Hello and a few pics of drums I make
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Newbie_Neil
Established Member
Hi Dario,
They look really good. Are you also a musician?
Neil
They look really good. Are you also a musician?
Neil
Silverbirch
Established Member
I know nothing about drums, but they look good. It`s always nice to see something different from the usual being posted.
Maybe you could tell us a bit about the construction?
Ian
Maybe you could tell us a bit about the construction?
Ian
Certainly. I make stave drums, which are constructed like beer barrels. I cut the staves to size and then the bevels are cut on my table saw (a 24 stave drum uses 7.5 degree bevels). Before I bought the table saw it was a slow process as I used a router table with a sled at the appropriate angle. Getting the angles correct is the fiddliest bit as they have to be a perfect fit so there are many dry runs before gluing.
A butt joint is all that is needed. I use Titebond 3 as supposedly it is more resistant to the vibrations caused by the drums.
Previously I have used hose clamps to ensure a tight fit, but I'll be using ratchet straps in future.
This is a 20 inch bass drum ready for machining.
To turn the polygonal prism into a cylinder I use a "Koko" jig, named after the guy who first built it.
A disc of the finished size is attached to both ends and mounted in the jig on bearings to allow it to rotate freely. The router is placed on rails over the top. Although, I am in the process of making a new jig to fit over the router table. And away you go.
To machine the inside is easy as the outside diameter of the drum is used as the template and the router is slid inside the drum and turned to size. I am experimenting with how thin I can go, the Lacewood shell shown in the jig was turned to 8mm.
I tend to wait a while between glue up and turning to allow the wood to naturalise to it's new position. The whole process takes a while to do and is the method used by many custom and small drum builders. The big names use ply construction and the stave method only uses around 1% of the glue, so you get the sound of the wood more. It's not necessarily better, just different!
Hope that all makes sense.
Dario
A butt joint is all that is needed. I use Titebond 3 as supposedly it is more resistant to the vibrations caused by the drums.
Previously I have used hose clamps to ensure a tight fit, but I'll be using ratchet straps in future.
This is a 20 inch bass drum ready for machining.
To turn the polygonal prism into a cylinder I use a "Koko" jig, named after the guy who first built it.
A disc of the finished size is attached to both ends and mounted in the jig on bearings to allow it to rotate freely. The router is placed on rails over the top. Although, I am in the process of making a new jig to fit over the router table. And away you go.
To machine the inside is easy as the outside diameter of the drum is used as the template and the router is slid inside the drum and turned to size. I am experimenting with how thin I can go, the Lacewood shell shown in the jig was turned to 8mm.
I tend to wait a while between glue up and turning to allow the wood to naturalise to it's new position. The whole process takes a while to do and is the method used by many custom and small drum builders. The big names use ply construction and the stave method only uses around 1% of the glue, so you get the sound of the wood more. It's not necessarily better, just different!
Hope that all makes sense.
Dario
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Dario
Thanks for a really interesting post, I am loving the KoKo jig and not seen that before.
Cheers Peter
Thanks for a really interesting post, I am loving the KoKo jig and not seen that before.
Cheers Peter
Woodmonkey
Established Member
Cheers Dario that was interesting, I didn't quite understand how the inside was routed though...
mqbernardo
Established Member
nice work. keep´em coming!
Woodmonkey":m46zks88 said:
Once the outside is done using the discs as templates, they are taken off and the outside can now be used as the template for the inside. So the shell is mounted directly on the bearings. The router and rails are mounted such that the router can slide through the shell with the bit cutting at the lowest part of the drum.
Not sure that explanation is any better than the last! I'll try and do a rough sketch. Try to compare it with a planed on one side piece of wood going through a thickenesser - the bearings being the flat bed and the cutters being the router bit.
Hi Dario,
Looks class! I make drums too, (different type though) love the jig you have there! I would recommend trying titebond original (dries harder and IMO sounds a wee bit better).
I've an idea that you might be able to use instead of the ratchet straps, to glue it up (probably only worth it if you're making a few of the same size) if you cut a bit of 3mm birch ply with the grain running vertically, the same size as the drum you're making) you could cut it to the exact exterior circumference 2-3 mm smaller would be even better. Glue a vertical 3x3 inch or (2x2 might even be enough) baton along each vertical end of the plywood. When that dries, you should be able to wrap round the rim and use big g clamps to close it round the wood, the 2-3 mm gap left where the 2 ends if the plywood/batons come together, should ensure you can really tighten it when stubborn). This will apply pressure more evenly than the ratchet straps and won't leave those annoying wee dents from the metal ratchet bit of the strap.
Looks class! I make drums too, (different type though) love the jig you have there! I would recommend trying titebond original (dries harder and IMO sounds a wee bit better).
I've an idea that you might be able to use instead of the ratchet straps, to glue it up (probably only worth it if you're making a few of the same size) if you cut a bit of 3mm birch ply with the grain running vertically, the same size as the drum you're making) you could cut it to the exact exterior circumference 2-3 mm smaller would be even better. Glue a vertical 3x3 inch or (2x2 might even be enough) baton along each vertical end of the plywood. When that dries, you should be able to wrap round the rim and use big g clamps to close it round the wood, the 2-3 mm gap left where the 2 ends if the plywood/batons come together, should ensure you can really tighten it when stubborn). This will apply pressure more evenly than the ratchet straps and won't leave those annoying wee dents from the metal ratchet bit of the strap.
I'm impressed!
I'm a drummer and I'd love to make a kit one day.
I used to import Brady drums in 1999 and Chris Brady was the guy who became know for making stave shells back when it was only ply being made.
I did recently buy a walnut stave shell from a guy on ebay, which I'm using as my main snare at present.
I'd love to see more of what you all make. Plenty of WIPs and tips as well for future projects.
I'm a drummer and I'd love to make a kit one day.
I used to import Brady drums in 1999 and Chris Brady was the guy who became know for making stave shells back when it was only ply being made.
I did recently buy a walnut stave shell from a guy on ebay, which I'm using as my main snare at present.
I'd love to see more of what you all make. Plenty of WIPs and tips as well for future projects.
Great to see other drum makers on here, i too make acoustic drums (both stave & ply shells) been doing it a while, though i only post my hobby stuff on here, its also my day job.
always good to see other people jigs & kook's are very popular, however he was not the first person to do this, i know he very popular on "ghostnote" but in 2003 or 4 there was a British guy on that forum who made the first version of this jig that i have ever seen, i think his name was Patrick, he was an author i think but his son wanted a new snare & he decided to make him one, his jig was the most ingenious first attempt at a router turning device i have seen... i used to have pics of it but i lost them when a hard drive failed, i have not been able to locate him since.... he was the guy who started drum makers turning shells without a lathe.
love to see others work though.. ... I'm working on a bubinga & beech ply kit for myself right now.
Gareth
always good to see other people jigs & kook's are very popular, however he was not the first person to do this, i know he very popular on "ghostnote" but in 2003 or 4 there was a British guy on that forum who made the first version of this jig that i have ever seen, i think his name was Patrick, he was an author i think but his son wanted a new snare & he decided to make him one, his jig was the most ingenious first attempt at a router turning device i have seen... i used to have pics of it but i lost them when a hard drive failed, i have not been able to locate him since.... he was the guy who started drum makers turning shells without a lathe.
love to see others work though.. ... I'm working on a bubinga & beech ply kit for myself right now.
Gareth
HandyAndy
Established Member
I bash the tubs too - fascinating stuff! Thanks for sharing it!
