Build your own kit

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JFogarty

JFogarty

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I just saw this in another thread, and thought it was too interesting to not have its own. So who here has built their own kits?

How hard is it?

How much experience did you already have building stuff?
Expense? Enough savings?

How about good places to buy shells and hardware?
 
I have built my own set. It looks great. Sounds better than a kit costing twice as much. I bought the shells from precisiondrum.com. I'll post some pics if i get a chance.
 
pic1
 

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pic3:

Some notes on the kit:
-18x22 kick 10 ply
-8x12 tom 8 ply
-14x16 tom 8 ply

All shells are maple ordered from www.precisiondrum.com. The lugs are Mapex lugs. Both toms are floating via Tama starclassic mounts--die cast. The lugs are 50% offset.

the snare is ocdp.
 

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here's my first custom snare drum. I used a 14"x6.5" 6 ply keller maple shell with 6 ply rings, analine wood dye, gloss lacquer, legend hardware, cut double 45 degree edges and bed and drilled for hardware myself. a labor of love and it sounds incredible.

first.jpg


here's another I made. 10 ply 14"x5.5" keller with legend hardware and black gloss lacquer finish.

black.jpg


this is another 10 ply 14"x6.5" with dye and lacquer. baltimore style/OCDP lugs and finger type throwoff.

front2.jpg


they all sound great. I'm currently working on a 1/2" thick solid walnut 20 stave shell - 14"x6". I finished it with tung oil varnish and I'm waiting on hardware.

walnut.jpg


you can get tons of good info at drumrap.com
 
vaughn said:
here's my first custom snare drum. I used a 14"x6.5" 6 ply keller maple shell with 6 ply rings, analine wood dye, gloss lacquer, legend hardware, cut double 45 degree edges and bed and drilled for hardware myself. a labor of love and it sounds incredible.

first.jpg


here's another I made. 10 ply 14"x5.5" keller with legend hardware and black gloss lacquer finish.

black.jpg


this is another 10 ply 14"x6.5" with dye and lacquer. baltimore style/OCDP lugs and finger type throwoff.

front2.jpg


they all sound great. I'm currently working on a 1/2" thick solid walnut 20 stave shell - 14"x6". I finished it with tung oil varnish and I'm waiting on hardware.

walnut.jpg


you can get tons of good info at drumrap.com
Click to expand...

Great drums...if i may ask, where did you get the ocdp style lugs?
 
I got the lugs at drummaker.com - they sell tons of great custom drum parts. you don't have to pay outrageous prices for them like you do when buying from tama, pearl, mapex, etc. check out adonisdrums.com for some really nice lugs too. some of the best quality lugs produced.

FYI, OCDP uses the EXACT same lugs as I did and they only cost me $1.90 each. tiawanese die cast lugs. they don't even use single insert lugs, they use the doubles and remove an insert - saves money I guess because singles are available in that style and they look a lot better too. I only got the doubles because the singles were on backorder.

I don't get why they use cheap lugs, top of the line strainers, inexpensive shells and jack the prices higher than yao ming's nutsack. I think it's time for them to start producing solid shells or to start using stave shells and come up with custom lugs. you *know* they could still make a killing and have something that sets them apart more than offset lugs and vented snare drums. their custom work is nice though. I like that they'll make whatever anyone asks for, that's pretty cool.

vaughn
 
can you link me on that? I'm not really seing the ocdp style lugs at drummaker.com. at 1.90/lug, that's not bad.
 
vaughn said:
here's my first custom snare drum. I used a 14"x6.5" 6 ply keller maple shell with 6 ply rings, analine wood dye, gloss lacquer, legend hardware, cut double 45 degree edges and bed and drilled for hardware myself. a labor of love and it sounds incredible.

first.jpg


here's another I made. 10 ply 14"x5.5" keller with legend hardware and black gloss lacquer finish.

black.jpg


this is another 10 ply 14"x6.5" with dye and lacquer. baltimore style/OCDP lugs and finger type throwoff.

front2.jpg


they all sound great. I'm currently working on a 1/2" thick solid walnut 20 stave shell - 14"x6". I finished it with tung oil varnish and I'm waiting on hardware.

walnut.jpg


you can get tons of good info at drumrap.com
Click to expand...

those drums look fantastic!! question for you.....how did you cut your bearing edges? with a router table?

I've been thinking of building a small auxilliary snare (the 'popcorn' variety ~ 10 inches maybe?) and I have access to a router table - just don't know how difficult it is to cut your own edges... ??? Also, did you use a drill press to drill for hardward? is that the only way to go?

any input would be highly appreciated...
 
fenix,

http://www.buy-safe.net/1-800-NEW-D...=DM_Products.fp5&-format=jumpbrowse.htm&-view

this link will take you to the parts guide. click the "chrome lugs" link and browse to the 5th page in the list and they're listed at the top. the baltimore lugs are what you're looking for. $1.97 now for the doubles. the singles are $2.30 each. great place to buy hardware. also, check out leecustom.com and amdrumparts.com - very good prices!


pratt,

I cut my edges with a 45 degree chamfer bit and a router table. I used a small cheap router table but it wouldn't work with a bigger drum, it's a pretty flimsy table. you just have to be very careful when cutting edges that you come up a little at a time so you don't over cut the edges - I've done it before.

I used a hand drill the drill for hardware. measuring is the key, drilling is simple. I wouldn't recommend using a drill press actually. the hardest part was cutting the snare bed - that's a whole thread in itself. you want more info go to www.drumrap.com. it's a forum like this ALL about do it yourself drumbuilding.

vaughn
 
I'll chime in here and say that Vaughn's snares look even better in person and sound incredible. More crack than you can get from looking at both ends of Oprah!
 
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