When folks move they often pile their old furniture and junk on the sidewalk out front. Here in Switzerland if you warn the city’s trash department they give you authorization for a certain date and come and pick it up, but from the looks of it many just pile it all out and leave. In any case as everyone knows, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure and although I do not fill my attic with junk that may be useful one day, I often do take a quick look.
Also Bill is always looking for certain items to make musical instruments with for La Sonorie and bed sprung slats are one of them. They can make great xylophones!
The last time I pick up a bunch I put one aside thinking that since they have a slight curve to them perhaps they would make nice rhythm bones and last Tuesday I gave it a try.
The ones I find are made of 6ply beech wood, at least for the single bed size, and it must be said that the one I had didn’t have much of a curve left in it so I hesitated between giving it an “as oval as possible” cross section or sanding it down keeping a flat face while accentuating the curve. I chose the second, mainly because it was easier to do and I didn’t have much time, and may have sanded of just a bit too much: 1/4” thick (6mm). So they’re a bit light weight, even though they’re pretty wide: 1” 5/8 (33 mm), but they have a nice tone although not as sharp as expected beech being a hard wood. Do bones made of plywood sound duller than solid wood bones?
BTW: I took off most the outer curve with a band sander and the inner one with files.
Now just say Ahhhhhh! ;-)