(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to play!

--
"Even if your wife is happy but you're unhappy, you're still happier
than you'd be if you were happy and your wife was unhappy." - Red Green
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Jan 16, 4:52*pm, Steve Turner
wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. *This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to play!

That's a sweet looking drum, Steve. Nice job! Seems a shame to beat
on it though...

R

On 1/16/11 3:52 PM, Steve Turner wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set
to play!


Astonishing work, Steve. I hate you. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Very, very nice. I saw some of your other drum work, months ago, and
liked them as well. I sent the links (then and now) to my brother,
who plays and appreciates nice drums... but he ain't worth a poop for
woodworking.

Smart jigs, too. ^5

Sonny

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to
play!

Looks very nice!

I don't know anything about building drums. Is this the usual way of doing
things? Or is there a much cheaper, simpler way of doing things?

On Jan 16, 4:52*pm, Steve Turner
wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. *This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to play!

--
"Even if your wife is happy but you're unhappy, you're still happier
than you'd be if you were happy and your wife was unhappy." - Red Green
To reply, eat the taco.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

I know, I know: "Tadaaaa!!!"
..
..
LOL....awesome!

On 2011-01-16 16:52:54 -0500, Steve Turner
said:

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is
a 20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

That is gorgeous! As is your trim plane. And thanks for the jigging
ideas. I'll never make a drum (probably), but I'll bet sooner or later
I come up with some project that could use those ideas.

On 1/16/2011 5:04 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:


"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to play!

Looks very nice!

I don't know anything about building drums. Is this the usual way of doing
things? Or is there a much cheaper, simpler way of doing things?

No, the vast majority of modern drums are built using multiple plies of thin
veneer, laminated with heat and pressure in large cylindrical presses that are
far beyond the means and capabilities of the average woodworker. The level of
quality achieved by most modern manufacturers is actually quite impressive;
probably an order of magnitude better than the best quality baltic birch
plywood that you and I are used to seeing at our local hardwood supplier.
Shells built in this fashion can be ridiculously thin (less than 1/4") yet
still very strong and durable. Many manufacturers are also doing amazing
things with fancy finishes and exotic wood veneers, and I only wish I had the
facilities to build drums in this fashion. Still, there is also the air of
mass-produced "sameness" about such drums, and there is definitely still a
market for drums constructed from solid pieces of wood, and the "stave" method
I used is but one of a few. Other methods include:

Steam bending a solid piece of wood, typically using a scarf joint to bring the
two ends together into a cylinder. This method is one of the oldest, but is
typically only used to construct snare drums, which are relatively small in
diameter (13" or 14") and shallow (averaging about 6" deep).

A method probably familiar to most wood turners would be segmented shells,
which are probably best described by a pictu
http://www.snaredrumsonline.com/wp-c...5266287660.jpg

Some builders are even having success building shells from large logs,
hollowing out the center and carefully milling the inside and outside surfaces
until the shell reaches the desired thickness. The goal is to have a shell
that's a natural as possible, with no joints and no glue, supposedly yielding
the "holy grail" of sound quality. Personally, I think it's a lot of work with
very little (if any) payoff. After all, at the end of the day it's still just
a drum. :-)

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 1/16/2011 4:07 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 1/16/11 3:52 PM, Steve Turner wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set
to play!


Astonishing work, Steve. I hate you. :-)

I love you too man!

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 1/16/2011 4:11 PM, Sonny wrote:
Very, very nice. I saw some of your other drum work, months ago, and
liked them as well. I sent the links (then and now) to my brother,
who plays and appreciates nice drums... but he ain't worth a poop for
woodworking.

Smart jigs, too. ^5

Thanks! Yeah, the jigs get the job done, but I've been pondering how to
construct my "second generation" jigs, complete with offsetting guide rollers
to keep the shells firmly in position, and with motors to spin the shells
(slowly) during milling so that I don't have to spin them by hand. :-)

--
"Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day."
(From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago)
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

In article , Steve Turner
wrote:

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

Gorgeous work, Steve.

What bit do you use to mill the inside?

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to
play!


You are the master Steve!

On Jan 16, 10:13*pm, Steve Turner
wrote:

Thanks! *Yeah, the jigs get the job done, but I've been pondering how to
construct my "second generation" jigs, complete with offsetting guide rollers
to keep the shells firmly in position, and with motors to spin the shells
(slowly) during milling so that I don't have to spin them by hand. *:-)

How about pedal or treadle driven?

R

On Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:04:43 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote:



"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to
play!

Looks very nice!

I don't know anything about building drums. Is this the usual way of doing
things? Or is there a much cheaper, simpler way of doing things?

I was going to ask him how many hours this one took and if he were
selling them/recouping his costs, etc. Nice project, Steve.

P.S: Gonna turn (or metalspin) your own cymbals, too?

--
Threee days before Tucson, Howard Dean explained that the
tea party movement is "the last gasp of the generation that
has trouble with diversity." Rising to the challenge of
lowering his reputation and the tone of public discourse,
Dean smeared tea partiers as racists: They oppose Obama's
agenda, Obama is African-American, ergo...

Let us hope that Dean is the last gasp of the generation
of liberals whose default position in any argument is to
indict opponents as racists. This McCarthyism of the left
-- devoid of intellectual content, unsupported by data --
is a mental tic, not an idea but a tactic for avoiding
engagement with ideas. It expresses limitless contempt for
the American people, who have reciprocated by reducing
liberalism to its current characteristics of electoral
weakness and bad sociology. --George Will 14 JAN 2011
Article titled "Tragedies often spark plenty of analysis"

On 1/16/2011 6:25 PM, Steve wrote:
On 2011-01-16 16:52:54 -0500, Steve Turner said:

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

That is gorgeous! As is your trim plane. And thanks for the jigging ideas. I'll
never make a drum (probably), but I'll bet sooner or later I come up with some
project that could use those ideas.

Yeah, the plane was actually quite fun to construct. I love using shoulder
planes, and I have some old wooden molding planes that I was able to use as
guides to constructing this one. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done,
which was really all I cared about. I actually searched around quite a bit for
some existing tool (most likely from a coopers arsenal) that might do the job,
but I came up empty so I just decided to build my own. I'm sure I had a big
stupid grin on my face when I saw how well it worked. :-)

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 1/16/2011 9:14 PM, Dave Balderstone wrote:
In , Steve Turner
wrote:

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

Gorgeous work, Steve.

Thanks!

What bit do you use to mill the inside?

Small horizontal crown molding bit:
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...s/horizcrw.jpg

Actually though, I'd guess a simple 1/4" straight bit would do the job just as
well.

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 1/16/2011 9:19 PM, Leon wrote:
"Steve wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to
play!


You are the master Steve!

Well I don't know about that, but I appreciate hearing it from somebody whose
work I greatly admire. Thanks Leon. :-)

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

Nice work.

I'm curious as t o whether the choice of wood matters; i.e. are there
preferred "tonewoods" for drums as there are for guitars?

-Zz

On 1/16/2011 9:20 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:04:43 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote:



"Steve wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to
play!

Looks very nice!

I don't know anything about building drums. Is this the usual way of doing
things? Or is there a much cheaper, simpler way of doing things?

I was going to ask him how many hours this one took and if he were
selling them/recouping his costs, etc. Nice project, Steve.

Thanks! I didn't keep track of my hours, but I suspect I would have trouble
selling these drums for anything close to a decent profit unless I could find a
niche market among well-compensated hot-shot musicians, and those are few and
far between. I would also have to *significantly* automate my processes before
I could become competitive, and believe it or not there is a lot of competition
out there already. I'm really just doing this for my own amusement, and plus I
need a second set of drums. :-)

P.S: Gonna turn (or metalspin) your own cymbals, too?

So many things to do, so little time! :-)

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Jan 16, 1:52*pm, Steve Turner
wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. *This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

Very cool. I prefer a 24" bass but that is just fricking killer.

What shape did you come up with for the bearing edge? On Bass drums it
isn't so critical but on smaller shells with tighter skins it makes a
huge difference. I heard a story that Gretch at some time in their
history actually somehow lost the tooling they used to shape the
bearing edge and it took a few years to get it back where they wanted.

You should take a look at the bearing edge on a Craviotto maple snare
if you get a chance. I think the other people who do a good edge is
DW.

Have you ever thought about doing a kit from Keller shells and what is
your opinion of them if you are familiar? I would never venture to
build a set, that is a very ambitious project. You are to be
commended. I thought maybe some day I would do a set of keller shells
with some cool veener and custom finish, maybe sand burn darkened
edges, etc.

On Jan 16, 10:08*pm, Steve Turner
wrote:

No, the vast majority of modern drums are built using multiple plies of thin
veneer, laminated with heat and pressure in large cylindrical presses that are
far beyond the means and capabilities of the average woodworker. *The level of
quality achieved by most modern manufacturers is actually quite impressive;
probably an order of magnitude better than the best quality baltic birch
plywood that you and I are used to seeing at our local hardwood supplier.
Shells built in this fashion can be ridiculously thin (less than 1/4") yet
still very strong and durable. *Many manufacturers are also doing amazing
things with fancy finishes and exotic wood veneers, and I only wish I had the
facilities to build drums in this fashion.

I know exactly zero about drums, so take this with a shaker of salt
(preferably with a few lemons and a bottle of tequila), and I have no
idea about drum sizing, so this may be totally off the wall, but could
you use a section of plastic sewer pipe, wrap veneer around it and
vacuum bag the sucker?

R

On 1/16/11 10:29 PM, RicodJour wrote:
On Jan 16, 10:08 pm, Steve
wrote:

No, the vast majority of modern drums are built using multiple plies of thin
veneer, laminated with heat and pressure in large cylindrical presses that are
far beyond the means and capabilities of the average woodworker. The level of
quality achieved by most modern manufacturers is actually quite impressive;
probably an order of magnitude better than the best quality baltic birch
plywood that you and I are used to seeing at our local hardwood supplier.
Shells built in this fashion can be ridiculously thin (less than 1/4") yet
still very strong and durable. Many manufacturers are also doing amazing
things with fancy finishes and exotic wood veneers, and I only wish I had the
facilities to build drums in this fashion.

I know exactly zero about drums, so take this with a shaker of salt
(preferably with a few lemons and a bottle of tequila), and I have no
idea about drum sizing, so this may be totally off the wall, but could
you use a section of plastic sewer pipe, wrap veneer around it and
vacuum bag the sucker?

R

Drums are sized 1/8" under nominal size, ie: 14" drum is 13-7/8".
Most shells are 1/4"-3/8" So if you could find pipe the right size, sure.

It would probably be easier to build up a form with the same technique
as building a shell.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 1/16/2011 9:48 PM, Zz Yzx wrote:

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

Nice work.

Thanks.

I'm curious as t o whether the choice of wood matters; i.e. are there
preferred "tonewoods" for drums as there are for guitars?

I think it does matter, but only up to a point. Drums shells have to be
reasonably thick to support the stress of the head under tension, and the
tensioning and mounting hardware that's mounted to the shell further reduces
the opportunity for it to resonate to a degree that significantly contributes
to the tone quality of the drum. However, a poorly constructed shell made of
soft, lifeless, and inferior wood (like Philippine "Mahogany") with no tonal
qualities of its own is going to be totally "dead" when you hold it up by one
finger and "thump" it. Such a shell is going to transfer its "deadness" to the
heads, and the drum is going to have very poor tone and reduced volume.
Conversely, any well-constructed shell built from a reasonably hard wood such
that the shell has its own clear tone and "sings" when you thump it is going to
be a good candidate for yielding a good drum. After you've reached that point,
the choice of wood might have *some* further effect, but (in my opinion) it's
going to be of minimal consequence and quite subjective. Other factors are
probably of more importance, such as the "bearing edges" (the point where the
head contacts the shell), and a good smooth reflective inner surface (which
could be a factor of closed pored vs. open pored woods). I'm also a fan of the
shell being as thin as reasonably possible (without compromising strength), not
necessarily because a thin shell is more "resonant" (as in a guitar), but
because it yields the largest amount of air volume in the internal cavity,
which in turn increases both the tuning range (think bottles filled with
varying amount of liquid) and the dynamic range (potential volume) of the drum.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 1/16/2011 3:52 PM, Steve Turner wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set
to play!

Killer craftsmanship! ... what impresses me most of all are the jigs. I
get more fun and satisfaction coming up with, and making, jig that work
than I do the actual piece and it appears you may share the same sentiment.

Stellar execution on all counts, Steve.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:57:16 -0600, Steve Turner
wrote:

On 1/16/2011 9:20 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:04:43 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote:



"Steve wrote in message
...
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set to
play!

Looks very nice!

I don't know anything about building drums. Is this the usual way of doing
things? Or is there a much cheaper, simpler way of doing things?

I was going to ask him how many hours this one took and if he were
selling them/recouping his costs, etc. Nice project, Steve.

Thanks! I didn't keep track of my hours, but I suspect I would have trouble
selling these drums for anything close to a decent profit unless I could find a
niche market among well-compensated hot-shot musicians, and those are few and
far between. I would also have to *significantly* automate my processes before
I could become competitive, and believe it or not there is a lot of competition
out there already. I'm really just doing this for my own amusement, and plus I
need a second set of drums. :-)

Egad!


P.S: Gonna turn (or metalspin) your own cymbals, too?

So many things to do, so little time! :-)

Talk to the importers of Tibetan items...
Om mani padme hum.

--
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air...
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

On 1/16/11 9:23 PM, Steve Turner wrote:

BTY, when I made my little oak shell, I glued it to the backing plate to
mount on the lathe. But I put brown paper bag between the plate (mdf)
and shell, so it would release easier. And if it tore, it would
certainly tear the mdf and not the shell. I found that it took very
little glue to hold it sufficiently. Since you have plates on both
sides of the shell, I think it would take even less.

Did you consider temporary gluing, or do you think the screw technique
was easier?




--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 01/17/2011 12:30 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 1/16/11 9:23 PM, Steve Turner wrote:

BTY, when I made my little oak shell, I glued it to the backing plate to
mount on the lathe. But I put brown paper bag between the plate (mdf)
and shell, so it would release easier. And if it tore, it would
certainly tear the mdf and not the shell. I found that it took very
little glue to hold it sufficiently. Since you have plates on both
sides of the shell, I think it would take even less.

Did you consider temporary gluing, or do you think the screw technique
was easier?

I think temporary gluing would probably work just fine. I didn't consider it because it
didn't occur to me. :-)

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 01/16/2011 09:58 PM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:
On Jan 16, 1:52 pm, Steve
wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

Very cool. I prefer a 24" bass but that is just fricking killer.

Thanks. I've never owned a 24" kick and I haven't played them very many times, but when I
did it just wasn't "working" for me. Plus, they are just so TALL, which forces the rack
toms to be mounted higher than I find comfortable, especially if the toms have deep shells.

What shape did you come up with for the bearing edge? On Bass drums it
isn't so critical but on smaller shells with tighter skins it makes a
huge difference. I heard a story that Gretch at some time in their
history actually somehow lost the tooling they used to shape the
bearing edge and it took a few years to get it back where they wanted.

Never heard that story. I own a nice set of mid-80's Gretsch drums, and the bearing edges
are pretty straightforward; an ever-so-slight round-over on the outer edge (1/16" radius
maybe? 1/8" max) leading into a simple 30-degree chamfer towards the inner surface. Most
other companies use a 45-degree chamfer (ever try finding a 60-degree chamfer bit to produce
that 30-degree angle? Not too many of them out there). Mine are very similar, but the
chamfer is even more shallow; I think I used a 25-degree raised panel bit with an oversize
bearing.

You should take a look at the bearing edge on a Craviotto maple snare
if you get a chance. I think the other people who do a good edge is
DW.

I don't think I've ever seen a Craviotto around these parts.

Have you ever thought about doing a kit from Keller shells and what is
your opinion of them if you are familiar? I would never venture to
build a set, that is a very ambitious project. You are to be
commended. I thought maybe some day I would do a set of keller shells
with some cool veener and custom finish, maybe sand burn darkened
edges, etc.

Keller makes very nice shells and they've been doing it for decades. They made shells for
Rogers back in the sixties and/or seventies, and they're now making shells for Gretsch as
well. I would certainly consider using their products if I didn't want to build my own.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 01/17/2011 08:59 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 1/16/2011 3:52 PM, Steve Turner wrote:
(Also posted to rec.music.makers.percussion)

I recently finished up another drum I've been working on. This one is a
20"x15" bass drum constructed from Black Walnut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838936416/

Here are some pictures of the various jigs I used to build it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboye...7625838041282/

Now I just need to build the rest of the drums so I'll have a full set
to play!

Killer craftsmanship! ... what impresses me most of all are the jigs. I get more fun and
satisfaction coming up with, and making, jig that work than I do the actual piece and it
appears you may share the same sentiment.

Stellar execution on all counts, Steve.

Thanks Karl! Yes, I do get a big kick out of making my own jigs and tools. I spent a
couple of days at least pondering the design and construction of that "coopering" plane, and
I got stuck for a while thinking I was going to have to procure an old derelict wooden
rebate plane and steal its cutter when I got the epiphany to cannibalize an extra Stanley #3
cutter I had lying around. It took a good day or more to build the plane and get it tuned
to perfection, then it probably took me all of five minutes make the necessary cuts on the
drum. It was an exciting moment, but after that it was kind of a let-down thinking I may
never have another need for that wonderful new plane! :-)

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 1/17/2011 2:13 PM, Steve Turner wrote:

It was an
exciting moment, but after that it was kind of a let-down thinking I may
never have another need for that wonderful new plane! :-)

If you're like me, you don't have all the pieces you've built done
through the years, but you still have all the jigs. At any given time
I've got more shop space tied up storing jigs than on-going project parts.


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"RicodJour" wrote

I know exactly zero about drums, so take this with a shaker of salt
(preferably with a few lemons and a bottle of tequila), and I have no
idea about drum sizing, so this may be totally off the wall, but could
you use a section of plastic sewer pipe, wrap veneer around it and
vacuum bag the sucker?

Wouldn't work, I believe.

In using vacuum bagging, the pressure pushes layers together or into a
shaped form. In this case, the pressing together tighter would also need to
coil the veneer tighter, rotating around the jig. Unless you had a way to
rotate the veneers as you bagged it, it would not allow the veneer to be
compressed against the other layers.

It might work if each layer was separate from the other layers, so there was
only a short overlap, or no overlap.

When a drum is built using veneers, it has glue applied, and tightened and
held tight as it is rolled around the form.
--
Jim in NC

On 1/17/11 12:36 PM, Steve Turner wrote:
On 01/17/2011 12:30 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 1/16/11 9:23 PM, Steve Turner wrote:

BTY, when I made my little oak shell, I glued it to the backing plate to
mount on the lathe. But I put brown paper bag between the plate (mdf)
and shell, so it would release easier. And if it tore, it would
certainly tear the mdf and not the shell. I found that it took very
little glue to hold it sufficiently. Since you have plates on both
sides of the shell, I think it would take even less.

Did you consider temporary gluing, or do you think the screw technique
was easier?

I think temporary gluing would probably work just fine. I didn't
consider it because it didn't occur to me. :-)


It only occurred to me because I had heard of it from turners..... wait.
:-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Steve - kinda late to the party, but I would certainly like to echo
the great remarks you have received so far.

All the handmade drums I have seen have been much less elegant
affairs, and rest assured I have never seen one coopered together from
walnut!

Very nicely done.

I must say though.... I am just about as impressed with the plane as I
am with the drum! Nicely done there, sir.

BTW, I have heard and read a mountain of information on finishes for
musical instruments, but never had occasion to finish one myself.
What did you use for the topcoat? Anything underneath it for grain
pop?

Robert

On Jan 17, 3:35*pm, "Morgans" wrote:
"RicodJour" wrote



I know exactly zero about drums, so take this with a shaker of salt
(preferably with a few lemons and a bottle of tequila), and I have no
idea about drum sizing, so this may be totally off the wall, but could
you use a section of plastic sewer pipe, wrap veneer around it and
vacuum bag the sucker?

Wouldn't work, I believe.

In using vacuum bagging, the pressure pushes layers together or into a
shaped form. *In this case, the pressing together tighter would also need to
coil the veneer tighter, rotating around the jig. *Unless you had a way to
rotate the veneers as you bagged it, it would not allow the veneer to be
compressed against the other layers.

It might work if each layer was separate from the other layers, so there was
only a short overlap, or no overlap.

When a drum is built using veneers, it has glue applied, and tightened and
held tight as it is rolled around the form.

Yeah, I can see that is an issue. Leaving 'contraction space' so the
veneer meeting edges would just touch as the vaccum was applied would
also be difficult. What about laying up the veneers inside the sewer
pipe and using a pneumatic bladder to press the veneer against the
pipe?

R

On 1/18/11 10:49 AM, RicodJour wrote:
Yeah, I can see that is an issue. Leaving 'contraction space' so the
veneer meeting edges would just touch as the vaccum was applied would
also be difficult. What about laying up the veneers inside the sewer
pipe and using a pneumatic bladder to press the veneer against the
pipe?

R

I was contracted to veneer a bass drum hoop in bubinga and used a
bicycle inner-tube as a bladder clamp for the inside, which worked
perfectly.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 1/18/2011 10:42 AM, wrote:
Steve - kinda late to the party, but I would certainly like to echo
the great remarks you have received so far.

All the handmade drums I have seen have been much less elegant
affairs, and rest assured I have never seen one coopered together from
walnut!

Very nicely done.

I must say though.... I am just about as impressed with the plane as I
am with the drum! Nicely done there, sir.

Thanks! I was certainly pleased with it myself.

BTW, I have heard and read a mountain of information on finishes for
musical instruments, but never had occasion to finish one myself.
What did you use for the topcoat? Anything underneath it for grain
pop?

Robert

Well Robert, this is where you come in. :-) I sprayed one single wet coat of
the satin "Kwick Kleen" conversion lacquer that you steered me towards.
Actually, the can says "fast drying polyurethane", but it thins with lacquer
thinner, and it certainly looks, smells, and feels like a lacquer to me.
I LOVE the stuff! It goes on like a dream, dries to the touch in about 5
minutes, and looks gorgeous. Thanks a million for the recommendation.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Jan 18, 11:01*am, Steve Turner
wrote:

Well Robert, this is where you come in. *:-) *I sprayed one single wet coat of
the satin "Kwick Kleen" conversion lacquer that you steered me towards.

Wow! How cool is that? You never know, right?

Actually, the can says "fast drying polyurethane", but it thins with lacquer
thinner, and it certainly looks, smells, and feels like a lacquer to me.
I LOVE the stuff! *It goes on like a dream, dries to the touch in about 5
minutes, and looks gorgeous. *Thanks a million for the recommendation.

I am hugely pleased you liked it (and that it worked for you!) as it
is certainly my favorite finish. When I need a go-to, bullet proof
finish, that's my first choice.
Never let me down yet, and I have put about 40 gallons on all manner
of projects inside and out.

Honestly, I don't know what it is.

I went to my Dad's house a couple of months ago and looked at the
front door he had me replace along with hardware, etc. He was an
older fella then, and wanted a good finish on it, but nothing too
exotic. That was about 8 years ago. It looks brand new!

I might have to rustle around the HD and find a pic to post of that
one as it was an unusual grain pattern that I set on fire. You would
probably get a charge out of it.

I just go through looking over your finished project and your most
excellent plane. Great stuff.

Robert

On 1/19/2011 1:17 AM, wrote:
On Jan 18, 11:01 am, Steve

Well Robert, this is where you come in. :-) I sprayed one single wet coat of
the satin "Kwick Kleen" conversion lacquer that you steered me towards.


I am hugely pleased you liked it (and that it worked for you!) as it
is certainly my favorite finish. When I need a go-to, bullet proof
finish, that's my first choice.
Never let me down yet, and I have put about 40 gallons on all manner
of projects inside and out.

What's your feeling on how it would shoot with this? (and which tip):

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/202...g-Station.aspx

I have one in the box that's never been opened and would like to try it
out on something non-critical, like that big POS cabinet you saw on top
of that rolling cart in my garage.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

In article 0d7de127-d67c-4fbf-bf28-54bdaf383cb4
@k25g2000vbl.googlegroups.com, says...

On Jan 18, 11:01*am, Steve Turner
wrote:

Well Robert, this is where you come in. *:-) *I sprayed one single wet coat of
the satin "Kwick Kleen" conversion lacquer that you steered me towards.

Wow! How cool is that? You never know, right?

Actually, the can says "fast drying polyurethane", but it thins with lacquer
thinner, and it certainly looks, smells, and feels like a lacquer to me.
I LOVE the stuff! *It goes on like a dream, dries to the touch in about 5
minutes, and looks gorgeous. *Thanks a million for the recommendation.

I am hugely pleased you liked it (and that it worked for you!) as it
is certainly my favorite finish. When I need a go-to, bullet proof
finish, that's my first choice.
Never let me down yet, and I have put about 40 gallons on all manner
of projects inside and out.

Honestly, I don't know what it is.


Googling "Kwik Kleen" I find that there isn't an "it". They have a
"fast drying polyurethane" and a "Kwick Kat" precatalyised lacquer and
about 5 pages of other stuff just under "Finishes and Sealers".

I went to my Dad's house a couple of months ago and looked at the
front door he had me replace along with hardware, etc. He was an
older fella then, and wanted a good finish on it, but nothing too
exotic. That was about 8 years ago. It looks brand new!

I might have to rustle around the HD and find a pic to post of that
one as it was an unusual grain pattern that I set on fire. You would
probably get a charge out of it.

I just go through looking over your finished project and your most
excellent plane. Great stuff.




Robert

On Jan 19, 2:17*am, "
wrote:
On Jan 18, 11:01*am, Steve Turner
wrote:

Well Robert, this is where you come in. *:-) *I sprayed one single wet coat of
the satin "Kwick Kleen" conversion lacquer that you steered me towards.

Wow! *How cool is that? *You never know, right?

Actually, the can says "fast drying polyurethane", but it thins with lacquer
thinner, and it certainly looks, smells, and feels like a lacquer to me..
I LOVE the stuff! *It goes on like a dream, dries to the touch in about 5
minutes, and looks gorgeous. *Thanks a million for the recommendation..

I am hugely pleased you liked it (and that it worked for you!) as it
is certainly my favorite finish. *When I need a go-to, bullet proof
finish, that's my first choice.
Never let me down yet, and I have put about 40 gallons on all manner
of projects inside and out.

Honestly, I don't know what it is.

I went to my Dad's house a couple of months ago and looked at the
front door he had me replace along with hardware, etc. *He was an
older fella then, and wanted a good finish on it, but nothing too
exotic. *That was about 8 years ago. *It looks brand new!

I might have to rustle around the HD and find a pic to post of that
one as it was an unusual grain pattern that I set on fire. *You would
probably get a charge out of it.

I just go through looking over your finished project and your most
excellent plane. *Great stuff.

Please do post some pictures of that door. I have a nice mahogany
door that I recently installed that's waiting for the warmer weather
for the final finish (just shellac on it for now). That Kwick Kleen
stuff sounds perfect.

Since you are the one directly responsible for the beautiful finish on
Steve's drum (a stretch, but work with me here!), I'm thinking there
should be a free drum in it for you. Or at least a tambourine.

R