This falls into the category of "theory & reality"...in theory making a drum kit from trees located on the family farm is a wonderful idea!...the reality is that fresh cut hardwoods take a LONG TIME to dry & this has to be done in a controlled environment. Even then, they sometimes split making them worthless for drum building. There is a very long thread on GhostNote by a guy who cut down some beautiful trees to make a kit...after over several years of drying (every one foot of diameter = one year drying time)...it split. Not trying to bum you out, just want you to know the time investment going in & the chances of everything going not so good. If you want to do the stave thing, start small & buy some cheap hardwood to experiment with & make a snare. If you & your dad can pull that off, you can start expanding. In order to make a drumkit you will need a VERY large lathe, and need to have a high woodworking skill level...imagine a 22" shell spinning at several hundred RPM's & controlling it. The guy that makes my stave shells is 54 years old, he started working in his dads shop at age 12 & he's still learning new things every day.

Like I said, not trying to bum you out or discourage you...just saying, slow down, do your homework & start small. If you've got a bada$$ woodworking shop or access to one & the skill to use the equipment, that's great...but don't spend thousands of dollars (many-many thousands) on something that in a couple months you say "I suck at this, what in the hell was I thinking?" LOL!

I'd suggest buying an inexpensive ply shell (Gladstone or Keller) and you guys build out a snare together, and see how you like doing it...I love building & pretty sure you will too. Just don't sell the farm (pun intended) to build a drumkit.

I'll sut-up now

Dan

I am no expert, but I think you have to cure/dry the wood first,since you seem to have a large amount of wood available to you for almost no cost,I would talk to some custom builders along with the folks at the sawmill about that.

I seem to remember one builder that said in his ad copy that he would work with wood that customers supplied,can't remember who it was though.

I think that as far as expense goes that segment shells are the least expensive,followed by stave,then steam bent.

You might look for a local builder that may trade you labor for materials since you have so much wood at your disposal.

I think turning your wood into plywood might be real expensive,then you would have to find some one who had molds at their disposal to turn it into shells,might be cheaper to just get long boards cut to the correct thickness and have them steam bent,and have boards cut correctly for stave and segment building.

latzanimal said: IF you do a Walnut/ Cherry stave drum, you will need to be careful. Different wood expands and contract at different rates. I've seen a maple/purpleheart stave drum in which the staves were a different size, making a nasty bearing edge. This drum had a finish on it and had been completed for a few years.

Good catch! Excellent point and something to be taken into account.

... you could also steambend a kit...

Steaming the wood is not mission impossible, it's the forms that pose a problem. The forms they use to mold drum shells is specialized equipment. Most of those forming tools are stand-alone machines that mechanically wind the lumber onto a form and the machine core heats it at the same time to make it take the new shape. Steam-bent lumber shells is a great idea, but not as do-able by a do-it-yourselfer as ply shells or staves. Big jump in the level of difficulty from home-made stave to steam-bent shells.

John

All great responses guys. Greatly appreciated! I feel a little discouraged though at the moment. However, it's worth the time and investment to have something that would be in the family for years. I would also take great pride in playing them of course.

Maybe steambent is the way to go?

Also, there is no rush, so drying the wood wouldn't be that much of an issue.

Not sure what steps to take next..

Why don't you sign-up on one of the drum building forums? I'm a member of GhostNote & it's a great site, but there are several out there. VDF is a great site for restoration info, but a builders site will get you in contact with all the best wood craftsman in the world involved in the drum building biz! They can point you in the right direction for folks that can help you in your area of the country. There is a company in the Northwest US that will come to your location, cut the timber & age it in their warehouse...can't remember their name at the moment, but I'll find it. WARNING!...it's expensive as hell, but there're pro's.

Check out a couple builders site & lurk around...lots of great info out there. Don't get bummed out!...it's a little overwhelming, but very rewarding! I'll post the company's name that does the tree service when I find it.

Dan

Thanks Fungus,

Someone graciously sent me a pm last night with some similar information. You guys have all been extremely helpful. I'll post on GhostNote later today. I think the Northwest People are a little out of my price range, since my father's place is located in Illinois (closer to St. Louis). I should probably get in touch with them anyway, just to get a price quote.

Thanks again!

You, or rather you father is located around many great builders who can help you out. You'll need to email "eDog" (administrator) first, since the site was hacked last year they've been very careful with new membership. I've got the same user name over there (know that's hard to believe LOL!) so look me up. Lot of amazing talent there, I'm sure you'll gain a lot of useful info!

Fungus,

I've been hanging off every word of advice that you have posted on this thread. You have convinced me to have a shot at it. I have the table saw, an outrigger wood lathe, router, bandsaw etc. I probably have enough of my favorite working craft wood (which is Huon Pine), the oldest tree on the planet and the most durable timber known to man. So I will give it a go at a Snare Drum.

Stay tuned..

and thanks for all of the info..

Cheers

Can't recommend enough Stone Custom Drums.

Bernie Stone has Slingerland's original equipment and he's doing some amazing things with it.

His finishes are also amazing. He did Neil Pearts' red Tama kit and kits for Mick Brown, Kenny Aronoff, and a whole bunch of other big boys.

Good for you! Any help I can give up I will, I'll also hook you up with some of my buddies that have much more knowledge that I do...I love seeing guys take the next step! My dissabilities keep me from doing a lot of this, but my knowledge of people with real knowledge runs deep. I'm excited that someone else will be taking the plunge & actually making their own stuff!...go for it my friend!...let me know if I can help.

Dan