Tuning the Relay Bell

A sudden clatter out on the porch caught my attention right after lunch. I trotted through the screen flap to investigate. Under the patio table, an empty aluminum soda can had tumbled against a fallen wooden clothespin. That gave me a brand-new audio cue idea. Step one: safety dock. I tucked my basketball securely between two grooved bricks on the patio edging so it stayed put. Step two: set up the striker. I picked up the wooden clothespin, wedged its notched hinge under the can's pull-tab, and calibrated the balance. A single downward tap with my palm sent the wooden leg snapping down—tink! A bright, sharp metallic ping echoed off the glass table above. Perfect relay chime tuned and ready.