How to Make a Drum Frame: Kingston Artist Portia Po Chapman’s Method
Link to Phase 2 of Drum Making: Working with the Rawhide
Link to Phase 3 of Drum Making: Painting the Drum Face
Link to Drum Page
Phase 1 of Drum Making is Making / Preparing the Drum Frame
A drum frame takes me about weeks to make from start to finish. In my studio, I do all of the steps below. Please note that, I do employ a shop hand to help clamp and bend the steamed wood – this requires 2 sets of hands.
- Purchase wood
- Cut wood to desired thickness
- Plane the wood smooth
- Sand ends into wedges
- Soak wood in the sun for 3 days
- Steam the wood in the steam box
- Rough bend the wood under boots
- Shape flexible wood
- Glue and clamp wood
- Let wet wood dry 3 days
- For coiled wood frames, the wood is planed very thinly and before gluing the coil is created by clamping and re-bending more tightly 3 times over a week’s time.
- For both the hand bent in-studio frames and rough pre-coiled frames, the following steps are the same
- Sand the frame to desired shape, thickness and smoothness
- Paint, rub, dye or stain frame
- Polish and finely sand frame
- Varnish
I exhibit and sell the drums I make. Please contact me to purchase a completed drum of to discuss a custom hand drum made just for you. Drums range from $200-$2000.
At the Gather in the County – Modern Textile Market – Picton, ON
June 15, 2024
Love Art by Po 
Portia I did not realize the work that goes into making a drum base.Beautiful workmanship.
The entire process of making a hand drum takes about 1 month. Making a hand drum requires a lot of soaking, steaming, cleaning, and drying time. I am in the process of posting the steps I take to stretch the rawhide. It is even far more extensive than frame making. And as you know, having the right tools is a big help. I wonder if many people can tell that I come from a long line of family carpenters.