Inside Kyle's Brain – Building the Loungecaster Cocktail Drum (2004)

9:30pm Mon Aug 1, 2011

[September 2004]

Follow along with Kyle as he makes his prototype Loungecaster cocktail drum

Parts, cost and construction of the Loungecaster cocktail drum
Building the “Loungecaster” Cocktail Drum
Ingredients (w/shipping):

$133.75

From www.drummaker.com:

$147.47

$54.95

TOTAL: $336.17 (+ a couple trips to the hardware store)

Remove shell from shipping box. Smell. Thump once or twice with heel of your palm, rap lightly with fingertip. Listen. Find corresponding notes on piano. Thump again. Listen. Rapture!

Trace shell on cardboard; square the circle. Divide each side by 2, connect the dots (for other than 8-lug, consult old highschool geometry notes).

lug template

Check with hoop.

hoop on template

Center shell on template, mark lug spacing.

marking shell

Read camera manual.

Using a T-square, continue tick mark the length of the drum. Apply (1) yard of masking tape to a wall or door. Using straightedge or long level, draw a line on tape strip. Line up tape with the line on the shell.

tape on shell

Using ruler and tailor’s tape, check measurements. Run another length of tape along inside of drum to prevent splintering when drilling.

tape on shell interior

Repeat for all lugs. Using ruler and tailor’s tape, check measurements. Check measurements again, using ruler and tailor’s tape, from the other direction. Find discrepancies. Discover new and exotic interjections in your native tongue. Check measurements.

Lay a head on the bearing edge. Lay hoop on head. Insert tension rods and screw into lugs to half useable thread length or so.

Insuring that the lug mounting-posts are cool, by pressing the posts into the tape, check measurements.

checking lug alignment

Repeat for all lugs.

checking alignment of all lugs

Using a ruler, tape measure, tailor’s tape, T-square, calipers and eyes, check measurements.

Deep, cleansing breaths.

Check measurements.

Using a brad-point drill bit, drill holes. Remind self that this is a “handcrafted” drum. A “custom” drum. And, if neccessary, “my” drum so just freakin’ sue me if I have to do a little “handcrafting”!

not the end of the world

Repeat for all holes, checking measurements with ruler, tape measure, tailor’s tape, T-square, calipers, eyes, and ACTUAL LUGS HANGING FROM THE FREAKING RIM.

Attach hardware.

attached lugs and vent

Assemble drum, even though you had to add washers to the GOD DAMN lugs and leg brackets which are still kinda loose sonuvabitch that wrap better make up for that 16th of a freaking inch, but BY GOD you WILL hear this beauty SING TONIGHT!

fully assembled cocktail drum

Tune.

Listen.

Rapture!

Disassemble drum. Rub tung oil into inside of shell. Wax bearing edges.

Lay wrap inside up against a straight wall, fixed straight edge, etc. and brush on contact cement (I used Dap Weldwood, red label).

contact cement on wrap

Tape shell holes.

taped hardware holes

Brush contact cement onto shell.

contact cement on shell

Align shell with straight edge and lay on wrap. Roll shell on wrap, pressing the wrap firmly onto the shell. Finish seam with acetone one small section at a time.

applying wrap to shell

Clamp seam, re-drill holes from inside of drum, attach hardware.

reassembled, clamped wrap

Assemble drum.

finished cocktail drum

…Rapture!