The enclosure is constructed out of wood, which I purchase from Lowes. I prefer to use Oak or Red Oak boards because, it is the most durable, and, in my opinion gives the best finish. If you prefer, any other type of wood, such as poplar or pine, could be used instead.
The assembly to hold the mallets and solenoids is also constructed largely from wood material that I find at Lowes. The following raw materials should be sufficient to construct the robotic xylophone per the instructions.
- Optix 0.22″ x 18″ x 24″ Clear Acrylic Sheet
- 5-1/2″ x 1/4″ x 4 ft Red Oak Project Boards – Qty 2
- 2 ft x 4 ft x 1/4″ Oak Venier Plywood – Qty 1
- 1/2″ x 1/2″ x 2 ft Square Dowels [a] – Qty 10
- 1-1/2″ x 3/4″ x 6 ft Select Pine Board
- 1-1/2″ x 3/8″ x 2 ft Pine Craft Board – Qty 2
- 3/8″ x 3/8″ x 3 ft Square Dowels – Qty 3
- 3/8″ x 4 ft Round Dowels – Qty 4
- 1-1/2″ x 1/2″ x 2 ft Pine Craft Board [b] – Qty 1
- 3-1/2″ x 3/8″ x 3 ft Pine Craft Board [c]
- 2-1/2″ x 3/4″ x 1 ft Select Pine Board [c]
[a] At my Lowes, these Square Dowels come in 3 foot lengths, and are almost $2 each. To save money here, I can purchase a 1/2″ x 5-1/2″ x 2 ft pine craft board, and use a table saw to rip it into 1/2″ square dowels.
[b] From this board, only a 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ x 1/2″ piece is actually used. But 2 ft is the shortest length that is available for purchase.
[c] These boards are needed to build the jig for drilling the holes. These do not have to be the exact dimensions shown, and you may be have scrap wood in your shop that you can cut to the appropriate sizes.
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