Posted by Rick Denney on August 29, 2001 at 11:24:19:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Yes, they do have an effect... posted by Matt G on August 29, 2001 at 09:00:47:
Bronze is only 10% denser than brass, and has about the same stiffness. But Chuck is right, steel is less dense than brass by about 10%, even though it is stiffer than any copper alloy.
Of course, the question is whether the weight alone does the work or is it the the extra elastic material. If it is the latter, then the material stiffness and damping characteristics might matter. If only the weight matters, then they could be made from stone and glued on with epoxy. I was hesitant to use epoxy for two reasons. One is that epoxy is elastic only at low frequencies, and damps high-frequency vibration. I don't know if this would have an effect, but I didn't want to confuse the issue. The main reason for soldering, however, is that it is much easier and faster than epoxy for someone who has a few basic tools and a little practice. It's less messy, too, if you make a mistake.
Rick "thinking density alone does not explain the differences" Denney