Trimming skin that is already mounted and dry?

[funkmaster]

Hi, this is my first time installing a head on a djembe, and I've got kind of a strange problem. My friend got the project started by weaving the skin thru the rings. Then he put the head on the drum and used a bit of twine to put some tension on the rings, so that the head would be stable when I put the ropes on. The problem is, I left it sitting like that for several days before I put the verticals on. So now I have all the verticals on, but the skin is not trimmed, it's hairy, and it's dry.

I figure the simplest way forward is to shave the skin, and trim it even tho it's dry. Another option that comes to mind is to put the drum upside down in a pail of water, just enough to get the skin wet without re-stringing the verticals. But I'm worried that getting the top of the shell wet like that could cause it to warp or crack. What would you do in this situation?

[michi]

You can trim off the skin as described here.

I would not re-wet the skin while it is fitted to the drum.

Cheers,

Michi.

[drtom]

Hey funkmaster,

It sounds like there's just enough tension on the skin to hold the rings in place, which means the skin hasn't been pulled much, it at all. If this is the case, then there's a good chance that when you pull the skin and tune the drum, your crown is likely to end up way way too low.

To avoid this, remove the skin, soak it and start over. While the skin soaks, go ahead and thread the rope through the crown about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way around with enough slack on the verticles that you'll be able to slip this (through the gap of missing verticles) over the body of the drum and the skin mounted on the second ring. You can find illustrations of this (probably on this forum).

Disregard everything I just said if your friend gave the skin a good pull with the twine.

Hope this helps,
drtom

[michi]

[Edited to add: This video and image are part of my book Djembe Construction, which shows you everything you need to know for building or reheading a djembe.]

You can see how the skin should be set when it is wet:

Skin after wet pull

IMG_0091.JPG (149.73 KiB) Viewed 165 times

Cheers,

Michi.

[shortypalmer]

i think i would resoak the skin and start again. i lace my verticals onto the drum before i put the skin so from what you describe you do not even have the verticals on. once you start putting a head there really should be no stopping, you finish and get it pulled. if you soak a skin and do not have time to put it on you can freeze it and thaw it out later and use it without any problems

[michi]

if you soak a skin and do not have time to put it on you can freeze it and thaw it out later and use it without any problems

This is an interesting way of dealing with it. Just curious… You haven't noticed any weakening of the skin from the freezing and thawing out again?

So far, I've only once ended up with a wet skin that I couldn't fit straight away. That one I just let dry out again and then re-soaked it when I got around to fitting it. No problems with that.

So, I guess the question is what's better, freezing or drying and re-soaking? To be honest, I have no idea whether there is any advantage or disadvantage to either.

Michi.

[drtom]

if you soak a skin and do not have time to put it on you can freeze it and thaw it out later and use it without any problems

Wow! You learn something new every day. It may never have occurred to me to preserve a wet skin by freezing it. I'd also be curious to know how the skin would be affected by this.

If you have a couple of minutes Mr. Palmer, can you elaborate?

drtom

[michi]

It may never have occurred to me to preserve a wet skin by freezing it.

Same here

I'd also be curious to know how the skin would be affected by this.

My first thought was that this won't be that good for the skin. The reasoning is that water expands as it freezes. My concern is that this might weaken the skin by breaking fibres or separating bundles of fibres into individual ones.

But then, I simply don't know enough about what goes on inside a wet goat skin… For all I know, it may do no harm at all.

If you have a couple of minutes Mr. Palmer, can you elaborate?

I second that Shorty, how did you come up with the idea in the first place? I don't think I ever would have thought of that!

Michi.

[shortypalmer]

i have never noticed a difference. i have considered keeping one in the freeze all the time for the person that drops by and says they need a drum headed yesterday. the big advantage is that in 10 or 15 minutes of thawing i can start heading a drum instead of waiting for a couple of hours.

[michi]

the big advantage is that in 10 or 15 minutes of thawing i can start heading a drum instead of waiting for a couple of hours.

Ah, of course! I'm never that much in a hurry, but I see how that can be useful

Michi.

[drtom]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

drtom

[shortypalmer]

I had a friend start freezing skins. just picked it up from him, as for any bad side effects, as far as i know i have not noticed any difference in the life of the skin or the sound. I have two cowhides in the freezing right now that i am about to defrost and put on today