【DIY】Raw Majesty: KALIMBA Crafted From Untamed Quince Burl

The initial idea came from a pun. In English, it’s called "Quince (Chaenomeles spp.)," but the prized wood "花梨" is expressed in Romanized Japanese as "Karin." That’s right, I was captivated by the sound of "Karin KALIMBA" in Japanese, so I decided to name it "花梨カリンバ" (Karin KALIMBA). Initially, I planned to make a dip pen from the material, but after this inspiration, I quickly shifted gears and decided to make a KALIMBA instead.

Here are the guiding principles:

The main focus is woodworking
Utilize the natural beauty of the Quince burl
Minimize alterations as much as possible
Fuse organic and inorganic elements
Create a voluminous, rugged, and raw design

The challenge is: can I create a KALIMBA that brings out the beauty of Quince burl with minimal preparation and processing?

I thought to myself, "How do I bring this idea to life?"

Supplies

Materials:

Quince (Chaenomeles spp.) Burl: Choose your preferred piece
KALIMBA (thumb piano) parts: For this project, I used a 17-key set
Beeswax: Both clear and black

I considered making the KALIMBA parts myself, but since many of them are metal, the focus would shift from woodworking to metalworking. Therefore, I decided to use readily available parts for this project.

Additionally, you will need:

Files
Saw
Drill
Try square
Adhesive
Screwdriver
Small hammer
etc.

I don’t own many power tools suitable for woodworking, so I did most of the cutting and shaping by hand, except for the drilling. Please use the tools that best suit your own setup and environment.

Prototyping KALIMBA on the Path to Sound Discovery

I started prototyping as soon as I came up with the idea of making a KALIMBA. With just the minimal materials on hand, I quickly assembled the first KALIMBA in about half a day as a rapid prototype. Perhaps it was just luck, but the results were fantastic, including the sound quality. Motivated by this success, I went on to create a second and third KALIMBA. However, the more I made, the further the results seemed to stray from that initial quality. While they did produce sound, the resonance and sustain were lacking.

I thought, "I need to find the cause..." Then, while observing one of the KALIMBAs, I remembered a mistake I made during assembly. That’s when I realized the problem might lie with the Quince burl base. Most KALIMBAs are made from wood with a consistent hardness. However, the Quince burl I used has both dark, hard areas and lighter, softer ones. I suspected that when the bridge, which is crucial for sound transmission, was placed over a softer area, it resulted in a dull sound.

So, I disassembled one of the prototypes and modified it so that the bridge was positioned over the dark, hard part of the wood. The change in resonance and sustain was noticeable. "Aha!" I thought. While this might be common knowledge to those with more experience, it was a new discovery for me.

Choosing Quince Burl for Natural Beauty and Bold Design

I selected the main Quince burl material for this project. While working on the prototypes, I gathered various Quince burl pieces that inspired me. Since I didn't want to fail with this project, I chose two pieces. My reasoning was simple: surely, I wouldn’t fail with both.

Now, why did I decide to use Quince burl in the first place? I had acquired a dip pen made from Quince burl, and the beautiful grain patterns—such as the bubble grain and grapevine grain—as well as the contrast between the light and dark areas, really appealed to me. I’m not an expert in wood, and there wasn’t any particular reason behind my choice—it was purely based on inspiration.

Additionally, many KALIMBAs have a clean, polished shape, and I thought a slightly unconventional silhouette could be interesting. I wanted to make use of the natural fractal patterns and asymmetry of the Quince burl, while incorporating straight lines and right angles where needed, and combining it with artificial metal parts. I felt this contrast would be fascinating.

Through the process of making prototypes, I also thought that a more voluminous, rugged, and raw appearance might work well.

Balancing Natural Beauty With Human Craft

I will be refining the base Quince burl, but the goal is to make as few modifications as possible. Leaving it completely untouched as a raw material isn’t practical in terms of size and other considerations, so some level of human intervention is inevitable. However, I believe it’s best to maintain a balance that highlights both the natural and man-made elements. In other words, I should emphasize the contrast between the straight lines and right angles created by human hands and the fractal, organic quality of the natural material.

One option would be to acquire a large slab of wood and use the best section for the design. However, since I don’t have the tools or the proper environment for extensive processing, I decided to use pre-cut pieces of wood. Some of the cuts were angled, so I will manually adjust those areas as needed.

Refining the Quince Burl With Contrast and Imperfections

This time, I used a coarse file to shape the Quince burl into right angles. Some areas were not perfectly cut at right angles, so I focused on correcting those parts. However, since this was done by hand, some of the lines aren't perfectly straight, and some of the angles aren't exactly 90 degrees. That said, when imagining the final result, I believe these small imperfections are within an acceptable range. If you have access to better tools and a more equipped workspace, it's probably best to make use of them.

Additionally, I initially considered chamfering the edges of the wood. However, to emphasize the contrast between the natural fractal qualities of the material and the parts shaped by human intervention, I decided not to chamfer the edges.

Before Applying Beeswax for Comparison

In the next step, I will apply beeswax, but this image shows the piece before application, so please compare it later.

Applying Beeswax to the Grain and Bark

Now, let’s apply the beeswax. Instead of just applying it to the grain, I’ll also apply it to the bark. The bark of the Quince burl I prepared had some dusty dirt on it. At first, I tried to remove it with a brush. I tested both nylon and metal brushes, but neither could remove the dirt effectively, especially in the small crevices where the bristles couldn't reach.

After some thought, I decided to apply the beeswax using the nylon brush. Once the wax was worked in, the dirt became unnoticeable, and the bark gained a smooth, unified appearance. Whether to treat the bark this way or not depends on the condition of the material and your personal preference, so feel free to decide for yourself.

Applying Beeswax to the Bridge and Backstop

There is one more place where I will apply beeswax: the bridge and backstop of the KALIMBA parts. These are usually made from untreated, light-colored wood. While they can be used as is, I’m applying beeswax to create a sense of unity with the Quince burl. For this project, I’m using a dull-colored beeswax. This color is achieved by mixing black Bengara (iron oxide pigment) with the beeswax. Feel free to use different colors depending on your preference.

Assembling the KALIMBA

Now it's time for assembly. I’ll attach the bridge and backstop to the Quince burl using adhesive, and then screw in the Z-bracket. The placement will be adjusted based on the shape of the Quince burl. After that, I’ll attach the tines/notes one by one. At this stage, I’m just attaching them without tuning.

Tuning the KALIMBA

Finally, it’s time for tuning. This time, I tuned it to the key of C. I used a small hammer or a tuning hammer for the process. Of course, having a tuner is helpful. I used a guitar tuner I had on hand, but using a tuner app on your smartphone is also a good option.

Reflecting on the Final Results

The two KALIMBAs I made this time both turned out to be satisfying results. Although I was initially concerned about potential failures, the resonance and sustain are quite good.