how to make ply drum shells
Minuses: Wood is more costly than ply. What you want to do now is use a sander of some sort to square off the edges. I know builders who simply took either an existing drum or a drum hoop and simple used a pencil to outline it. Some wood is denser and can be cut very thin, such as Birch. WHAT YOU NEED Materials MDF – the thickness is… .. A piece of plywood is made up of at least three pieces of veneer. Yamaha’s collection of exotic woods begins with the hardest wood, jatoba, in the center of the shell. There are different thicknesses of veneer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In addition, acrylic shells made by RCI are also available in many colors and configurations. Drilling the … so as drummer's were hitting harder to compete with amplification the 6 ply shells better suited for loud music. I'm thinking to use a … The example I will use for this project is a 10" x 8" tom tom drum shell. This cuts my work time down and makes it easier to work with. The reason is because you are going to want to have access to the inside as you put the plys inside and fit them. Making them requires some special equipment as well as advanced woodworking skills. Drum Shells Drum Shell Options After years of research and development we have settled with three different Australian hardwoods to form the base of your drum sound. It is possible to compose your own drum shell … This column of wood represents the area of glue in a normal 10-ply shell since there’s a layer of glue between each ply. At this point you want to get this ply securely dried to your outside veneer. Drum shells are made in many different ways. Making them requires some special equipment as well as advanced woodworking skills. You will cut 18 of them. SHELLS. As a result, we stock the Keller VSS maple shells in 5, 6, 8, and 10 ply and can provide Vintage Mahogany, Vintage Maple, and Birch shells … Other shipping rates will be higher. OK, the first shell is out. Actually they are really cool looking, assuming you don't wrap it, and they can sound fantastic. I use a standard dado stack in my table saw to remove the outside ply from the shell. Cutting your snare bed is +$30. THE SOURCE for custom drum builder's worldwide, huge selection of custom DRUM PARTS, RAW SHELLS, HARDWARE, COVERINGS and DRUM HEADS at the LOWEST PRICES in the country! The shells are available with the bearing edges pre-cut, holes for strainer and lugs predrilled and they will even finish the shell for me if I want. But as this video tutorial reveals, they’re also a crafty addition to a traditional acoustic kit, fitting onto the kick, snare and tom shells, and opening up all kinds of possibilities. I'm attaching pictures of an Artist 3-ply shell I had, where you can clearly see the outer mahogany ply. Minuses: Wood is more costly than ply. The second way you can build a drum shell is to build a ply drum shell by gluing as few as 3 plys (or veneers) of wood together in a circular shape. In this video, I explain how I use Ableton Live’s Chain Selector to automatically load drum samples on to my…, Custom Drum Companies You Should Be Watching 1. It would take some trial and error, but I think you could have some decent shells from it. This can be challenging, but the results will be worth it. Please email for other shell configurations. There is a difference though. 8 - 10 ply ($) For drum set and snare drum. I have started to cut it down and think about finish it. There is no such thing as the "warmth of maple" or the "projection of birch"... utter drivel. Alternatively, the thinner the drum head, the less resonance, and more fundamental tone you get. I haven’t done it yet. If a thicker solid shell would benefit you, we have the thickest single ply shells in the world. Basswood is a less expensive material because basswood is plentiful in the United States and Canada, making it a favorite for budget drum kits. Uses less glue than ply which some believe enhances the tone, although this is a subject of debate. Both of these are in turn surrounded by inner and outer plies of maple, though some of the drums use an outer ply of burled … Toss its bare shell on the floor...then stack eight more of those shells on top of the first one. The interior was a clear-coated natural finish. The outer ply is commonly set with the grain running horizontally. Now check out your stave shell. You can build a stave drum shell or a segmented drum shell which is basically accomplished by gluing blocks of wood together, and then using a lathe and sander to smooth it out. You can order shells directly from this page. this sort of chokes the drum and stops the resonance of the shell. We do not offer boring of the shell. Ron Vaughn, Inc, applies aerospace tolerances in the equipment and engineering instruments we use to produce, “the best quality we can make” in our solid drum shells. Mixing drum shell material will have no effect on the sound of a drum as the sound of a drum is created by the drum heads, not the shells. 2 Ply jarrah, 2 Ply blackbutt 2 ply jarrah 3 ply blackbutt making the grand total 9 ply. Would you recommend it? Remove the top head and take a look. Today you are going to learn to build a ply drum shell. Oops! Standard in maple. Building a drum shell is not difficult. Just to make it very clear, with Ludwig drums there are transition shells that might not fit these dates with a different ply make-up. Shipping cost below is for US48. Standard in maple. It seems counterintuitive that this would be the case, however when it comes to drumheads, this is how it works. It is a jarrah and blackbutt Hybrid. It's a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at eBay.com. Making a drum shell is a time-consuming process that will require the proper tools and a lot of patience. As a result, we stock the Keller VSS maple shells in 5, 6, 8, and 10 ply and can provide Vintage Mahogany, Vintage Maple, and Birch shells upon request. There are many ways of doing this and some builders have created their own devises. Two-ply plywood uses two sheets, and drum shells are made with anything from six-ply to ten-ply plywood. How to make a Ply shell Mould. Alternatively, the thinner the drum head, the less resonance, and more fundamental tone you get. Shells I … A special box is made to produce and control moisture and the piece of wood is placed inside and carefully monitored. Step 5 - Thinning shells (Optional) Sometimes when I am working on vintage shells, I find that they are a bit oversized and need to be thinned before being veneered. Getting the right diameter for my first layer was not my best quality work but after some fiddling and cutting I finally got the right size. I am a hobby woodworker so building the stave shell was less daunting than it might be to some with little experience or lack of tools. A wide variety of 1 ply drum shell options are available to you, such as oilpaper. And you should consider doing at least 6 to 8 layers. If you have any issues or questions feel free to leave a comment. I cut the outer edge of the shell on both sides to get my rounded over portion of the edge. This means the rest of the shell is short grain, thus putting very little tension on the shell and dramatically lowing the overall pitch of the drum. Each 12" board needs to have a 10" diameter hold cut so that we can fit the ply's into it. Therefore, it is important to choose your shells wisely. Basic Description This is the method most commonly used by the big drum companies. If and when I do this, I would just make a 14″ mold to make exotic snare shells. Great deals on Drum Shells. Your drum shell is almost ready at this point. Birch Characteristics. You can use wood glue to accomplish this. Shipping cost below is for US48. Easy to make into thick shells. The variety and quality of maple and birch used in drum making is such that the specific hardness, density, and porosity of the varieties overlap considerably. This can be challenging, but the results will be worth it. I would buy maple veneer because it is not very expensive and it's a good wood for drum building. This means that you can provide the best quality drums to your customers, without worry. The only thing left for you do do now to complete the drum shell is cut the bearing edges. You can simply use a thumbtack, and a string. I'll explain why shortly. Rocker: "Select American wood veneers" 4-ply, maple interior. You can order shells directly from this page. This is surrounded by a softer wood, kapur, which adds warmth to the sound. If you are not satisfied with our product, you can return it for an exchange of the exact same item, no questions asked. You would think that, since much of our reputation is based on being the preeminent manufacturer of solid shell snare drums, we would be biased towards one ply construction methods. This part is critical making sure the hardware is lined up. Stave drum shells use less glue, and are therefore more acoustically active than plywood shells. You build a mold (usually a female) that is to the size of the outside diameter. Please email for other shell configurations. Browse our PartsGuide Online or Call 800 NEW DRUM These hoops are used for snare, tom and kick drums, but not recommended for high tension use. The first step is to cut plywood or fiberboard into 12" squares, .5" thick. The 1978 Combo series was made with old 3-ply shells until they were used up; the inside was sprayed with granitone. The quality of wood used in musical instrument construction directly affects the tone and projection of the instrument. There are basically two ways to build a drum shell from your home or shop. In particular, some sort of lathe or router is needed to round the shell. Cut the rings, glue them up, sand into round (the hardest step), bearing edges, lots of sanding sealer, some poly, done. Ideal for making mixed wood shells. Bass drum Hide-A-Head are 4 ply, 3/8" (9mm) x 2" tall, and will need the use of lug spacers. This single factor has a profound effect on the tonal characteristics and projection of the drum. Not likely to go out of round because the wood is not being stressed into shape. While we are very proud of our solid shell drums, ply shells represent the bulk of the drum world and have benefits solid shell drums cannot provide, just as solid shell drums have benefits ply drums cannot provide. After you make your bearing edge there should be a little bit on the inside that needs to be sanded down nice and smooth for the drum head to rest on properly. I am now working on another shell of the same type as i have some hoops from Metro Drums being made, which I’m getting excited about. Making your own drum shells will allow … To actually make the shell you will need to use veneer. Minuses: Wood is more costly than ply. In general, manufacturers select the wood for the outer ply based on its looks and the inner ply for its effect on the drum's sound. Tom and snare Hide-A-Head are 4 ply, 3/8" (9mm) x 1 1/4" tall, and will need the use of lug spacers or bass drum lugs. Solid maple drum shells remain one of the most popular, useful, potentially great-sounding and good-machining, naturally occurring materials for experienced drum builders to use. Raw coconut shells are put inside the drum leaving a small space in the centre of the drum about four inches wide. The original purpose of the cast hoops were to make the entire drum structure stronger because Gretsch was using these (thinner) 3-ply shells. To cut the bearing edges you will need at the very least a router table. characteristics and projection of the drum. I think one of the downsides to three ply construction is if you hit the drums real hard it can cause shell shock. Plywood: Long sustain with plenty of volume and varying fundamental pitch. Moreover, the bearing edge needs to be constantly touching the drum head in order to make a good sound. Now that your boards are cut in half you will want to secure them all together, along with your 44 little separator pieces. Requires more special tools than the ply method. Many drums are 8 ply, or in other words they have 8 layers of veneer. 1) the bendy ply is used to make the mould, Its so it will be strong enough and have a smooth surface for the veneer (what will make the drum) and you wont get any bumps or lumps in the surface of the drum. It just takes a little bit of time and patience. it is now cut down to a 5.5 shell but some issues with the shell were found so i may have to cut it down to a 5″ or 4.5. Yamaha’s PHX line features 11-ply hybrid shells, which means the company mixes different types of woods together to design the characteristics of a drum’s sound, which is an advantage of plywood drums. Note: Poplar is a very unstable wood. But that is not to say a segmented drum or a stave drum is not worth your time and effort. It is a jarrah and blackbutt Hybrid. If you are not satisfied with our product, you can return it for an exchange of the exact same item, no questions asked. For example, Birch plies could be stacked over nine times to create a drum and still be the same thickness as a 6-ply Mahogany drum. Second in popularity to maple, birch is slightly less expensive because birch comes from fast-growth trees and it has a brighter sound. 1,606 1 ply drum shell products are offered for sale by suppliers on Alibaba.com, of which drum accounts for 1%. Also sometimes called 1 ply shells, steam bent shells are made from a single piece of wood. Hard to tell from the pictures if the shell is 1-ply or 3-ply. Check out this incredible tutorial for how to build a ply shell mold! It is called "standard" for a reason. Or you can use a wooden compass. 1982. Once the clear coat was dry, I started sanding it with … These timbers all have their own characteristics and voice which will help express your drumming to its full potential. WHAT YOU NEED Materials MDF – the thickness is… But the good new is if you do make a mistake here you can always cut the shell down and do the bearing edges again. Without a mold you will have great difficulty making the correct bend and keeping the plys together. Tom and snare Hide-A-Head are 4 ply, 3/8" (9mm) x 1 1/4" tall, and will need the use of lug spacers or bass drum lugs. In this video, I explain how I use Ableton Live’s Chain Selector to automatically load drum samples on to my… 6 Innovative Drum Companies That Are Changing The Industry. Santa Monica is the original Collector’s Series all-maple shell configuration. The drum kiln method happens to be one of the most common methods of making charcoal from coconut shells. The interior was a clear-coated natural finish. Plywood, Plys, and Veneer get confused but they are basically the same thing. 9 ply Magnum - 0.4 inches or 10 mm; 7 ply Magnum - 0.25 inches or 6.4 mm; 5 ply Magnum - 0.21 inches or 5.3 mm Thicknesses are approximate and may be thicker or thinner. Thin shells transmit lower frequencies more efficiently, making 6 ply drum shells warm, huge and boomy. In other words, if you have a blunt or flat bearing edge, it will be like drumming on cardboard. Next Blog Post→
What is Different in the 3.0 Version. The first step to building a drum shell is to build a mold. So here are the steps to make a ply shell mould, it is pretty simple and it should only take you two three days to have a working mould come out of it. For example, some companies will add a maple or birch outer ply. Gene Okamoto at Pearl Drums, provided the following diagrams about how shell thickness effects the sound of a drum: The number of plies effects how readily energy is transferred from the heads to the shell. But some builder found that by wetting one side of the ply and then putting glue on the other side right after seemed to make the veneer workable. A Noble & Cooley 5x14 solid shell tulipwood, and an 8x14 snare that is a rescued old Gretsch shell with modern hardware (a ply drum). Webshop » Drum shells » Drum shells wood. This means that you can provide the best quality drums to your customers, without worry. Devised to provide the lowest fundamental note across the kit, this unique 9-ply shell with 3-ply reinforcement hoop features a 3-ply Purpleheart wood core with only one long grain veneer. Woodworking Techniques Three Days Percussion Musical Instruments Drums Shells This Or That Questions Simple Pretty. May 9, 2019 - So here are the steps to make a ply shell mould, it is pretty simple and it should only take you two three days to have a working mould come out of it. How to Make a Ply Shell Mold Drum Building Tutorial . Yamaha’s PHX line features 11-ply hybrid shells, which means the company mixes different types of woods together to design the characteristics of a drum’s sound, which is an advantage of plywood drums. Long before the advent of the multi-ply shell revolutionized the drum industry in the 1930s, snare shells were constructed from a single piece of wood, made pliable with a heavy dose of steam and bent around a circular mold to cure. If you have any issues or questions feel free… Article by Julia Fleming. However there is a guy named Migiaccio of Migiaccio Drum Co. who is!! This is usually a fall back method for many first time builders because it can be fairly easy. Just because one shell is 6-ply does not mean that it is necessarily thicker than a drum that is 3-ply. Standard series; Snare and tom-toms "Select 4-ply diamond wood shells", Bass drums 6-ply. Article from drumbuilding.wordpress.com. Not straight up and down because it will be weak and break over time or instantly when you bend it. You can also choose from maple, stainless steel 1 ply drum shell There are 12 suppliers who sells 1 ply drum shell on Alibaba.com, mainly located in Asia. SANTA MONICA. Contrary to popular belief, the construction of a drum shell will have a lot of influence on the overall sound of a drum. De 7 ply cross laminated drum shells and the 3 ply (or4) laminated wooden drum shells. Stave drum shells use less glue, and are therefore more acoustically active than plywood shells. Not likely to go out of round because the wood is not being stressed into shape. This is not an exact science and the cross over drums between changes add a twist to the history of Ludwig. Ideal for making mixed wood shells. Lastly, you will cut all the boards in half. The quality of wood used in musical instrument construction directly affects the tone and projection of the instrument. The Slingerland, at its sweet spot tuning, sounds a lot like Neil Peart's snare on the Moving Pictures or Signals album, to my ear. They all sound different, though I don't know which sounds best. Order thin sheets of wood known as plies, glue them and place them inside the mold. There are many technical and simple ways to draw and cut a circle out of your wood or fiberboard. Cutting your snare bed is +$30. Laminating thin strips of wood around a form and gluing them together is an inexpensive … Precision Drum Company offers only the highest quality shells and has been a Keller shell distributor for many years. Others have actually put sandpaper down on a table and rubbed the shell on it. If you have any issues or questions feel free to leave a comment. Anyway, this part can be tricky because the glue will expand your wood and warp it, making this difficult. you can now run the router through the inside of the shell and round in the same manner performed on the outside. The thing is NOT that one is better than another as untold millions of plywood drums in the world sound great. Maple plywood. But what I am going to do instead is replace one of the turnbuckles with a large door hinge. don't know about Craviotto making 3 ply shells, he dos'nt list it on his webpage. Here is where I ran into a little trouble. After you install the turnbuckles and maybe a hinge, you are finished with your mold and you are ready to start putting your plys inside. Note: You want the veneer grain to go around the drum. In general, the blunter the bearing edge is, the resonance of the drum will be lower-pitched and will have less overtones. The 8 ply and 10 ply shell has the advantage of greater projection and volume over the 6 ply shell. And the result is not only a nice hand made drum shell that will last a lifetime, but the satisfaction you will get from building your own drums from the ground up cannot be put into words. Maybe a disc sander if you have access to it, or you can devise a larger circle sander to put on your drill if you don't. I first put a 1/4" round over bit in my router on my table. It is a softer wood than birch and is sometimes combined with other wood plies to mellow the tone. Thin shells (4 ply, 5mm) enable relatively easy energy transfer from the heads to the shells thus causing the shells to vibrate. These shells were not only stronger but less expensive to make. Also, on drums with wood finished exteriors that were lacquered then the exterior ply would normally be maple. Not likely to go out of round because the wood is not being stressed into shape. One of the best snare drums I ever owned was a 1954 3-ply.....with re-rings and cast hoops. Stave: Short sustain and higher fundamental pitch You'll understand as you do this. Tip: In the United States the outside diameter of a shell is .125 inch smaller than the actual drum. Jan 6, 2015 - So here are the steps to make a ply shell mould, it is pretty simple and it should only take you two three days to have a working mould come out of it. Also, some snare drums and drum kits are made with a combination of wood types (hybrid shells) or with an exterior ply of a different wood selected for aesthetic reasons. since its inception, the ply shell has dominated as the essential sound of the discerning drummer. The process was difficult, time-consuming, and took an inordinate amount of skill if you wanted the end product to resemble anything like a decent drum. this is for the drumhead to make even contact when placing on the shell. it is now cut down to a 5.5 shell but some issues with the shell were found so i may have to cut it down to a 5″ or 4.5. We are always open to new techniques! We stand behind every product that rolls out of our shop, offering a 100% guarantee on the integrity of our drum shells. Anyway, once you get this first layer glued in properly remove the ball, and then repeat the process until all layers are complete. It seems counterintuitive that this would be the case, however when it comes to drumheads, this is how it works. This seems to be a popular choice and it worked for me. As a matter of fact their just like the Gretsch 3 ply shells of the 50's!! Named after the famed California beach town where Drum Workshop was founded, the shells offer yet another versatile sonic option for drummers, while paying tribute to DW’s near 50 year drum-making legacy. These shells were not only stronger but less expensive to make. The grain of the outer and inner surfaces runs in different directions. By the way, the same steps to building this size drum shell can be transferred to larger sizes. As to the wires, the issue is that they are not installed correctly. The other plies are set with the grain alternating from vertical to horizontal. We stand behind every product that rolls out of our shop, offering a 100% guarantee on the integrity of our drum shells. Including GoPro Hero4, JBL Charge BlueTooth Stereo, A Wood Burning Kit, and…, ← Previous Blog Post
Watch SJC Custom Drums on DrumHeads. Bass drum Hide-A-Head are 4 ply, 3/8" (9mm) x 2" tall, and will need the use of lug spacers. Since we are making a 10" x 8" drum my veneer will be 8" inches wide. The drum shell is now going to run on the outer face of the shell onto the bearings, so apply a few laps of masking tape to the top and bottom edges so the bearings don't mark the shell. These hoops are used for snare, tom and kick drums, but not recommended for high tension use. Congratulations, you now have a completed drum shell that is ready for staining or drum wrap, and of course you have to put the lugs on (this is harder than it sounds - get that book above for details on this process), and the hoops. Basically I am assembling the drum. So what you want to do is buy veneer. Great for situations where projection is not needed, but maximum tone is desired. The interior was a clear-coated natural finish. Check out this incredible tutorial for how to build a ply shell mold! Some drum manufacturers use only three layers but each veneer layer is thicker than normal. Installing Hardware.. Requires more special tools than the ply method. Philip’s eBook on how to make custom drums was instrumental in encouraging me to proceed with my idea of building my own custom drum. Shell Construction: Beginning in 1976, the Classic series was made with new molds and a new construction; small (6″ and 8″) toms were 4-ply and larger drums were 6-ply maple & poplar, with no reinforcement rings. You will need the mold because it will create the perfect circular shape. Using The Drum Method. I used Titebond glue. If a thicker solid shell would benefit you, we have the thickest single ply shells in the world. Have you done this? This vibration imparts a very rich "wood" tone to the overall sound that can be most appreciated in near-field applications and especially in recording. Carefully routering the bearing edges of a drum shell on a home made router table. A&F Drum Co If you haven’t heard of A&F Drum Co, you…, When we just let ourselves “go crazy” to experience something not planned – and build on it – our confidence…, Choosing a drum kit, or part of a drum kit can be one of the most overwhelming decisions you’ll make…, Do you have a hard time finding a gift for the drummer in your life? After the first layer is in I need to put wood glue on my second layer. Shell Construction. You can do…, The best gifts for drummers and drum builders. As I mentioned above you'll need to cut all the boards in half. But as this video tutorial reveals, they’re also a crafty addition to a traditional acoustic kit, fitting onto the kick, snare and tom shells, and opening up all kinds of possibilities. In particular, some sort of lathe or router is needed to round the shell. WOOD. Imagine a normal 5x14 snare drum. After you put your first layer in you want to keep pressure on it so that it glues well against the outside layer. We do not offer boring of the shell. Look no further for the…, Do you have what it takes to be a first-rate drummer? These shells were not only stronger but less expensive to make. In particular, some sort of lathe or router is needed … Drum shells wood Drum shells (wood) We have two types of wooden ply drum shells. After the right amount of moisture is achieved, the wood is removed from the box and wrapped around a mold. Easy to make into thick shells. Thickness, glue, and ply layup has a far greater influence on tone than the specific wood used. The bearing edge is the edge of the drum shell that makes contact with the drum head, and it’s a crucial component in terms of the drum’s resonant qualities. Plenty of V-Drums players will welcome these Remo-produced two-ply heads as the perfect replacements for their worn-out heads. There are lots of different types of glue to choose from. The reason space is left is because it plays a significant function during carbonization. If you really want to hear what different woods do to affect the sound of drums, make a bunch of drums the same way but with shells … Take the aluminium angle router guides from the top face of the jig and move them to the inside. Birch is a blond, dense, tough wood that holds up well to use. For drum set and snare drum. Next you will need to cut small pieces to use as separators from each 12" piece of plywood as seen below, otherwise it will be to bulky and heavy. This is a very important procedure because if you screw this up you can ruin the shell. You should get at least 3mm. Other shipping rates will be higher. After the shell was rounded i proceeded to cut the bearing edges. 5. Fairly simple to make. After you do this you are all done! since its inception, the ply shell has dominated as the essential sound of the discerning drummer. Yamaha’s collection of exotic woods begins with the hardest wood, jatoba, in the center of the shell. Ideal for making mixed wood shells. Custom Drum Companies You Should Be Watching 1. It is called "standard" for a reason. Easy to make into thick shells. Beginning in 1976, the Classic series was made with new molds and a new construction; small (6" and 8") toms were 4-ply and larger drums were 6-ply maple & poplar, with no reinforcement rings. 1984. 2 Ply jarrah, 2 Ply blackbutt 2 ply jarrah 3 ply blackbutt making the grand total 9 ply.