Drum Making

[Bartooon]

I want to have a go at making a "bushcrafty" drum (if, indeed, there is such a thing!) for use round the campfire and in some outdoor games with the young people that I teach.

I guess the Native American drums are probably closest to what I have in mind, though I have a reasonably open mind. The important thing is that it mustn't be too difficult to make as I am no master craftsman - and that is a serious understatement!

Has anyone tried to make a drum themselves and can offer some advice?

Thanks

 

[Elen Sentier]

Yes, I've made a drum, with some help and going to make another soon. Wottcha wanna know ? I'm no expert but I know the ideas ...

behind every creative woman there's usually a very talented cat ...

 

[crosslandkelly]

How about this. http://www.catdreams.com/bodhran/Bodhran.html

 

[Elen Sentier]

It's making the frame (rim) that's the worst bit, cutting and steaming the wood to bend it. Be a grand project to do at a long w/end meet ... any takers ??? I've only made frame-drums, using sinew, not bodhrans. Be nice to do the whole thing using our own wood and hide, cut, shot and tanned by bushies

 

[rik_uk3]

Best made and kept for solo trips really

 

[maddave]

If you can find an old wooden garden sieve, the rims around those make good bodhran rims.

 

[Toddy]

We steam thin planks and then wrap them around gas bottles to set. Scarf the ends and drill a couple of holes through and stitch them together.
That's the rim. Rawhide works, but braintanned or vegtanned is better to get a good stretch. I've seen rawhide pulled too taut and split.
Lace cut the edge underneath and a thong is woven through....almost like a spider....this allows you to grip the cord and tighten up the sound of the bodhran and provides a comfortable grip too.

Deerskin's usual up here. Commercial ones use goatskin (usually imported from India ) and they pin it on and have a cross frame underneath to hold the drum. Really posh ones now come with dampners etc., like orchestral drums.

I've got photos somewhere but Fiona had a lot more of them. Dharma has some beautifully painted ones

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Bartooon]

Thanks guys. It is the rim that I am particularly worried about as I don't really have the facilities to steam the wood. I like the Mad Dave's suggestion about using a wooden sieve frame - I will keep my eyes open at car boot sales. Otherwise, I suppose have to cheat and get a birch frame on eBay

I have access to some fallow deer hides and I quite fancy using those. I would prefer not to use an Indian goat!

 

[Elen Sentier]

Mary, that's really helpful about the gas bottles!

But yes it's the steaming that's hard and needs space and time to set up. If I get the permissions I'd like then I'd be able to offer it to friends. A thought ... Ask at Cowclose Wood if they would be interested in helping do it?

Another thought ... I have goat milk from a local farmer, and the meat from the billy goats, she might be willing to let you have a skin to brain tan. My next one is fallow on birch, previous was red deer on ash.
It's all about space

behind every creative woman there's usually a very talented cat ...

 

[Toddy]

You can steam thin stuff in a drain pipe with the hose from a wallpaper steamer fed into it and the ends blocked with damp rags. It's not ideal, but it's doable. It's better if you can hap up the pipe wth stuff too. Blankets, newspapers, whatever you can get your hands on. Rone pipes come in 2m lengths. That's long enough for a bodhran, and if you buy the plastic end caps too, then it does to soak willow for basketry

cheers,
Toddy

 

[John Fenna]

When I was leading the canoe side of a Raleigh International exped in Ghana one of the "locals" in one of the teams was a Chiefs son from Northern Ghana who was preparing for some sort of age related ceremony for which he was preparing a drum. He had hollowed out (or cleaned up a naturally hollow) log about 12" high and a bit less across at the head and somewhat narrower at the base and during the trip he carved decoration onto the outside in the form of relief carvings of animals and other more abstract images.
The skin was a raw goatskin (which was the bane of his tentmates life as it was kept in the tent... and stank to high heaven) and when the body of the drum was ready it was lashed on using white paracord (!) the skin shrinking to dry tight. the skin was lashed tight to holes in the lower rim.
I have a Kenyan drum of similar construction but with hair on antelope skins both ends with twisted hair on rawhide tensioning "strings" joining both ends.
Anyone fancy making that style drum?

 

[mrcharly]

I've not made one but had a couple of friends who made drums of the style described by john. Google 'djembe'.

The woodwork bit is simple, but laborious. Putting the skin on creates lots of blisters.

I was told one crucial thing is to have the 'spine' of the skin over the exact centre of the drum. If you don't do this, then the drum skin will stretch slightly differently in patches when tightened.

 

[FelixAvery]

you could try an octagonal frame drum! might be easier, good luck

 

[yomperalex]

I've made a few drums, but none of them particualry brilliant - usually involving a cheat of some sort.

Bodrah style frame drum - frame made from steam slats scavenged from fruit crates and veneered together;

Plastic drain pipes with papir mache skins - though made from muslin sheets and PVC glue - these are great for making a sort of pan pipe array of different lengths;

Frame drums - square, hexagonal and octagonal - really easy and cheap to make;

Alex

 

[Tengu]

I think the Identity store do a kit

 

[Bartooon]

I think the Identity store do a kit

Thanks - just had a look. They have rawhide and maple frames, so if (when!) I resort to cheating they will be well worth considering

 

[Elen Sentier]

this is my ash/red deer drum ...

Yes, John, I'd like to make a log-drum, could make a really deep bass drum that way.

 

[Macaroon]

+1 to Rik_UK3 I say!