About the print-in-place kalimba
A kalimba is a small "finger piano": you pluck metal tines fixed over a hollow box. This one is a single hollow body that prints in one go, with small triangles inside the top that help it print without supports and don't affect the sound. It was entered in Printables' 2023 musical instrument contest.
You still need the metal parts: the body is sized for a 17-key kalimba kit, 5 by 7 inches, to match the kit the designer bought. Any 17-key kit should work, but the designer stresses checking that your kit's holes line up with the model before you print, because it's a long print. They also mention cracking their first one, so handle it carefully when you fit the hardware.
What you'll need
Printed parts
- The kalimba body (one piece)
Bought parts
- A 17-key kalimba tine kit (tines, bridge and screws); check the hole positions against the model first
Tools
- A screwdriver for the kit hardware
- A tuning hammer, often included with kits
Build overview
Print settings
- Supports: None needed (internal triangles help it print in place)
- Bed: Fits a Prusa Mini+ (180 mm)
Photos
All photos: Bradley Corl, from the design page on Printables, licensed CC0. We resized them and converted them to WebP.
The designer's page links a kalimba performance video by someone else as a sound reference; it isn't this design, so we haven't embedded it.