bass drum holes

[MessiahNet]

How would I go about cutting a port into my resonant bass drum head. Should I just cut away or what???

 

[Bulls Hit]

Get a pot lid of the same diameter as the holw you want. Heat it up on the stove then press firmly on the head. You should get a nice hole with a smoothly cauterised edge

 

[drums]

^^^^ I would not recommend that. The heat could potentially screw up your reso head.

What I would do (It's more work, but you're safe, in other words, your head is 100% safe). Get a CD or something along the lines of the hole you want, place it on the head, and just cut around it with a carpet knife. If you screw up with the cutting, i.e. have an uneven circle, don't worry about it. No one will notice, unless they take a close look... Afterall, it's for the sound, not the look anyway!

 

[dcdrums]

You might also check with your local drum shop,I believe there are gizmo's that help with your cutting, I think one of them is called HOLZ, it also has a plastic border that attaches to the head.

 

[crankz1]

IMHO and after 22+ years of playing, you do want as perfectly round of a hole as possible. Any sharp corners will be a potential weak point in where the head can fracture from the vibrations. Any decent percussion store should have a tool for making proper holes. Some may even sell the tool.
Other option would be a hole cutter for glass. It's a rotating rigid adjustable arm attached to a suction cup with a glass cutting tool on the arm. Replace the glass cutter with an Xacto knife. Slowly cut the hole with multiple revolutions.
One could even fashion up a similar device on the cheap.

 

[Enrique]

You might also check with your local drum shop,I believe there are gizmo's that help with your cutting, I think one of them is called HOLZ, it also has a plastic border that attaches to the head.

I second this post.

 

[donkeystyle]

Get a pot lid of the same diameter as the holw you want. Heat it up on the stove then press firmly on the head. You should get a nice hole with a smoothly cauterised edge

this is how many, many drummers seem to do it and suggest to do it, so i wouldn't worry too much about messing up your drum head.

lots of people suggest an old coffee can also.

it cuts through so fast, that i really can't imagine it could hurt it.

 

[Jblount]

A good strong compass with an exacto blade is much better. And if you take many light turns, it cuts easier.