"Homemade synthesizer made with cardboard produces sounds through the series of handmade wooden keys shaped from walnut and oak. Designed by Gabriel Mejia-Estrella, the electronic device is a DIY project with two main electronic systems inside: a Teensy microcontroller and a Raspberry Pi 5. The body of the cardboard synthesizer with wooden keys comes from a mix of walnut wood, oak, and fiberglass."
"The walnut pieces are steam-bent to shape the curved edges. To make the walnut flexible, thin cuts called kerfs are made before bending. Then, a mold made of scrap wood holds the pieces in place while they cool and dry. Fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin are applied to the cardboard panels to make them robust for playing. Several layers of fiberglass are added, each one brushed with epoxy and left to harden before the next layer is applied."
"Each of the keys is handmade, with the designer Gabriel Mejia-Estrella cutting, gluing, sanding, and drilling them one by one. A steel rod runs through all the keys to hold them in place, and springs under the keys allow them to return to their original position after being pressed. Each key has washers to space them evenly and a stop made from metal channels to limit their movement."
A DIY cardboard-bodied synthesizer produces sound via handmade wooden keys shaped from walnut and oak and integrates a Teensy microcontroller with a Raspberry Pi 5 for MIDI control. Walnut is used for edges and black keys; oak for white keys. Walnut edges are steam-bent after kerf cuts and held in wooden molds to cool and dry. Cardboard top and bottom panels are reinforced with multiple layers of fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin to create robust structural panels. Aluminum plates support internal electronics and receive anodized finishes. Keys are individually cut, glued, sanded, drilled, mounted on a steel rod with springs, washers, and metal-channel stops.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]