Create A Snare Drum Made By Hand
A snare drum, which made its first appearance being a tabor during the Middle Ages, features a distinctive sound that creates you visualize armies marching to war. From a tabor, its size gradually increased until it emerged in the present form during the 1600s. With the right tools plus a little perseverance, one can make a snare drum made by hand.
The materials to do this endeavor are: the drum shell, wood putty, putty knife or scrap wood, sandpaper and sandpaper block, foam (optional), 220- or 320-grit sandpaper (may be used wet), palm sander (optional), scrubbing pad, water-based dye, foam paint brush, air compressor, spray gun, polyurethane or lacquer, 600- and 2,000-grit sandpaper, buffing bonnet, rubbing compound, masking tape, pencil, two snare drum heads, combination square, ruler, 1/8th inch drill bit (brad tipped), cordless drill, drill bit the exact same size as the mounting stud, file, carnauba wax, and soft cloth.
Step one would be to prepare the drum shell. Order one from drum sets stores. The usual dimensions of the snare drum may be 5 inches high by 14 to 16 inches in diameter. Scrutinize it carefully for gaps, which can be loaded with wood putty. Any excess shall be sanded and smoothed away. Place it on top of the foam while sanding to prevent scratching. You may then make use of the 220-grit, 320-grit, and the palm sander to make the outside of the drum smooth and blemish-free. Ensure that there won’t be any scratches. Finish it off by buffing the drum shell with a non-metal scouring pad until it is glossy.
Next, dye the shell using the foam brush. Gently work the dye to the wood, applying three to five coats but allow it to dry first among coats to get a better finish. Once it’s totally dry, buff any roughness left out until you feel no more rough spots. Make use of the air compressor to reduce the scrubbed dye and blow off the inside at the same time.
Finish this off by way of either polyurethane or lacquer finish while using the spray gun. Let it dry for a half hour then repeat the method thrice. Leave it overnight then sand any roughness while using the 320-grit sandpaper. Do this gently to stop scraping off any finish. Then, use the 600-grit sandpaper to smooth out the finish. Keep the sandpaper moist while doing this, and adding liquid or dishwashing soap in the water would help in making the lighter and darker patches of finish look the same color. Add a few more coats of finish or as desired. Leave it overnight and repeat the last sanding process. Lastly, apply rubbing compound using a buffing bonnet manufactured from lamb’s wool.
Prepare the snare drum for the drilling. Place the drum head and hoop on one end of the shell and while using the masking tape and pencil, mark off the holes of the hoop. Do exactly the same on the other end. Once all the holes are accounted for, use the one-eighth-inch drill bit to bore the pilot holes on the markings. Then make these holes bigger while using the drill bit which is exactly the same since the mounting studs. If the hole is just not large enough, make it larger using a file.
Sand all the edges using the 600-grit then the 2000-grit sandpaper. Apply rubbing compound to polish the edges while using buffing bonnet, then the carnauba wax to give it a glossy polish. Leave it for half-hour then install the mounting studs, taking care not to screw them in too tight as this can strip the threads. Install the lugs and slip on the first of the two heads, called the resonant head. Tune this while using the keys and hit it with the drum sticks. Repeat the procedure so that the desired sound is reached. Then slip on the batter head on the bottom of the drum set. Tighten and test it as well.
Voila! You will have a snare drum which you’ll want to proudly call your very own.
Snare Drum Techniques : Drum Flams & Rudiments
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