The Poh Bop

[Seth Dolcourt]

Hi,

The customer who ordered the maple concert drum has asked for a jazz bop kit. This will be my first full kit, though I've dabbled with a tom or two.

Specs - a 3 piece to start, he might add more later. For now, 10" dia x 8" tall rack tom, 14 x 12 floor tom, and an 18 x 14 kick. (Kick is the term for a bass drum.)

This will be a long project, lots of waiting in between updates. But the end result should be a lot of fun.

To the shop!


The customer requested bubinga, so bubinga he gets.

start_0.jpg


A little close up. Not deep, deep red, quite a bit of yellow.

start_2.jpg


These are the staves for the 10" dia x 8" tall rack tom. 15 degree angle on both long edges, stave width is approx 2.71", 12 staves total.

poh_rack_0.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

I lay the staves out edge to edge, rearranging staves for color and grain. I usually make 2 extra staves, just in case. I use the length of square stock to align the edges. I check that the joints are perpendicular to the bar. It doesn't matter if the ends of the drum are ragged, that will be corrected later down the line.


poh_rack_1.jpg


Masking tape links all the staves together.

poh_rack_2.jpg


I start lifting the links in the center.

poh_rack_3.jpg


I get the staves upright...

poh_rack_4.jpg


...just showing off...

poh_rack_5.jpg


...and flat onto their backs for gluing.

poh_rack_6.jpg


Glued and clamped.

poh_rack_7.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

The drum set's owner came by yesterday, and was able to photograph the flip-a-roo process. Yes, it's yours truly in the photos.

This is the 14" dia x 12" tall floor tom, 16 staves. Staves linked together with tape, and I start the lift.

poh_floor_glue_1.jpg


With the end-most staves barely touching the ground, I noodle and wiggle the whole rickety assembly so that the end staves walk themselves underneath....

poh_floor_glue_2.jpg


...thus completing the barrel. The staves become much more solid at this point, as they are all supporting each other.

poh_floor_glue_3.jpg


I tip the barrel up...

poh_floor_glue_4.jpg


...then flip it to its back, and unroll the barrel.

poh_floor_glue_5.jpg


Voila. This is how you muscle around 16 individual pieces of wood that don't like to be herded.

poh_floor_glue_6.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

I have 32 edges to glue, I'm using T3, and it's 75 degrees outside. Open time is limited, and glue waits for no man. (Or woman. Glue is gender agnostic.) Don't argue with the wife, don't answer the phone, don't wave to the neighbor walking her 3 border collies.

I use a black nylon bristle brush, and get cracka-lackin'.

When all the glue is applied, I re-roll the barrel, and tip it upright.

poh_floor_glue_7.jpg


The advice is, get your clamps pre-set before you glue. It makes the whole process run smoothly. I use 2 hose clamps ganged together, that puts a very, very firm squeeze on the barrel. Here, I was just getting the clamps tight enough to get the positioned, so they're not crooked.

poh_floor_glue_9.jpg


The inside of the shell. Glue is cheap, in comparison to the amount of effort needed to glue a barrel. Wipe up the slop, lathing will further clean up any glue sins.

poh_floor_glue_10.jpg


It's a bubinga barrel.

poh_floor_glue_11.jpg


Both, out of the clamps.

rack_n_floor_glued.jpg

[Ted Calver]

Seth,
Thanks for taking the time to post these pictures. It's a very interesting process.

[Seth Dolcourt]

Here is the final piece, what will become the 18" diameter x 14" tall kick drum (or bass drum).

Now, I'll I have to do is turn them, finish them, and put on hardware. Easy.

[Seth Dolcourt]

Hi, Creekers,

A little more progress on the shells. I've modified my edge jig, which cleans up the ragged edges, squares them to the sides, and ensures the top and bottom of the drum are co-planer.

To the garage.

I need a way to position a router in a fixed point in space. I came up with this jig, basically a stand, on which a basket holding the router can be adjusted up / down. I'm modifying the basket from a previous design, which was far more complicated for its own good.

Removing this aluminum angle, which guided the router.

edge_jig_1.jpg


Figured out where I wanted to shorten the basket.

edge_jig_2.jpg


Got my line nice and neat, I'll basically use a hatchet to hack off the part I don't need. Nah, a Japanese style pull saw will do fine.

edge_jig_3.jpg


All done.

edge_jig_4.jpg


A visual of my jig, which holds the router in a fixed point in space.

edge_jig_5.jpg


I've inserted screws from underneath into the router's base mounting holes, so the router is completely secured to the jig.

edge_jig_6.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

Time to make sawdust fly!


With the basket at the right height, I extend the bit until I begin to cut the drum's edge. I rotate the drum, free hand. The free-hand is not affecting any critical dimensions.

This is a 10" diameter x 8" tall rack tom.

edge_rack_1.jpg


I have a nice, clean cut on the end grain.

edge_rack_2.jpg


All done. Some cosmetic splintering on the inside, but that will all be lathed away. Flip the shell over onto this nice edge, lower the bit, and run it again. Now, both edges of the drum will be square to the side and co-planer to each other.

edge_rack_3.jpg


Same process, but with a 14" diameter x 12" tall floor tom.

edge_floor_1.jpg

edge_floor_2.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

Finally, the 18" diamter x 14" tall kick drum (or bass drum, as some people know it as...)


I bet some of you are wondering how I get the shell, with two ragged edges, stable enough so it doesn't rock, and make sure that the staves' joints are perfectly vertical.

I used a Japanese file to make some wedges, and apply the wedges, checking with a square; if the sides are square to the table, and if the joinery is vertical, then I'm good to go. A big daub of hot melt glue keeps the wedges stuck to the shell.

edge_kick_8.jpg


Run the edges, sweep up the mess. Thanks for looking!

edge_kick_9.jpg

edge_kick_10.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

I was playing "approved hooky" from work on Friday, enjoying a floating holiday. Send some time turning the outside of the 10" diameter rack tom. There is still so much work to be done!


The shell mounted in the Drum-O-Later 6000 DX.

turn_rack_1.jpg


The very first cuts.

turn_rack_2.jpg


After all the routing, measuring and sanding to 80 grit is done.

turn_rack_3.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

Has it really been 6 weeks since I posted any work? That's a long time to be without drum updates. Well, that's what I think, anyway.


To the garage!

This is the beginning of turning the large, 18" diameter x 15" long kick drum. I took only these two pictures, then focused on getting the job done. But it's no different than the small rack tom I turned.

turn_out_kick_1.jpg

turn_out_kick_2.jpg


Magically, I've also turned the 14" diameter x 12" tall floor tom. No pics, I just done did it.

[Seth Dolcourt]

Here is a video of me turning the inside of the 14" diameter x 12" tall floor tom. First time I've shot a video of how I do it.

For those of you wondering why I don't just use a lathe....I am. It's a shop made lathe whose one job is to inside-lathe a drum shell.

The link is 3 minutes of me, routing with my jig. (like you don't get enough of "tool shriek" in your shop, so you gotta watch a video of a guy using a router... )

youtube.com/watch?v=xnUSGprt-jk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[Seth Dolcourt]

Well, things got a little funky with the thread editor. I was attempting to say that the above 6 pictures are pics of the 18" diameter x 15" tall kick drum being inside routed, but all text remained underlined. So I'll just say it here.

Next steps - sand out the inside of the shell, and Waterlox 'em!


Floor tom, Waterlox-ed, sitting on top of the kick drum.

floor_waterlox_2.jpg


Kick drum, Waterlox-ed.

kick_after_oil_2.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

...and, the 10" diameter rack tom gets inside turned, sanded, and Waterlox-ed.


Set up for the 10" diameter rack tom. The Bosch Colt is the perfect fit. Dunno how y'all feel about Bosch tools, but I love this little work horse.

turn_rack_in_1.jpg



Starting the first light cuts.

turn_rack_in_2.jpg


To get the Colt to fit inside the shell, I had to use this Rockler branded template bit. It was the shortest bit I could find in my bit box.

turn_rack_in_3.jpg


Round and round, saw dust flying every where. This was my last cutting adjustment.

turn_rack_in_4.jpg


Voila. Lots of sanding is in my future, bubinga is tough stuff. Sure wish I had a Festool linear sander.

turn_rack_in_5.jpg


All sanded, inside and out.

turn_rack_in_6.jpg


Ze Waterlox. Thanks for looking!


turn_rack_in_8.jpg

[Seth Dolcourt]

....and a gratuitous shot of all 3 bubinga drum shells, with a second coat of Waterlox. Probably will do a 3rd coat before staring the Behlen's lacquer; I have just enough left, and Waterlox gets thick 'n snotty when it does nothing but sit in a container. May as well finish it off.

18" diameter kick on the bottom, 14" diameter floor tom middle, and 10" rack tom on top.