Submitted by Susan Simandle, Kentucky

Idea posted August 4, 2003

I attended an Arts Academy in my home state of Kentucky (God's Chosen Land), and we made DRUMS! They were easy and CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!! You will need to take care with them (you'll see why), but they sound great. I'll be making six to eight of different sizes.

Materials:

Quick-Tube (heavy cardboard forms to create cement footers)

5/64 inch plywood or luan (may need to check out woodworking/hobby stores); melamine (the stuff pegboard is made of, but without the holes) works well, also

Kilz or Binz (oil-based primer)

Paint or Cloth to decorate

Pieces of 2x4 to reinforce the base

Varithane (water-based polyurethane) - optional

Two or more paint brushes (one for oil, one for water)

Gorilla Glue

Watco Oil (if you use the plywood; not needed for melamine)

Saber/Jig Saw Router

Orbital Sander (if you use the plywood)

1. Quick-Tube, also known as sono-tube, is 4-feet long in varying diameters. Use the saw to cut into two or more sections. Cut openings into bottom edge of drum (look at tubano pictures)
2. Cut plywood/luan/melamine slightly larger than diameter (doesn't need to be neat - you'll trim it up later).
3. Prime quick-tube with Kilz/Binz. Let it dry.
4. Use Gorilla Glue to attach plywood/luan/melamine to quick-tube. (Warning: It sticks to everything!) Watch for drips for the first 30 minutes. Let dry overnight, touch-up primer if necessary.
5. Use router to round/smooth edges
6. Decorate your drum! You may want to give it two coats of Varithane to protect the finish.
7. If you use the plywood, sand the top (use 260 grit first, then 15 micron). 8. Apply Watco Oil to plywood drum head.
9. Sometime in the above stages, cut 2x4 blocks and glue to bottom inside edge to provide some stability.
Gee, now that I look at it, it seems complicated, but really, it's not. You can make lots in two or three days.