Drum Riser on the Cheap

[ntn2it]

After months of deliberation and endless searching for a quality used prefab drum riser, I decided to build this one on my own. The ones that I found were either 1. Too Heavy, 2. Too Big (not collapsible) or 3. Waaaaayy too expensive! This was my solution to my problem. Here are some pictures of it completed.
The total size is 7'-10" wide X 6'-10" deep. From the floor to the top of the deck it stands exactly 15" tall. When folded up it takes up a 4ft x 4ft x 4 inch space against the wall of our band trailer and the buckets can be stacked inside each other for even less lost floor space. The skirt fits right inside a bucket and is held onto the riser with sewn on velcro.

[ntn2it]

Here are a few more pics of it:




The whole project was completed in a couple of days at a total out of pocket cost of $194. 62.

[ZildjianKid234]

Very cool! Never would of thought of using buckets, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Seems like it'd be sturdy enough. Nice work!

ZK

[Digital]

That's pretty awesome. I'm looking to build one or two risers for my drums, since I'm paranoid about water coming in the basement and ruining them. Wouldn't be nearly that tall, at most about 8"...but the idea is very close to what I had in mind.

Nice to see it visualized.

[funkyruss]

You rock buddy! What a great design!
And ya can't beat Kingsford!

[kay-gee]

Freaking awesome!

all the best...

[Texdrumr]

That is cool. Way to use your noggin.

[wolvie56]

That is sweet, man. And is it pretty solid? Does it move around at all? Did you think it up, or did you see it somewhere else? Great idea.

[jeffsw6]

Nice! I like the bucket lids for keeping the buckets from moving around underneath it. What is the thickness of your plywood? Does it give at all when you play?

A guy local to me has something similar, and he likes his, although he used MDF and his is only two pieces, so it is very heavy and awkward to carry around. Your setup looks a lot more portable.

The main trouble with a riser like that is you cannot adjust it to an uneven surface, such as a slanting parking lot or bare ground outside.

[areFish]

Wow that is some serious ingenuity.

[NPYYZ]

That's pretty much the same thing I did back in the late mid 80's. I made two sections out of plywood and 2x3's. The two sections bolted together. Originally I wanted to be higher up so I used stacked milk crates underneath. A couple years later when they started fining people for having milk crate I switched to 5 gallon buckets. I never used the tops and I used the buckets with the tops (wider portion) on the floor and the bottom against the riser.

[Bish]

Well done.

Effective, efficient, easily transportable.

Time to start a new career. We all need a riser like that one.

[marko138]

That's fantastic. Great idea to bolt the lids to the riser. Great work!

[trickg]

Dude, this is so cool I'm sending the link to this thread to a bunch of people I know.

I was thinking that it might have been cheaper to go with PVC pipes and fittings to raise it up, but then there would be the problem of storage - the fact that the buckets are stackable and that this riser takes up so little space when broken down is freaking ingenious. If I ever do this, I'd like to see if I can get my hands on a bunch of 3 gallon buckets - they are just like the 5 gal. buckets, but a bit shorter.

[ntn2it]

Thanks guys, glad you like it! It is incredible stable and once the whole kit and myself get on it, it doesn't move around at all. Most of the venues we play at are level or have a stage so uneven surfaces doesn't seem to be much of an issue for us. The concept for this goes way back to the old "milk crate and plywood" days. This was my take on it so that it was portable and easy to set up, but most importantly, stable.

I posted it here because an Internet search for this turned up very little that was this portable. I wanted to share it with all of you guys because lets face it, drummers belong on pedestals. We're that good!

If anyone needs a material list or any other help, I'd be happy to oblige.

[kickinit]

Genius man!! That's awesome! The finished product looks very professionally done as well... It shows that you payed attention to detail. Thanks for sharing that.

[pastor_bob]

Genius man!! That's awesome! The finished product looks very professionally done as well... It shows that you payed attention to detail. Thanks for sharing that.

+1 I totally agree! Well done ntn2it! I for one would love to have the material list.

[trickg]

+1 I totally agree! Well done ntn2it! I for one would love to have the material list.

It would be cool to see just what he used, but from the pictures, it's pretty easy to pick out how it's put together. The cool thing is that I don't see much in the way of improving upon the design - it's just really well done.

[Ricardo]

The concept for this goes way back to the old "milk crate and plywood" days. This was my take on it so that it was portable and easy to set up, but most importantly, stable.

I posted it here because an Internet search for this turned up very little that was this portable. I wanted to share it with all of you guys because lets face it, drummers belong on pedestals. We're that good!

Amen Brother !

For the money, I've never seen a better riser -- great job.
I hate to play on risers that are so flimsy that your cymbals are swaying around and you can feel the floor give when you walk on it.

[longgun]

It would be cool to see just what he used, but from the pictures, it's pretty easy to pick out how it's put together. The cool thing is that I don't see much in the way of improving upon the design - it's just really well done.

...+1...Great job

[Bluesman4745]

Nice job and great idea on the riser.
I guess my question is WHY would you want to carry all this stuff around?
And how long does it take you to set up?

[trickg]

Nice job and great idea on the riser.
I guess my question is WHY would you want to carry all this stuff around?
And how long does it take you to set up?

Carrying a riser around gives a drummer the ability to add an extra dimension of depth to any "stage" setup they might encounter. I've done a number of "gigs" (I say that loosely - sometimes it's just doing a worship set for a youth group on a weekday evening) where there is no stage - it's just an area of the floor set aside for the band. A drum riser would greatly enhance that IMO.

As for how much space it takes up, he mentioned that in the first post - it's roughly 4'x4' and just under 5" thick for the riser itself which breaks down into two separate pieces which then folds up, and the buckets stack. a lot of the time I transport my drums in the back of a Ford Ranger pickup, and that riser with the buckets would easily fit in with the rest of my stuff in the bed of the pickup, although I don't think it would work with our Kia Sorento.

Question - I noticed that you nipped the corners at an angle - does this allow for all of your stands and floor toms ok or would it be better to just make it square with right angles?

[Bluesman4745]

Carrying a riser around gives a drummer the ability to add an extra dimension of depth to any "stage" setup they might encounter.

Depends on what kind of venues you play, but I've played some stages where there's no way that riser would fit. Again, YMMV, and I guess it all comes down to how much you like carrying stuff like this around.

[trickg]

Depends on what kind of venues you play, but I've played some stages where there's no way that riser would fit. Again, YMMV, and I guess it all comes down to how much you like carrying stuff like this around.

Me too - I've played in places so tight (more times than I can count) where we had to shoehorn an 8-piece band into a space that would have been snug for a trio or quartet. The answer then is to do an advance on the gig to find out the score, and if you don't need it, don't bring it. For no more space than it takes up, storage isn't really an issue.

[ntn2it]

Ok folks, you asked for a list of materials so I typed one up. I also took the time to write up directions for building it. Hope this helps clarify any questions you might have about its' construction.

Materials List

2 5/8” 4x8 sheets Plywood (I used Aspen 5ply Underlayment)
2 2x6 8’ SPF Lumber
2 48” Piano:Hinges
16 Pails w/Lids I bought new ones, used and cleaned ones will work just as well
64 #8 x ¾” Pan Head screws (sold in boxes of 100)
64 1/8” x 1” Fender washers (sold in boxes of 100)
1# 1 5/8” Drywall screws
2 Quarts of Indoor/Outdoor carpet adhesive
2 6’ x 8’ Indoor/outdoor carpet pieces
2 lockable hasps (or equivalent)
9 yards of black fabric for making skirt
9lf sew-on flexible Velcro (from fabric store)
1 1/8” v-notched adhesive spreader (plastic, disposable)
1 box of ½” Arrow Brand staples (buy for your brand of stapler)



Instructions: (If male, these are optional.)

Step 1: Lay plywood out on floor and set up kit on top. Do you really need an 8’ x 8’ riser? Chances are you don’t, so make a diagram of what you will need the finished size to be and set it aside. DO NOT CUT CORNERS OFF YET.

Step 2: Crosscut the two sheets so that you end up with 4 pieces of plywood that are 4’ x 4’ in size. Mark all factory edges with a marker or pencil. Set up your pails, and place all the plywood on top taking care to put all factory edges against each other. When this is done all the previously cut edges will be to the sides of your riser. Doing this step now will ensure your riser goes together seamlessly and looks awesome later (and makes it easier to line things up). Now you can mark off what needs to be removed and cut it off with your circular saw. (Don’t forget to move the buckets around so you don’t saw into them.) Doh!

Step 3: Crosscut the 2x6’s so that you have four pieces that are 4’ long. Rip them down on a table saw to 1 1/8” wide pieces. You will end up with a total of 16 pieces that measure 1 ½” x 1 1/8” x 48”. Flip over the plywood pieces and fit them around the perimeter of each piece. Use the drywall screws to affix the plywood to the lumber strips. DO NOT ALLOW ANY PART OF THE LUMBER TO STICK OUT PAST THE FACTORY EDGES OF THE PLYWOOD. This step will again make life easier later on.

*BEER BREAK* POWERS SAWS ARE UNPLUGGED AND PUT AWAY*BEER BREAK* NO MORE DANGER*BEER BREAK* (If underage, get your Dad a beer)*

Step 4: Attach the lids inside the area made by applying the lumber reinforcements. Use a screw with a fender washer to attach them. Butt two of the sections together and connect them using a piano hinge. *Side Note* (The little screws that come with those hinges are really little (#4x1/2”). If you can find some #4 x 1 ½” screws use them in every other hole. They will add a lot of strength to the joint. That’s what I did.) Now snap the buckets onto the lids and flip the whole works over. Do the same for the other two pieces. This will give you the two folding sections. Get up on it and enjoy the solid feeling. (You will hear all the buckets solidly seating into their lids.)

Step 5: Lay your carpet piece on top to be sure they are long enough to wrap over the edge. (If you kept your riser 8’ wide, the carpet won’t be long enough to cover so you will end up with a seam on the surface.) Remove carpet. Apply adhesive with your 1/8” v-notched spreader to the entire surface of the plywood, but don’t glue the sides. Be thorough and neat. This stuff takes a full day to cure, so you have plenty of time to do the job right. Lay the carpet on top and press it down into the glue. Do this to both sections. DO NOT CUT THE CARPET EDGES OR THE JOINT ABOVE THE PIANO HINGES YET. It’s time to walk away from the project for the night and allow the glue to dry. Finish tomorrow. (Pretty sure this is once again time for a cold adult beverage. It was for me.)

Step 6: (Day 2) Using a sharp razor blade, cut the carpet above the piano hinge. This is easier if you slightly elevate one side by putting a scrap of plywood under the pails closest to the hinge. It will help open the gap just enough to get a blade in there.) Flip the section over (buckets up) and wrap the carpet around the sides and bottom, stapling it down as you go. I’m not an upholstery guy, and yet I managed to do a pretty neat job by just taking my time. Trim off all excess carpet. Do this for the other section as well. When both sections are done, turn them over (buckets down) and slide the two together. Apply your hasps at the joint to keep them together so they don’t slide apart.

Step 7: If you used black pails, you could skip this part if you want to. Obviously, I used the blaze orange “Homer Pails” from Home Depot, so I needed a skirt to cover them up. I sewed my own skirt because I needed an excuse to go out and buy a sewing machine (I hate sewing Cub Scout patches on by hand). If you have a Mom/Grandma/Unsuspecting girlfriend/significant other that would be willing to do the job, RUN, DON’T WALK to them and allow them to show you their skills. I sewed the Velcro on so that 12” of it was at each corner and 6” at the ends. That stuff was fairly expensive, so I didn’t use it for the whole perimeter. It clings to the carpet great! Even though the riser sits exactly 15” off the ground, I made the skirt 16” tall. I figured I could always hold it up higher on the riser if needed, but at least I’d be covered in the event of uneven ground (grassy field/dip in pavement).

Step 8: Put drum set on and enjoy the view! (While taking a BEER BREAK of course.)

Total set up time is about 5 minutes. Tearing it down takes about 10 minutes. You need to work your fingers around the lids to get them to “unsnap”.