I have created these web pages because I could not find any web sites describing, in detail, the process for constructing stave drums. At present the pages are incomplete but I will update and refine them as I have time.
The image above shows the first five stave drums I constructed. The four drums on the left are Ashiko style drums, the drum on the right is a Djembe style drum.
The Ashiko, fourth from the left, was my first drum. I chose clear pine because it was cheap and I didn't want to risk mistakes on a more expensive timber. The drum turned out fine for a first attempt, the only real problem being that the timber is very soft and the knots on the (single) bottom ring have carved tracks into the surface of the drum as the ring has settled into the drum. This has made it very difficult to keep its tune. I have since replaced the bottom ring with two (smaller) rings. The first ring sits snug against the drum, the second ring is roped and sits against the first ring. This seems to have fixed the problem of the bottom ring riding up the drum as it is tightened. This drum stands almost 600mm (24 in) high and has a 330mm (13in) drum head.
The construction of the other drums are detailed in these pages. The photos were taken at various stages throughout the construction of these four drums, which were constructed in parallel.
The little Ashiko on the left was my test drum. Constructed of recycled low grade pine from packing pallets, it was the drum that I practiced new construction techniques on first, in case I made a mistake. Despite making a number of mistakes, the drum shell turned OK so I eventually decided to put a skin on it. This little drum only cost me the cost of the skin, rings and rope (yeah, yeah and many hours of my labor – but thats thats a lot of why I do it).
The Ashiko, second from the left, is constructed of Agathis (aka N.Z Kauri Pine). The timber is very pale in it's raw state but turns a wonderful honey colour when oiled. I constructed this drum for a collegue (Guinea-pig rates).
The tall Ashiko in the center s constructed of Sheoak, a wonderful Western Australian hardwood that has a beautiful texture. It's quite a heavy drum, next time I might consider planing the staves a little thinner to reduce the weight.
The little Djembe is constructed of Silky Oak. It's made in two sections, the stem and bowl and so requires almost twice the woodworking to complete.
All drums are fitted with Goat skin. The latter four drums each have a 300mm (12in) drumhead.
My initial reference for constructing these drums was Making Drums by Dennis Waring. The book looks at drums from all around the world and provides the basics for constructing several different drums, including stave Ashikos and Djembes, however it does not go into detail in the construction process, which I hope to do more of in these pages. I have also gleaned a lot of information from the djembe-l mailing list and web pages, too numerous to mention, found through google.
Step 1: Cutting the staves to length
Step 4: Dry assembling the staves
Step 7: Finishing the drum shell
These pages are being updated as I build the drum(s). I will be adding to them as I go, so please check back later for updates as I complete each stage of the construction.
You are visitor number