Have you built a drum?

[HolyChina]

Have anyone built their own drum set or even just a snare? How hard is it? Cost differences? Do they sound good? Also post any pictures of either your drums you've made or tools that you used to make them.

[Spiderjig]

Hey Holy China, If you wanted to do this for cost effective reasons I'd opt out on it, because by the time you buy the shell all the lugs, tension rods, rims, heads and mounting hardware your going to be spending alot of dollars not to mention if you mess up drilling holes or bearing edges you'll be kicking yourself in the butt.
I have to tell you I did make my own snare but had all the hardware except for rims. I cut down a 12 x 8 tom to a 12 x 6 MIJ tom and used the hardware from a ludwig rocker snare I put gold lugs and rims and rewraped and did it just for fun at hardly no cost, I rewrapped the 12 inch snare and put the ludwig rocker badge on it and to be honest it has an awesome sound. I have it cranked really tight and it sounds almost like a piccollo snare. It felt good to do myself and I'll post pics, but it hardly cost nothing. I'd save my money doing it that way and buy yourself a really nice kit.

[crispycritters]

Hey Holy China, If you wanted to do this for cost effective reasons I'd opt out on it, because by the time you buy the shell all the lugs, tension rods, rims, heads and mounting hardware your going to be spending alot of dollars not to mention if you mess up drilling holes or bearing edges you'll be kicking yourself in the butt.

^^ This.

I would only consider attempting this if I owned a snare that I disliked - in which case I may consider buying a shell and transferring the hardware from the 'bad' snare. I would feel confident enough to drill in the appropriate places (after double checking several times) to attach hardware - but as for cutting bearing edges... I just know I would end up regretting it.

I cut down a 10x12 tom to 8x12 and recut the new bearing edge myself. After many, many minor adjustments I managed to get the drum to tune. But I still bought a different tom in the end. The one I cut by hand is fine for practice (neoprene silencer pad!) but I believe you will need specialist carpentry skills and possibly special tooling to make a successful job of it.

Buying individual shell, lugs, rods, rims, strainer and butt, snares and heads will make you feel like you've been mugged.

[Drumbledore]

....but I believe you will need specialist carpentry skills and possibly special tooling to make a successful job of it.

Buying individual shell, lugs, rods, rims, strainer and butt, snares and heads will make you feel like you've been mugged.

^ This.

Whilst I can do a fair bit of woodwork.....I've done things like drill holes in shells to accommodate tom arms (using a vintage hole saw passed onto me from my Gramps, who was fantastic with carpentry, and I don't do to bad myself)....when it comes to things like bearing edges and so forth, I'd rather let that be done by someone who's way better at it than me.

Now, whilst I haven't built drums by scratch, I've a mate who specialises in acrylic drums, who's built me two offbeat custom items.....an 8x6" special little effects snare (that I can clamp off the left of my hi-hat stand) and a 12x 2.5" timbale (which I'll mount on a type of clamp that can easily slide off an L-arm mount in my percussion set ups, so that I can use it both as a timbale and as a Middle Eastern type of frame drum, as it's fairly light yet solidly made). I'm glad he knows what he's doing with acrylics and how you bend them and so forth because that's way out my crafting abilities!

[HolyChina]

I know it would cost almost the same but i guess it would be fun sense i like wood working. and rewarding. I think if i do make one I'm starting with a snare for sure and see how it goes. If all goes smooth making the shell, cutting bearing edges, and snare bed then i would buy hard wear cut holes. or check craigslist for vintage drums and take lugs off them and maybe salvage the remaining shell depending on the size not sure.

[Kazaamski]

You should totally go for it. I usually try to start projects solely because I have to get a new tool for it. :D

[Spiderjig]

Here's that 12 x 6 Imitation Ludwig Rocker pic

[crispycritters]

I've just re-read this thread and realised you intend to try making your own shells! Personally I would have no idea how to even start a project like this - a snare shell made from staves maybe? Making a shell from individual plies sounds really ambitious - but my own carpentry skills are little more than putting up the odd shelf and minor household repairs.

If you decide to go ahead and attempt it I would recommend using a donor snare for all hardware etc. If it is unsuccessful at least the expense should be minimal if it can be achieved without buying expensive tooling. If successful look for appropriate hardware AFTER you are happy with the shell.

When I cut down a tom I did get a great deal of satisfaction when I finally got the thing to tune (and get the head to the same drumdial readings at, and between every lug), but this took many minor corrections and my '8x12' tom is actually a 7.85x12 tom, as the 8x10 tom I paired it with is a metric measurement in reality it is closer to 7.5x10 I'm not too worried. The tom I used was from a very cheap starter kit. I would not have the nerve to try this with a keller shell.

[HolyChina]

I will probably start with stave then if that goes well look into steam bent. I have a pearl snare that i never use that came with my little bell kit that i haven't used well sense 6th grade sense my drum set snare sounds better so i going to take the hard wear off. Im in the process of planning right now because that is free and just takes time.

[HolyChina]

Here's that 12 x 6 Imitation Ludwig Rocker pic

Your snare looks like a nice side snare like what you did there.

[porkpieguy]

If you want to do it for the experience, I'd say go for it. But keep in mind that you are paying for the experience and not necessarily a stellar product.

[signia fan]

I build all my own drums. I have been refinishing and customizing since the early 80's and over the past few years have been building stave shells. It takes tools, and be prepared to admit defeat now and then, I have burned a lot of walnut, cherry, maple, lacewood and even a hurtful bit of rosewood. Things won't always go as smoothly as you would like. As for steam bending your own, knock yourself out, it is way harder than it seems. I have tried and now I truly understand why only a handful of people in all of North America do it successfully. I still bend my own re-rings, but the shells proved too much for my shop. Without a good mold to slip and press the shell into, I found I only was good at destroying expensive hardwood.

[HolyChina]

I build all my own drums. I have been refinishing and customizing since the early 80's and over the past few years have been building stave shells. It takes tools, and be prepared to admit defeat now and then, I have burned a lot of walnut, cherry, maple, lacewood and even a hurtful bit of rosewood. Things won't always go as smoothly as you would like. As for steam bending your own, knock yourself out, it is way harder than it seems. I have tried and now I truly understand why only a handful of people in all of North America do it successfully. I still bend my own re-rings, but the shells proved too much for my shop. Without a good mold to slip and press the shell into, I found I only was good at destroying expensive hardwood.

thanks. I kow i deffinately want to do stave shell. i have walnut, maple, hickory, and oak. on my property and when they get nocked down by a bad storm i will have plenty. for now i have some ways to get it(friends).

[HolyChina]

If you want to do it for the experience, I'd say go for it. But keep in mind that you are paying for the experience and not necessarily a stellar product.

I guess that is what i really want.

[Drumbledore]

As for steam bending your own, knock yourself out, it is way harder than it seems. I have tried and now I truly understand why only a handful of people in all of North America do it successfully. I still bend my own re-rings, but the shells proved too much for my shop. Without a good mold to slip and press the shell into, I found I only was good at destroying expensive hardwood.

Exactly. I've read a bunch of articles in past issues about steam-bending, reading that and seeing the pictures, I got to agree with you on that. Totally respect how you stave build your own shells, a lot of work goes into that, and if you're saying it's harder still to steam bend, well, I wouldn't argue with you with that my friend, that's for sure.

[Drumbledore]

As for steam bending your own, knock yourself out, it is way harder than it seems. I have tried and now I truly understand why only a handful of people in all of North America do it successfully. I still bend my own re-rings, but the shells proved too much for my shop. Without a good mold to slip and press the shell into, I found I only was good at destroying expensive hardwood.

Exactly. I've read a bunch of articles in past issues about steam-bending, reading that and seeing the pictures, I got to agree with you on that. Totally respect how you stave build your own shells, a lot of work goes into that, and if you're saying it's harder still to steam bend, well, I wouldn't argue with you with that my friend, that's for sure.

[HolyChina]

Steam bending from what i have watched is another skill in it self.

[kay-gee]

Steam bending is basically boiling a piece of wood to make it malleable, but the trick is to have a mold to make it circular once the wood is soft enough to bend. It was first done with steel cylinders ( to the dimensions of desired drum) and then quickly clamped. Also re-rings are usually added to single ply drums to keep their structural integrity. (roundness)

all the best...