Finishing the drum shell.
In many ways, this can be the most
important, and rewarding step.
By finishing, I mean – applying a
finish to the raw wood, not completing the drum, as there are many
more things to do before you can do that.
There are many ways to finish your drum
shell. You may choose to varnish, paint, oil, wax or even carve the
shell..
Not so long ago, all I knew was varnish
(or the modern day equivalent), however since I built my lyre
I have discovered the wonders of oil and wax finishes.
To finish my drum shells, I initially
applied Organoil Hard Burnishing oil, and followed this up with a
light application of Carnauba polish.
This didn't work as well as expected,
almost certainly more due to my technique than the oil and polish
used. The finish soaked in and went motley and faded after a few
weeks, so I went back to what I know and used the same oil and wax
that we used on the lyre, ArborOil and ArborWax which coincidentally
are made by a local Perth company. This oil and wax is more
expensive, and derived from petroleum products, but is easier to
apply and gives a good finish that has shown no sign of fading.
Sanding
the drum shell.
Before oiling the drums, the bottom,
outside and rim of the drums are progressively sanded with 120, 180,
220 and 240 grit garnet paper. Any holes should be filled with a
matching wood filler. Small holes can be filled with a mixture of
sawdust and glue to match the colour.
After the 240 grit paper, move to a 400
grit wet-and-dry paper, then 600 grit. Wipe the wood down with a
clean cloth between changing grits, otherwise particles from the
coarser papers may remain on the wood and may cause unwanted
scratches. If you can see a scratch without oil, it will be very
visible when oiled, so time spent on the sanding is well spent.
When sanding with the lower grit
papers, you should clean the dust out of the papers frequently to
prevent clogging, however when you get to the 600 grit wet-and-dry
paper, save the dust on the paper – it will be useful for sealing
the grain when applying the oil.
Oiling
the drum shell.
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Apply the oil with a brush, or clean cloth. Any oily cloths
must be washed in warm soapy water after use to prevent them
bursting into flames (I kid you not, the oil is an oxidising
agent, and if left scrunched up the rags can generate enough heat
to combust). I prefer a brush :-)
The oil is brushed on and left for 30-40 minutes, then another
coat is applied. If this soaks in, further applications of oil
may be necessary. The aim is to reach the saturation point. Wipe
off any excess oil and begin rubbing back with the 600 grit
wet-and-dry paper. The dust you retained on the paper from the
last sanding will form a slurry which will help to seal the
grain. It is particularly good on end-grain.
If the slurry clogs the paper, wipe it off with a little oil
on a rag.
If you need to add more oil to the wood, apply it to the
sandpaper, not the wood, then continue rubbing. Vigorous rubbing
may be required to heat up the oil and produce a hard burnished
finish. I'm not sure I have the hang of this bit yet.
As you can see from this image, the oil can make dramatic
changes in the appearance of the timber.
Continue rubbing with 600 grit wet-and-dry and for a finer
finish move up to 1200 and 2000 grit paper. Apparently the back
of these papers is around 8000 grit and this can be used for a
final polish finish.
After 48 hours, you can, if you want, apply a little polish. I
use Carnauba wax, applied sparingly and polished with a soft,
clean cloth.
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And here's the drum ensemble after oiling.
The picture really doesn't do justice to the timbers though.
Even the little test drum (made of recycled pine pallets) has
come up so nice I have decided to finish it off and put a skin on
it.
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Step
8: Making the rings
Glenn's
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