One of the most disappointing issues with the windchimes
I have purchased over the years is they wear out. I realize that some
brands are better than others – but eventually the darn things will wear
out. The most common failure is the string/cord holding the tubes. The
next most common failure is the head/striker, or windcatcher – usually
due to the rotting of the wood.
I
have tried to repair the cord failure using fishing line. This didn't
work to well. The single strand line was too stiff. It also tangled
easily and was not easy to untangle. But I had it around and it seemed
like a logical choice.
Recently I had one of the larger chimes come apart. It was a cord issue. I googled "windchime
repair" and discovered that paracord is the string/cord of choice for
mounting the chimes. I purchased some 1/16" cord off the internet. You
can also find it at Hobby Lobby in the beading section. The "head" was
also rotten. I wanted to replace it with something more durable. I
decided to try a melamine plate from Big Lots. It is about 8.5" inches
in diameter. I created a spacing/drilling template in Draftsight. It is
shown below.
There
are 6 tubes. The holes for stringing the tubes are near the edge. The 6
inner holes are for the strings to hang the chimes. The center hole is
for the striker/windcatcher string.
I
printed out the template full size and taped it onto the plastic plate.
The plate is not flat so the template does not lay down perfectly but
it is close enough. I drilled the holes with a bit slightly larger than
1/16". The center of the plate was thinner than the rest and I cracked
the plate while drilling. I had some stainless steel 2" diameter washers
which I epoxied to each side to strengthen.
I removed the sharp edges from the holes using a pocket knife blade.
I used one long piece of cord threaded through the six holes and around a metal ring for the hanger.
I
used one long piece of cord to thread through all the tubes. I threaded
the tubes at a table, sitting down. I wasn't too concerned about the
position of the tubes in relation to each other. Since the holes in the
tubes were not in the same position on each tube you have to adjust the
length of cord as you go. Also, each tube had two eyelets to string the
cord through. I removed the eyelets. I found it easier to string this
way. I used toothpicks as needles to help string up the tubes. It
actually was easier than I thought it was going to be.
I
could not find a solid disk of plastic the right weight and size for
the striker. For now, I reverted to a wooden disk I picked up at Hobby
Lobby. I also picked up a 5x7x1/4 piece of wood for the wind catcher. I
painted these a bright red and used a spray on outdoor varnish. I hope
to replace with something more substantial and weatherproof at a later
date. I used the same paracord to string up the striker/windcatcher.
