How To Build A Drum

SEARCH NO MORE!!!

It's all here. A complete resource for drum building.

Greetings from PDGood!
This site is a compilation of searches on topics important to drum builders. It has been supplemented by correspondence with various manufacturers and individual drum builders and excerpts from related forums, such as wood worker's and ecology forums. Some editing has been done to correct basic grammar and spelling since English is not the primary language for some of the contributors and because we all tend to take shortcuts when typing on the internet.
Many thanks to all those who have contributed.

If you're building your first drum, the best place to begin is the Building Method section. Read about the different ways to build and choose one that suits your skill set or matches the tools you have available. Then choose your wood and get started!

I receive statistics on this site that tell me who is viewing, and I have to say that it's great to see that drum building is popular in so many countries. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our vistors from:

Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S.A., UK, Ukraine.

Thanks for stopping by!!

New additions to this site:
2/14/13 Added Trumverkstan to the Supplier's Page
11/20/12 Added BTom Custom Drums in Hungary to the Supplier's Page
9/26/12 Added Bertrand Custom Drums in Poland to the Supplier's Page
8/20/12 Added Todd Werner's Excel stave calculator to the Staves page
7/27/12 Added Todd Treece's stave calculator to the Staves page
5/29/12 Added Shenzhen Huibida Hardware Products Co.,Ltd to the Supplier's Page
3/7/12 Added Candrum Drum Parts to the Supplier's Page
2/16/12 Added Paul Wheatley's jig to Koko's Stave Drum Without A Lathe Page
10/6/11 Added a Bolivian Rosewood drum and info on that wood to the Wood Selection Page
8/22/11 Added info on Endless Green sealer to the Finishes Page
7/8/11 Added info on wood stabilizers to the Solid Shell page
5/31/11 Added Seth's Stave Summary to the Stave Method page
4/22/11 Added a page on Bodhran drums to the HandDrum section. Bodhran Page
4/5/11 Alphabetized the countries that visit this site (makes it easier to tell if a new one is on the list or not).
4/5/11 Added info on repairing cracks in wood to the Problem Solving Page
3/30/11 Added info on CA glues to the Glue Page
2/17/11 Corrected alignment issues in navigation bar.
2/16/11 Added info about routing the inside of a stave drum on the Koko's jig Page
2/2/11 Added a section for hardware builds on the Hardware Page
1/26/11 Updated text on the Koko's jig Page
1/7/11 Added photos and updated info on the Koko's jig Page
12/30/10 Added info from DrumTown on glue preferences on the Glue Page
12/16/10 Updated the information on the steambent page
9/22/10 Added Dennis Stauffer to the profiles page
9/01/10 Added Qjon to the profiles page
8/25/10 Added more profiles and added link to profiles on the home page
8/2/10 Created new section that profiles DrumShed members and their work on the Profile page
7/8/10 Added info on how to proctect the edges and insides while painting. Located on the Finishes Page
6/23/10 Added info on what to do about a finish going cloudy to the Problem Solving Page
6/18/10 Added info on veneering methods and glues to the Finishes Page
6/11/10 Added page - Seth Adolcourt's inlay tutorial
6/11/10 Added picture of furrball wrap to the Wraps Page
6/8/10 Added five new countries to the list of visitors to this site: Guatemala, Bulgaria, Syrian Arab Republic, Nicaragua, Ukraine. Welcome!
6/4/10 Completely revamped the pdgood group of websites. They are now better organized and all under the heading http://pdgood.us/ 5/21/10 Added info on walnut to the Wood Selection Page
5/5/10 Converted web addresses to direct links on the Supplier's Page
4/29/10 Added Six Gun Drums to the Supplier's Page
4/2/10 Added info on veneering with a vacuum bag to the Finishes Page.
3/22/10 Updated photos and info on Beech and Cherry on the Wood Selection Page.
3/9/10 Added info on an internal pressure system for ply building to the Ply Method Page.
3/5/10 Updated the Home Page.
3/5/10 Added definitions of terms and did a major overhaul of the Finishes Page.
3/1/10 Fixed the display of certain characters in a reprinted article on the Snare Beds Page
2/26/10 Added Custom Drums & Parts to the ply shell section of the Supplier's Page
2/20/10 Updated info on the Finishing Page.
2/3/10 Updated the information on beech wood on the Wood Selection Page.
1/25/10 Added info on how to vent thick drum shells to the Vents Page.
1/19/10 Added Second Skin custom drum company to the Supplier's Page for wraps and hardware.
1/19/10 Removed Witt Percussion and Gold N Times from the Supplier's Page. They are now out of business.
1/13/10 Updated the "open time" information about "open time" on the Glue Page.
1/11/10 Added Spunky hybrid drum to the Hybrid page.
1/8/10 Added Spunky Drums to the Supplier's Page for bearing edges.
12/15/09 Updated wood descriptions on the Wood Selection page.
12/7/09 Fixed broken links on Koko's jig page.
11/04/09 Added Koko's video on truing the shell before cutting the bearing edges to the Bearing Edges Page.
10/28/09 Added "Liming" technique to the Finishing Page.
10/27/09 Added Unix drums to the Supplier's Page for wood hoops.
10/14/09 Added Carolina Drumworks rosewood and canarywood snares (and comments) to the Wood Selection Page.
10/12/09 Added a photo of a Tilt box for measuring stave angles to the Staves Page.
10/08/09 Added vent designs by Keith Thom to the Vents Page.
10/07/09 Created New Products category at the top of the home page. It will link to new items that become available. Currently links to Champagne Drums.
10/06/09 Added Champagne Drums to the Lug Catalog.
10/01/09 Updated the info on cutting bearing edges on the Acrylics Page.
10/01/09 Updated the alternate vent styles on the Vents Page.
10/01/09 Updated the Lug Catalog to include new lugs from Drum Foundry.
9/22/09 Added info about the sequence of drilling/measuring/lathing to the Measuring Page.
9/21/09 Added Lea Hung to the hardwareSupplier's Page.
9/20/09 Updated the info on using auto detailing wax on the Finishing Page.
9/18/09 Added a sealer to go between oil and water based products to the Finishing Page.
9/09/09 Updated the info on the Glue Page to be more clear.
9/08/09 Added new pic of a poplar shell to the Wood Selection Page.
8/28/09 Added Quick Action Drum Lug to the Supplier's Page.
8/25/09 Updated the Measuring Page. Added new info and links.
8/21/09 Updated the Acrylics Page to include info on pipe and tubing.
8/13/09 Added Champagne Drum to the list of hardware suppliers on the Supplier's Page.
8/07/09 Added Metro Drums, makers of shells and wood hoops, to the Supplier's Page.
7/30/09 Added Drum Gear Online to the Lug Catalog.
7/29/09 Added GM Nameplate and Brass Name to the Supplier's Page for making badges.
7/29/09 Added C&S Powder Coating company to the Supplier's Page.
7/28/09 Created a new site for building hand drums. There is a link on every page of this site or the direct url is: here.
7/16/09 Added the Lug Catalog. Whew! That was a big section.
7/13/09 Add JM Smith to the list of badge manufacturers on the Supplier's Page
7/9/09 Added bearing edge video to the Bearing Edge Page.
7/8/09 Added more info on how to bend acrylic on the Acrylic Page.
6/25/09 More updates on lacquer on the Finishing Page.
6/24/09 Updated info on lacquer, poly and oil on the Finishing Page.
6/18/09 Added Painter213's drum wrapped in reflective tape to the Wrap Page.
6/17/09 Added pictures of Spaun's unusual vented drums to the Vent Page.
6/17/09 Added Pro Music in Australia to the Supplier's Page as a source for hardware.
6/16/09 Added info on cutting bearing edges on a wrapped shell to the Wrap Page.
6/16/09 Moved Jschulze's pictoral on how to cut segmented pieces on a table saw to the Segmented Page.
(Left a copy on the stave page because it can be adapted to stave building as well.)
6/15/09 Added Image Drumworks - imagedrumworks@optusnet.com.au to the list of Australian suppliers on the Supplier's Page
6/12/09 Added Jschulze's pictoral on how to cut staves on a table saw to the Stave Page.
6/12/09 Added two more jigs to Koko's Stave Drum Without A Lathepage. One by Hippybaker and one by jschulze.
6/11/09 Added a page on making acrylic drums. acrylic drums.
6/11/09 Added new info on veneer over veneer and also tung oil on the Finishing Page.
6/9/09 Added DrumShed member Casper's impressive Stave Calculator to the page on building with Staves.
6/5/09 Added Mountainhick's step by step veneering guide to the Finishing Page.
6/4/09 Added an explanation of lumber yard lingo on the Wood Selection Page.
6/4/09 Added UK's Guru Drumworks - makers of stave shells, steam bent shells, and wood hoops - to the Supplier's Page.
5/29/09 Added info about wood fillers to the Finishing Page.
5/29/09 Updated Wood Hoop suppliers on the Supplier's Page including Gustavito Custom Drums in Hungary.
5/28/09 Added Origin Drums to the list of badge makers and composite shell makers on the Supplier's Page.
5/27/09 Added composite shell manufacturers to the Supplier's Page.
5/27/09 Added more pics of non-standard wrap materials to the Wrap Page.
5/26/09 Links have been added on the page about Koko's Stave Drum Without A Lathe to include other builder's versions.
5/26/09 Add Zenzian Handcrafted Drums as a hardware supplier and stave drum builder on the Supplier's Page.
5/21/09 Added section on Hybrids to the Build Methods page.
5/20/09 Added Ego Drum Supply to the list of suppliers for badges.
5/19/09 Updated pics on the page for Wood Rims.
5/19/09 Added Keller shell issue to the Problem Solving page.
5/18/09 Updated the graphics on the Bearing Edge page.
5/15/09 Updated the Stave page with charts and formulas for determining stave angles and shell sizes.
5/13/09 Added Custom Drums & Parts to the supplier's page. They make a unique drum riser worth checking out.
5/08/09 Added picture of birch drum by Unix to the Wood Selection page.
5/08/09 Added another picture from shiloh of a Sassafras drum to the Wood Selection page.
5/08/09 Added an index with links to the top of the Problem Solving page.
5/08/09 Added new info to the page on Wood Hoops.
5/08/09 Added Highwood Drums in the UK to the Supplier's page.
5/07/09 Added tbone's veneer softener formula to the page on Finishes.
5/07/09 Updated the Problem Solving page to include info on removing overtone ring.
5/07/09 Added photo to the page on vents.
5/07/09 Added drumsonsale.com to the list of suppliers
5/06/09 Added Gloss Chart and Resin Finish thread to the page on Finishes.
5/05/09 Edited calculating stave angles on Stave page to be easier to understand.
5/04/09 Updated the list of drum wrap suppliers.
5/01/09 Added picture of padauk drum shell by smeyer on Wood Selection page.
4/30/09 Added picture of cedar drum by michael watkins, a zebra drum kit by deano, and a purpleheart drum by Jo Mig to the wood selection page.
4/29/09 Added picture of Red Oak drum by Young'un/Joshua Tree Percussion Co. to the Wood Selection page.
4/28/09 Added more notes to the debate on whether re-rings are needed or not to the Re-ring page.
4/28/09 Added picture of maple drum by fienddrummer to the Wood Selection page.
4/27/09 Added Allstar Drumworks to the Suppliers page. Custom lugs! Don't see many of those.
4/23/09 Added info on how to clean up paint stripper. It's on the page about finishes in the section on prepping old shells.
4/22/09 Centered pages that were off center in some browsers.
4/20/09 Simplified the building method page so that it just has an overview. Each building method now has its own page that links to this page.
4/20/09 On the page for building a ply drum, Tom Featherstone has contributed his step-by-step method of ply building. (Go to Build Methods and click on Ply).

SITE MAP

Home

Build Methods

   Ply Method
   Stave Method
   Segment Method
   Steam Bent Method
   Solid Method
   Acrylics
   Hybrids

Wood Selection

   Maple
   Ambrosia Maple
   Birch
   Beech
   Cherry
   Poplar
   Padauk
   Purpleheart
   Bubinga
   Mahogany
   Walnut
   Butternut
   Cocobola
   Sassafras
   Red Elm
   Oak
   Ash
   Rosewood
   Zebrano/Zebra
   Cedar
   Canarywood

Glues

   Glue Types
   Glue Descriptions
   Personal Preferences of Drumshed Members
   Open Time
   Color of Glue When Dry
   Oily Woods
   Wood Moisture Level
   What is PVA?
   What Is The Difference Between Type I & Type II Water-resistance?
   Questions Answered By Titebond
   Other Resources
   Glue Used For Drum Wrap

Bearing Edges

Snare Beds

   Do You Need Them?
   How Deep Should They Be?
   What's The Best Way To Make Them?
   Which First - The Edge or the Bed?
   Flat or Angled?
   Does A Snare Bed Affect Stick Rebound?
   Converting A Tom To A Snare
   Old Ludwig Beds
   Step By Step Pictorial

Finishes

   Finish - Prep
   Sequence of Finishing Steps
   Preparing New Shells
   Preparing Old Shells
   Cleaning Shells With An Oil Finish
   Hand Sanding
   Sandpaper
   Wood Filler
   Wood Repair - French Polishing
   Preparing for Paint After Removing Wrap
   Stain vs Dye
   Preparing for Dye/Stain
   Dyeing/Staining
   Sanding Sealers
   When Do You Apply Sanding Sealer?
   How Does Sealer Work?
   Universal Sealer Between Water and Oil Based Materials
   Wet Sanding
   Wet Sanding With Oil
   Wet Sanding With Water
   How To Create A Guide Coat

   Finish - Types
   The Basics
   Oils
   Wet Oil
   Topcoating Oil
   Smooth Matte Finish With Oil
   Maloof Oil Finish
   Tung Oil Finish
   Secret Oil Finish
   Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil
   Shellac
   Nitro-cellulose Lacquer
   Acrylic Lacquer
   Water Based Lacquer
   Polyurethane
   Minwax Polycrylic
   Minwax Spar Urethane
   What is a Varnish
   Poly vs Lacquer
   Lacquer Types
   Spraying Lacquer
   Lacquer Repairs and Application
   To Define Figuring
   Clear Finishes
   High Gloss Finish
   Resin Finish
   The Red Dye Issue
   Polyurethane Over Tung Oil
   Matte Coating
   Sanding Lacquer
   Polishing
   Wet Sanding With Water
   Sanding Direction
   Buffing
   The Shrinkage Issue

   Finish - Specialties
   A Simple Wax Finish
   Automotive Detail Wax
   Wax Alternative
   Spitcoating
   Creating A Sparkle Finish
   Sparkle Fades
   The Re-Coat Window
   Opfor's Method For Applying Graphics
   Finishing The Inside Of The Shell
   Veneer
   Veneer Softener
   Veneer Over Veneer
   Liming

Wraps

   Summary
   Old Wrap Removal
   Putting the Wrap On: The Contact Cement Method
   Putting the Wrap On: The Hi-Bond Tape Method
   Gluing the Seams
   Striped Wrap
   Drill or Wrap First?
   Do You Wrap All the Way to the Bearing Edge?
   How Do You Cut Bearing Edges On A Shell That's Wrapped?
   Bass Drum Hoop Inlay
   Cutting Wrap
   Overlap
   Seams
   What Wraps Are Made Of
   Non-Standard Wrap Material
   How Much Do You Need?
   Tips

SEARCH NO MORE!!!

SITE MAP

Home

Build Methods

Wood Selection

Glues

Bearing Edges

Snare Beds

Finishes

Wraps

Vents

Measuring

Wood Rims

Problem Solving

Reinforcement Rings

Koko's Stave Drum Without A Lathe

Badges

Suppliers

Contact Info

Builder Profiles