first attempt at reheading!

[gar05189]

here´s the deal:
i wanted to buy a "real" djembe when i had a vague idea so I bought a drum from irietones (masonia wood, 13.5"). Observations:
1. Flimsy rope
2. too few verts
3. a glued patch on the skin that turned into a big hole around the third row of diamonds

I decided to try and rehead myself because im a nerdy engineer by heart. I built the following rig for tightening with a glued rubber mallet on the bottom to avoid damaging the wood and a petzl jumar (because im a nerdy climbing engineer)

DSC06481.JPG (149.47 KiB) Viewed 461 times

Note to self: drill holes for rope closer to the rubber mallet to get more leverage.

I followed the instructions on
http://www.hawkdancing.com/Wooddrum/drumhead.html
I got 5mm climbing rope, a new skin and went for it. I went for 20 cradles (next time im going to shoot around 34).

and when i was doing the wet pulls i noticed the rings slanting and i thought i could correct it with more pulling but it just went wrong. At first the ring kinda levelled but i faced the problem of removing the slack from the verts without the ring slanting again...not so easy as it sounds

Im also thinking of using 2 vices next time because i feel that as im pulling the last vertical, the knot of the first vertical goes down (duh... 2:1 mechanical advantage). Or maybe there is a better way to tie off the rope as you start to lace the verts, ideas anyone?

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Another really strange thing happened when i took a look under the skin wrap. The ring had a huge dent! It is probably due because the weld was big and looked like popcorn, in the picture you can see the flesh ring all bent out of shape. Im definitely buying a new ring for the next attempt at reheading

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Also, how do you feel about the way the hawkdancing guy ties off the cradles, is there another method that you feel is better?

The skin also ripped off near one of the cradles and it is nowhere near the lowest part of the slanting ring, is it possible it is because my cradles are too far apart? I can post a picture of it but i can only upload 3 at a time

UFF i have a ton of questions but im really happy because i get to learn so much and one day im going to be flawless like a lot of you here!

[gar05189]

here is the finished product by the way, note the scarred wood on the bottom, that was not me by the way... bad bad irietones

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oh and here´s the rip

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stay safe and strong everybody!

[michi]

I went for 20 cradles (next time im going to shoot around 34).

34 is too many for a drum that size. From the looks of it, 28 would make a good number. I'll do 30 or 32 on (very) large djembes. I've never seen a djembe large enough to need 34. Aim for about an inch distance between the knots on the top ring, and you'll be fine.

and when i was doing the wet pulls i noticed the rings slanting and i thought i could correct it with more pulling but it just went wrong. At first the ring kinda levelled but i faced the problem of removing the slack from the verts without the ring slanting again...not so easy as it sounds

The trick is to take the slack out of the vertical very slowly and gradually, a little bit at a time. I usually go around 4-5 times, pulling very gently initially, and just a little bit harder on each round. For the final round, I pull as hard as I can with bare hands. Keep checking throughout that the top rings come down evenly and, if you have a bottom ring that doesn't sit in a groove, that the bottom ring stays centered. Then start using the tool to pull the rings down to the height you want to set them for the wet pull (usually so the top of the knots is level with the playing surface, or 1-2mm below the playing surface). Again, go slowly--I usually take two rounds to bring the rings down.

There is a trick that avoids having a loop in the rope anywhere, so you don't have a partial double-vertical where the closing loop is. Instead of a closing loop, you can trap the end of the rope for the verticals under two of the loops for the verticals on the bottom ring. That way, everything is nice and tidy, and tie-off is essentially invisible. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

The photo of your flesh ring looks more like the weld opened--this seems to be too extreme a kink for a bent ring. You will probably have to invest in properly fitted and welded rings next time round.

Also, how do you feel about the way the hawkdancing guy ties off the cradles, is there another method that you feel is better?

The most common way is to just have two hitches side by side, with a granny knot for the loose ends to secure them. The down-side of this is that you end up with the distance between the cradles larger than the others where the rope for the cradle knots is tied off. Again, there is a more elegant way of doing this that ensures that you have the exact same distance between all the cradle knots. Again, I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

Don't be discouraged if your first attempt didn't turn out perfect. It'll get better each time, and it's a lot of fun

Cheers,

Michi.

[Rhythm House Drums]

The wood looks like Iroko to me... the grain in the up-close photos do, but the full drum shot looks like it could be Masonia... I don't have a lot of experience with Masonia... at least not in drums. Check this mask out... All the wood is different shades of Masonia



Also, as Michi said, I'm betting that the weld popped on that bottom ring.

there is a dvd by Shorty Palmer, how to rehead a djembe... It's good to get you started, and has lots of tips that you may or may not migrate away from as you build more drums. I do some things different, but as you build more you'll find what works for you and what doesn't.

One thing is for sure, once you head your first drum... you'll want to do it again and again. I headed my first djembe 6 times... in about a year.

I see the double hitch knot a lot, but I usually just tie a square knot on the last cradle. Either way is good.

[Rhythm House Drums]

Oh, and a quick note... don't use wax or beeswax or anything on the bearing edge.. you dont need it and it'll just seep into the skin if you leave it in the sun. Just sand the edge smooth, with 400 grit or so and you'll be fine. Butting wax on the bearing edge is like putting oil on the head.. it'll get in the skin and your skin will get ringy and/or stretch thin and pop.

[michi]

Oh, and a quick note... don't use wax or beeswax or anything on the bearing edge.. you dont need it and it'll just seep into the skin if you leave it in the sun. Just sand the edge smooth, with 400 grit or so and you'll be fine. Butting wax on the bearing edge is like putting oil on the head.. it'll get in the skin and your skin will get ringy and/or stretch thin and pop.

Yes, that's good advice. Mineral oils (such as paraffin from candles) will do bad things to the skin.

I sand the bearing edge with 240 - 400 - 800 - 1200 grade sand paper. The 800 and 1200 grade really are polishing grades. Once you are done with the 1200, the surface of the bearing edge looks super-smooth and shiny. The idea is to make the bearing edge as smooth as possible, to make it easier for the skin to slip over it as I apply tension. (Because the end grain is exposed on the bearing edge, with the wood fibres oriented at right angles to the skin, there is more friction there.)

I also rub a small amount of shea butter on the bearing edge. Just a smidgen to seal the wood, so the moisture from the wet skin doesn't penetrate into the wood as much. I have never had a problem with skins getting translucent or weak that way.

Other people I have spoken to recommend to seal the bearing edge with a coat of two-pack polyurethane, which sets very hard with a very smooth, glass-like surface. Again, the point is to seal the end grain against the moisture from the skin. I've never done this myself, but it sure sounds like it would work.

Cheers,

Michi.

[gar05189]

Thanks for the tips guys

I would definitely like to see those pics michi when you have the time

[buttafingers]

I think I'll try some of the Minwax wipe-on polyurethane on the next drum I do- it is a penetrating finish with thin layer fully-cured poly on the surface. It got best reviews in magazines compared to the stuff that's $40/qt.

[michi]

I think I'll try some of the Minwax wipe-on polyurethane on the next drum I do- it is a penetrating finish with thin layer fully-cured poly on the surface.

Just a word of warning... Are you thinking of applying this to the entire shell, or just the bearing edge? If it's the entire shell, you may be up for disappointment. I've seen a number of drums that were finished with polyurethane on the outside. Initially, it looks great (if you like the high-gloss shiny look). But, over time, these drums tend to look awful. What happens is that, as you work the rope and do all the weaving and undoing the rope again for the next skin, you end up progressively damaging the polyurethane finish. The layer of plastic scratches and crazes, and you have all these whitish dull marks on the bowl, which aren't pretty at all.

So, for the outside, I'd advise against a lacquer-type finish. Instead, I recommend furniture wax. I use two coats of Gilly Stephenson's Restoring and New Timber Polish first. That's a soft wax that penetrates into the wood, brings out the grain, nourishes the wood, and repels moisture. To finish it off, I apply one coat of Carnauba Polish. That's a hard wax that makes for a nice silky shine that also repels moisture.

The advantage of the wax is that, as you work with the rope and tune the drum and put minor wear marks and nicks into the bowl, the marks don't show up anywhere near as much as with polyurethane. And another coat of wax when you replace a skin instantly makes the marks disappear again (instead of having to sand the entire bowl down to get rid of the damaged polyurethane).

For the inside, I use Organoil Decking Oil. This is a very thin penetrating oil that contains bees wax. (It's made from plant oils--no petrochemicals). It stinks to high heaven for about two weeks. Very strong smell of Eucalyptus and Ti tree. But it has strong anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, and it nourishes the wood very well.

Cheers,

Michi.

[buttafingers]

Parish the thought of plastic on my drum!

You are right, I am only considering it on the endgrain of the rim. Perhaps on the bottom, as well. I'm just thinking that every little bit that helps smooth and enable the hide to slide over the rim will increase the longevity of it. Kind of like glass, where a little fracture or scratch focuses all off the energy on that point causing it to break. And, like you, I'm a perfectionist and just plain enjoy messing around with them. If having a glass smooth rim does nothing but satisfy my need to polish it, then I'm happy.

[michi]

I would definitely like to see those pics michi when you have the time

Here is the closing knot on the crown ring of one of my drums:

Closing knot--crown ring

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Here is the closing knot on the bottom ring of another drum:

Closing knot--bottom ring

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The closing knot under the flap over the crowing ring. You have to look hard to identify it--it's a little bit more bulky than the other knots, but only a little, so it's very non-intrusive. What I like about this is that all the verticals are spaced evenly. With the conventional way of tying two knots side-by-side, you end up with on pair of verticals separated by the width of two knots, making a larger gap at one point:

Closing knot underneath flap

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I'll try and put together some instructions on how to tie this knot in the next few days.

I came up with this knot maybe three years ago, when I was looking for a way to avoid the wide pair of verticals where the cradle knots are tied off. I sat down with a ring and a bit of rope and played with it for while. I'm sure the same knot has been invented independently by many other people. It sort falls out naturally when you tinker with the possible solutions. I've used this knot on five or six djembes so far, plus a set of dunduns, and the knots have all held, so I can vouch for their strength

Cheers,

Michi.

[michi]

Here are two pictures of how to secure the end of the verticals without a closing loop and without a length of double-vertical running through the closing loop:

End of verticals trapped at bottom ring -- close-up

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The same drum seen from the side. Very clean finish, and no closing loop to spoil the view

End of verticals trapped at bottom ring

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I'll be re-heading another drum tomorrow. I'll try and take some pictures to illustrate how to secure the end of the verticals under loops in the bottom ring.

Cheers,

Michi.

[michi]

For comparison, here is another drum done with a conventional closing loop:

Closing loop

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Here is the carry handle of the same drum:

Carry handle made with Eight-Strand Square Plait

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I found this plait in The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework. (If you like playing with knots, that's a great book to have. I found my copy on a sale table for $5.) The cordage is about 1.5mm in diameter. I used two different colors--light blue and purple, four strands of each.

Cheers,

Michi.

[buttafingers]

You're right, that is clean--so clean I can't tell which is which!
Could you just highlight it with a different color in photoshop on the next post. How do you like the method that brings both ends into the same hitch, making a knot with four ropes in it? And compared to the version that makes a two complete double-hitches, side-by-side (a-la hawkdancing)? That has to be a personal record for hyphens!

[michi]

Could you just highlight it with a different color in photoshop on the next post.

Here are the same photos again, with the closing knot marked.

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Knot 2.jpg (557.41 KiB) Viewed 387 times

How do you like the method that brings both ends into the same hitch, making a knot with four ropes in it?

That's essentially how I tie this knot. I might be able to produce some pictures later today.

And compared to the version that makes a two complete double-hitches, side-by-side (a-la hawkdancing)?

Well, that's the version I don't like because it creates a wider gap where the knot is. Here is an image of doing it that way:

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Cheers,

Michi.