Project:Typewriter Bicycle Bell
| ProjectInfoBox Typewriter Bicycle Bell | |
|---|---|
| |
| Status: | finished |
| Release Date: | May 2017 |
| Initiator: | Lukas |
| Materials Used: | see BOM |
| Tools Used: | screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, hacksaw, files, cordless drill, rivet gun |
| Approx. Cost: | < 10 ct (but hours of work) |
Teardowns of junk equipment are very interesting, and besides a deeper understanding of what's going on "under the hood" you're sure to earn tons of little (specialty) parts like screws, springs, retaining rings and gears on the way.
In case of a typewriter, there is also a bell that used to tell the user when the end of a line was reached - would be a pity to throw that away! Since I broke my bicycle bell recenty, I knew just what to do with it... It turned out better than expected and has a rough/"industrial" look.
Of course you may not have a typewriter at hand just to make a bike bell, but I wanted to share this little build as inspiration for similar repurposing projects ;-)
BOM
- old (preferably broken) typewriter
- "end of line" bell & hammer
- a few springs
- handle mount of a (broken) bicycle bell
- two blind rivets
- size according to taste (here: 4 × 10 mm to utilize an existing hole)
Gallery
Hover over photos for notes - no extensive description planned for this one, but feel free to ask if anything is unclear!
broken electric typewriter (IBM, 1970's) with the main chassis detached
rear view - do you have any project ideas involving that motor?
there's the bell - solidly mounted on the side wall which is still attached to pretty much everything else...
tools used in the teardown and some of the parts and materials that could be salvaged besides the bell
the machine's last gasp before finally releasing the side walls
part of interest, to be taken to the workshop for final shaping
cutting the base to size - bell (retained by an E-ring) removed just to be safe
alignment for drilling the rivet holes (steel drilled in two steps with 2 mm and 4 mm twist drill bits)
tools and consumables required to shape the steel (and plastic) base
finished bell mounted on the bike (only one of the springs actually has a function)
- TBB condom.JPG
cover made out of a rubber glove and some thin wire to shelter the whole contraption from rain
Shortcomings
- probably not rainproof (base seems to be galvanized, but rest is "just" steel)
- put part of a rubber glove over it, but adding a thin layer of lacquer could be the next step
- sometimes it sounds muzzled - insert stronger tension spring?
- handle is not ergonomic, but then again you won't use it every few seconds
- a typewriter needs to die for this project...
