<p>In order for the &quot;tines&quot; on your comb to ring brightly, you must begin with spring steel. You may use a flat piece of steel and cut the teeth into it or use a long length of quality steel bar such as a metal yard rake.</p>
<p>I used a length of sewer cleaning flat bar--cheap and very good steel. I simply cut it into 15 pieces about 3 1/2&quot; long. You must secure these onto or between heavy steel blocks. Cut at an angle to make each tooth a little shorter than the last and bring them each to a point for plucking. Using a tune meter ($10.00 at any guitar store), pluck the shortest tooth and grind or sand off a little of its surface on the back until it is the correct note. Follow in order until each tooth is in tune. Remember: making each tooth either thinner or shorter raises the pitch of that tooth.</p>
<p>Don't let anyone tell you this will not work! I have built four machines so far with great results. Go for it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-16T10:18:39.343Z
Another source of spring steel strips is windscreen wiper blades.  Cheap ones can have really rather thin steel.
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-15T21:29:27.010Z
2021-04-16T13:24:11.033Z
2021-04-16T13:24:11.033Z
John R Johnston
<p>You can't make one for a serious music box. It is quenched and tempered to high strength, which means the steel needs to be at least low alloy. I expect the slots are cut in and cut to rough length before hardening. Then after hardening, each &quot;finger&quot; could be ground to exact length for the note. Also, some I have seen are ground to a special shape on the tip where it will be plucked. A friend bought a replacement comb, so they are available but expensive. For a novelty, I expect cold rolled brass sheet metal would be good--hard enough to &quot;ring&quot; but could still be cut (it would be cut in the hard condition).My old ,entry level music box, has tines about 0.050 &quot; thick; I cannot measure them directly but that is close.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-02T20:23:27.733Z
2021-04-17T20:37:12.670Z
2021-04-17T20:37:12.670Z
blacksmith37
<p>Most are a tempered piece of thin sheet steel. The teeth are cut by a diamond-encrusted blade in your simple hand coping saw. Then you must cut each to tune.</p>
<p>My first search would be &quot;tempered thin sheet steel.&quot; Good luck to you.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-09T00:38:00.380Z
2021-04-16T13:26:06.707Z
2021-04-16T13:26:06.707Z
Joel Huebner
<p>I want to design and create my own <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_box" rel="noreferrer">music box</a> by hand. I'm looking for a way to create the metal comb/teeth. It would need to be a thin but sturdy metal in order for it to make tones.</p>

<p>I'm looking for a cheap way of making these, as I would need to make many of these as I continuously tweak the design until the correct notes are achieved.</p>

<hr>

<p>I plan to ask separate questions for the other components of the music box in the future.</p>

<material-selection><tool-selection><metalworking><carving>
How Can I Create the Metal Comb of a Music Box?
overlord
# How Can I Create the Metal Comb of a Music Box?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-10-02)

I want to design and create my own [music box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_box) by hand. I'm looking for a way to create the metal comb/teeth. It would need to be a thin but sturdy metal in order for it to make tones.

I'm looking for a cheap way of making these, as I would need to make many of these as I continuously tweak the design until the correct notes are achieved.

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I plan to ask separate questions for the other components of the music box in the future.

**Tags:** material-selection, tool-selection, metalworking, carving


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-04-15. Score: 6

In order for the "tines" on your comb to ring brightly, you must begin with spring steel. You may use a flat piece of steel and cut the teeth into it or use a long length of quality steel bar such as a metal yard rake.

I used a length of sewer cleaning flat bar--cheap and very good steel. I simply cut it into 15 pieces about 3 1/2" long. You must secure these onto or between heavy steel blocks. Cut at an angle to make each tooth a little shorter than the last and bring them each to a point for plucking. Using a tune meter ($10.00 at any guitar store), pluck the shortest tooth and grind or sand off a little of its surface on the back until it is the correct note. Follow in order until each tooth is in tune. Remember: making each tooth either thinner or shorter raises the pitch of that tooth.

Don't let anyone tell you this will not work! I have built four machines so far with great results. Go for it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Another source of spring steel strips is windscreen wiper blades.  Cheap ones can have really rather thin steel.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-10-02. Score: 2

You can't make one for a serious music box. It is quenched and tempered to high strength, which means the steel needs to be at least low alloy. I expect the slots are cut in and cut to rough length before hardening. Then after hardening, each "finger" could be ground to exact length for the note. Also, some I have seen are ground to a special shape on the tip where it will be plucked. A friend bought a replacement comb, so they are available but expensive. For a novelty, I expect cold rolled brass sheet metal would be good--hard enough to "ring" but could still be cut (it would be cut in the hard condition).My old ,entry level music box, has tines about 0.050 " thick; I cannot measure them directly but that is close.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-10-09. Score: 1

Most are a tempered piece of thin sheet steel. The teeth are cut by a diamond-encrusted blade in your simple hand coping saw. Then you must cut each to tune.

My first search would be "tempered thin sheet steel." Good luck to you.


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