a little more.
Only
metal wind
chimes can tuned
to play notes and
harmonized cords. Some are even tuned to play popular melodies. And
others aren't tuned at all.
Woodstock wind chimes are a fabulous example of a tuned wind
chime. They are precision tuned.
Bamboo wind chimes are untuned wind chimes.
Want your wind chime to sing lots of songs with
lots of notes? Just get one with lots of tubes. More tubes mean more
notes, more harmonies, and more songs.
To get your wind chimes
to sing almost all the time, and also have them tell you about
changes in the weather, hang them in high open spaces.
Under the house eves, or
an open space under a deck. And anywhere on the windy side of the
house works well.
Choosing an area that's
less exposed like under a tree, in a recessed corner of the deck
close to the house, or on the not-so-windy side of the house will
have your wind chimes singing less often.
Hanging your wind chimes
just above the top knot gives them more freedom of movement. If they
swing more freely they'll sing more freely.
For fewer songs, try
hanging them just below the second knot.
If you want, bounce to
the photo essay of my personal indoor
wind chimes and outdoor wind chimes. It may spark
some ideas you can use to get your wind chimes singing indoors.
All the action starts
with a wind chime's "sail". It's the part of a wind chime that hangs
the lowest. It hangs even lower than the tubes.
The average sail weight is calculated
so it won't swing until breezes reach 8-10 mph.
Changing the sail weight changes the
amount of music your wind chime plays.
Lighter sails swing more freely in
softer breezes so your wind chimes sing more often. Wind chimes with
heavier sails sing most often in stronger breezes.
Then there's the "clapper". The sail
hangs from the clapper. And the clapper rests very close to the wind
chime tubes.
When the wind grabs the sail, the
clapper moves too, coming into contact with the wind chime tubes,
and the tubes come into contact with each other.
Ta-da, your wind chime is
singing!
The notes a wind chime can sing depend
on the length, width, and thickness of the clapper, the sail and the
tubes.
Also the spacing between the tubes,
where the clapper hits the tubes. And how much vibration occurs
when this happens.
Manipulating these factors is how
unique wind chimes are tuned.
Long, wide metal tubes
sing in deeper tones. Short, narrow tubes sing higher
notes.
Exotic bamboo pipes produce deep, hollow, mellow notes.
Seashells and chatter in the breeze.
Wind chimes made of glass or ceramic or
polished stones resonate with tiny tinkling pitches.
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Mounting Your Wind Chimes
This isn't complicated
at all. And there are several brackets and hooks made just for
this purpose.
Or improvise your own
hooks!
Some of my wind chimes are
suspended from wrought iron coat hooks I got from Pier One
Imports then had my mom paint.
The hooks are shaped like rams
and I think I got them for about $4.
The photo essay of my wind chime collection shows you exactly what I'm
talking about.
Let your chime's size, weight,
and location tell you the best and safest way to hang
it.
Here are some basic rules of
thumb:
- Don't hang your wind chimes
from a cord made of fabric.
- Do hang a fabric cord from a
carabiner or other kind of metal
ring.
- Do a tug test on whatever kind
of bracket or hook you install by gently pulling on it with
a force 2 to 3 times heavier than the weight of the wind
chime.
- Do
hang your wind chimes in the trees. Suspended them
above garden fountains, bird baths,
or
hang them inside a gazebo or
any outdoor room .
You can't go wrong with wind chimes -- they always make
for fabulous focal points.
Protecting Its
Parts
- Use a soft cloth to apply a
thin coat of Danish or lemon oil to wooden chimes.
- Brass and copper cleaner will
protect and clean any brass and copper pieces on your chime.
-
Household glass cleaner, or a
mixture of 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water works nicely on
a wind chime's glass parts.
-
Metals like aluminum and
stainless steal can be washed with mild soapy
water.
-
Never use abrasives, unless
you've decided to change the look of the
finish. |
Easy
Outdoor Decor
