Hard (for me) to follow description completly but it seems like maybe
treat the top like a panel in a fram where you would cut a rabbit on
all 4 sides of the top and have them fit in a slot. Maybe even use the
rubber balls they sell to take up the slop in the slots.


sweet sawdust wrote:
Need some advice on gluing up a box. This is a standard box about 6" x 11"
solid wood with rabbit joints on corners (for appearance). Bottom is 1/4"
ply glued to the box body, no problem yet. The top is 11/16" hard maple with
tongues cut in it to make a drum head. I need to fasten the top to the body
in such a way that there is no vibration in the top except in the tongues.
Gluing all four of the top to the box body works fine except that I get
wood movement that cracks the top and ruins the drum. Any Ideas on how to
attach the top in such away as to allow the wood movment but hold the drum
top to the box. The maple is kiln dried, and seems stable in about 65% of
the drums the rest get cracks. Finish is poly on the inside of the box and
drum head (sprayed on) outside is oil. tried poly on outside no difference
in cracking and liked oil better. Any advice would be helpful.