Legs of the Frame

For the legs, we used 2x2s. My husband used a router table to round the top of the legs. You don't have to round them off; they just look a little nicer if they're rounded off. Originally the legs sat directly on the ground, but after the marimba was finished we decided to put wheels on the bottom of the legs, so my husband sawed off a couple inches off the bottom of each leg, drilled a hold in each leg, inserted T-nut into the hole and screwed a swivel caster wheel into the T-nut. (The wheels we used were wheels that you might see on a desk chair.) Having wheels on the marimba really helps; it is much easier to move around now, especially for younger kids.

Leg Supports

For the leg supports, we used 2x2s. (See picture on left, below.) The support piece is shaped strangely, but that is for looks only -- the important thing is that the support is strongly secured to the frame and is perpendicular to the leg. Another modification we made was to put a latch on each leg. The latches allow us to 'lock' the leg in the closed position. This makes the marimba a little more stable, plus reduces the possibility of some child's busy little fingers getting pinched between the leg and the support as it is lifted to and fro.

(diagram modified from Make Your Own Marimbas, p. 25)

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