Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jamie MacBlues on March 17, 2013 at 3:38am

Ah got UKE made from biscuit tin; 4 string canjo/gitar made from biscuit tin by jabes. Amp made from MacVities biscuit tin.

Love them , ah do :) Some vids on ma page, butya  need to look for them amonst lots of other crap  :)

Permalink Reply by HERRINGBONE JOHN on March 17, 2013 at 3:39am

 What type of biscuits where in the tin ? is there going to be a biscuit bridge? Persaonally i 'd use a selection box !

Permalink Reply by Jamie MacBlues on March 17, 2013 at 3:43am

Well, Mr Herringboney, ah once had one amde from a packet f cheese and onion. Did not have it long, first time  a good film on TV to watch, ah ATE IT , washed down by Coke (the drinkin kind, should add!)  ;)

Permalink Reply by David Bowes on March 17, 2013 at 5:43am

Just completing one but having problems with getting the strings the correct height.

Would you put a sound hole in it?

I would think older tins would be batter as thicker metal.

David

Permalink Reply by Malcolm Wright on March 17, 2013 at 5:46am

I've built a one string out of an old Oxo tin. It's got a single Piezo inside. Feedback is a bit of a problem but once it's set up it sounds great - very growly considering it's just a tin with a stick in it.

Attachments:

• OxBow.jpg, 83 KB

Permalink Reply by Mark on March 17, 2013 at 7:31am

I thoroughly recommend tin boxes - in many ways they have better sound possibilities than cigar boxes. As with any box - whether metal or wood - you need to bear in mind the strengths and weaknesses of the material when you're planning your build.

My favourites so far have been a particular shape that Marks & Spencer used for belgian chocolate biscuits. I don't know if you can get them any more though. See following pics:

I think the curving sides gives those boxes a bit more strength in certain useful ways.

Things to watch out for are:

Tin can result in sharp edges, so be careful to avoid lacerating yourself when working with it. Where possible make safe edges for holes by bending the metal over. See following pic of the way I made a hole for a pickup:

Be careful when drilling as sheet metal can snatch and get generally buggered up if you use a regular twist drill. I found the best way to make the sound holes on my guitars was as compound holes done with with "lip and spur" bits (which are actually marketed as specialist wood drills).

Thin metal has very little bending strength (not that thin wood has much either). If you have a freely vibrating sound board (best for good acoustic sound) then you have to expect it to bow inwards a little under the tension of the strings. Don't worry about that, just make sure you have a bridge that you can adjust for height.

Don't worry too much about age of the tin. Probably true that older ones are made of slightly heavier gauge metal so possibly tougher. Also an old tin might have a nice aged look. But you can get great sounds out of new tins.

Permalink Reply by Dr X on March 18, 2013 at 10:00am

Great advice, i'd add that, A good strong craft knife will cut the tins =] The issue with modern tin being thinner. is true ..older tin are thicker and can be made with less bridge support, 'skin' bowing causes tuning stability problems as the bow will change if you lean you arm on the side while playing.

Heres GWYN ASHTON playing one of my guitars from a 55 year old bait tin........ (having a '57 fender JNR helps too =)

Permalink Reply by Mark on March 17, 2013 at 7:55am

I should add that a useful effect of a tin body is that it offers automatic shielding for any wiring inside the guitar (as long as you remember to ensure the body is grounded of course).

Permalink Reply by David Bowes on March 17, 2013 at 8:19am

mark

Looks excellent, how did you cut the sound holes, was this with wood drills?

David

Permalink Reply by Boxy Music on March 17, 2013 at 12:38pm

I've made quite a few instruments with tins, with mixed results. In my experience older tins are generally thicker, and round ones (as opposed to the square ones) hold up better with a bridge on it. Watch out for ones with a rounded lid, they are difficult to get a bridge to sit properly...I used three screws on the one below after struggling to make one the right height, which meant that I could individually set the height of each one.

I have seen people making wooden frames which sit inside tins to add strength and bracing, which might well eradicate that problem. They are pretty easy to work with though, I use a dremel with a cutting disk and bend the metal back like has already been suggested - that way you can use the "flaps" to screw into the neck too.

Permalink Reply by t-belly johnson on March 17, 2013 at 4:21pm

I`ve made several guitars using tins and found them much easier to work with than wooden boxes.No filing or sanding!

I like the look and they sound cool.

You just have to remember to brace them because most tins are made of very thin material and the main thing to watch out for is when cutting back they are SHARP!

 

Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on March 18, 2013 at 12:15am

The Guinness box is one is one of my favourites but I still prefer the wooden boxes

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