Tag: Handcrafted Drums

Behind the Art, Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman, Portia Po Chapman Frames and Stretchers, Studio Process, Uncategorized, woodworking

Drum December Day 12 – How to Make a Drum Frame Using 6 Clamps

Portia "Po" Chapman
Close-up of several blue C-clamps tightly securing a glued joint on a wooden drum frame using the 6-clamp method, Day 12 tutorial by Portia Po Chapman.
Mastering the “6 Clamp Method” to ensure a secure, even bond on the dry-bent drum frame.

Drum December Day 12: Mastering the 6-Clamp Method

Welcome to Day 12 of Drum December! Today is the day we tackle dry-bending and clamping head-on. In this tutorial, you’ll learn the vital “what-to-dos” (and the painful “what-not-to-dos”) of securing your frame.

Clamping hardwood is a bit like attending your grandmother’s third wedding and being asked to dance by a gentleman who took lessons from Chubby Checker. Just like a dancer from the ’60s, the wood keeps trying to “Twist.” By following my innovative 6-Clamp Method, you’ll have no problem taking the lead in this clamping dance.


The Anatomy of the Dance: Twist and Circularity

When making drum frames, there are two primary style considerations you must face:

  1. The Twist: How much natural “sport” or torsion your finished frame will carry.
  2. The Shape: How perfectly circular or organic you want your finished drum to be.

Both of these decisions are finalized during the clamping stage. This is exactly why I developed the 6-Clamp Method—to give the maker total control over the wood’s final expression.

Avoiding the Tangled Clamp: The Staggering Method

In Day 11, I explained how the shape changes depending on which end overlaps on the outside. Today, we focus on the direction of the clamps.

Because you are using six heavy-duty C-clamps in very close proximity, the handles can easily get stuck against each other. It can be a deeply frustrating process! Below is a video of my own experience trying to turn clamp handles that weren’t staggered. If you find it painful to watch, just imagine being the one trying to turn them under pressure!

To solve this, we stagger the clamps—top and bottom—in a disciplined sequence. This allows us to intricately pull the seam together while “reading” the bend and twist of the frame.

The 6-Clamp Sequence: A Step-by-Step Guide

I have created this incremental schematic to show you the exact order of operations. Note how each clamp is placed to manage the tension of the 3″ to 5″ glued seam:

  1. Clamp #1: Placed on the top, dead-center of the seam.
  2. Clamp #2: Placed directly beneath the first, but facing the opposite direction.
  3. Clamps #3 & #4: Placed on the side of the center clamps closest to the inner board end.
  4. Clamps #5 & #6: Placed on the remaining opposite side.

Shaping with Baffles: Controlling the Curve

In the schematic video above, I omitted the cutoff baffles (the hardwood blocks that protect your frame) for clarity. However, you must use them!

The size of the baffle on the inside of the frame actually alters the drum’s final shape.

  • The Standard: I typically use a 1″ x 3″ piece of oak.
  • The Adjustment: If you want to flatten a side or create an egg-shaped drum, you do this by widening the inner baffle. The wider the baffle, the flatter that section of the frame becomes.
  • The Rule of Thumb: I generally use a 1″ wide piece on the inside and a 2″ wide piece on the outside, adjusting the spacing as I feel the wood react.

The Goldilocks Grip: Just Enough Pressure

By alternating your clamps, you aren’t just preventing a handle jam—you are managing the twist. When the first clamp goes on, you can adjust the shift and slide of the frame. The second clamp adds stability, and clamps three through six do the heavy lifting.

Tighten them as firmly as your hand can turn—no need for tools. You are looking for the glue to “squeeze out” evenly along the seam. Be careful not to over-tighten! If you squeeze out too much glue, you’ll create a “starved” joint. This results in a fragile frame that may snap when the powerful tension of the rawhide eventually pulls it into its final form.

Looking Ahead

If you think a tree has a long memory, just wait until you see the nature of rawhide. Keep following the Drum December series to see how we work with animal skins in the coming days.

Even if you never pick up a clamp yourself, I hope you’ve learned how to straighten out “The Twist.” Just start in the middle of the floor and lead your partner—side-stepping and swaying until the song is done and you both become one with the true drumbeat of life.

See you tomorrow for Day 13!

Read more about my art at Love Art By Po and the many drums I make.

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

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Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman, Portia Po Chapman Frames and Stretchers, Portia's Adventures, Studio Process, Uncategorized

Drum December Day 10 | How to Glue Before Clamping Drum Frame

Portia "Po" Chapman
On day 10 of Drum December, Po spreads glue on the white oak before clamping the drum frame to dry. Her assistant holds the frame firmly still at the Love Art By Po Kingston Art Studio
Drum December Day 10 – Po Glues the White Drum Frame Before Clamping the Dry-Bend

Choosing the Right Glue for Handcrafted Drum Frames | Drum December Day 10

At the Love Art by Po studio in Kingston, I believe that building a professional-grade drum frame is as much about the type of glue as it is the technique used to apply it.

Different moisture levels in wood require different chemical bonds. Whether you are working with freshly steamed “green” wood or seasoned dry wood, choosing the wrong adhesive can compromise the sound of your instrument. In today’s update, I’ll explain how to pick the right glue at your local hardware store to ensure a lifetime of pure sound.

The Challenge: Gluing Damp vs. Dry Wood

The first hurdle every drum maker faces is moisture. If you are bending steamed red oak, the wood is naturally damp.

Early in my practice as an installation artist, I treated drum frames like standard carpentry—LePage Pro Carpenter’s Glue. However, standard wood glue and damp, steamed wood do not mix. I would return to my shop table the next morning to find the joint “slimy” and uncured on the inside.

The Polyurethane Solution

To glue damp wood effectively, you need a moisture-activated adhesive like Original Gorilla Glue. This polyurethane glue uses the moisture in the wood to “activate” the bond. It bonds damp frames like a dream, but it comes with a significant trade-off: The Foam.

The Science of Sound: Why “Foaming” Glue Causes Rattle

If you want a pure, resonance-free tone, you must understand how glue affects vibration. Polyurethane glue expands into a foam, creating tiny air pockets within the joint.

Are Drum Frames Meant to Rattle?

  • The Rattle: If you enjoy a “smooth rattle” or mechanical reverberation, foaming glue is your best friend.
  • The Pure Tone: If you want a clean strike, never use foaming glue. The drum frame produces sound just as much as the rawhide. If your glue joint contains air pockets, the vibration of the drum strike can cause a “seam rattle” deep within the wood.

How to avoid the rattle:

  1. Glue the frame only when the wood is fully dry.
  2. Use a non-foaming moisture-resistant glue like Gorilla Glue Clear. (Note: “Non-foaming” glues can be slippery, making clamping a damp frame more difficult.)

Three Steps to a Rattle-Free Steamed Frame

If you are new to drum making, remember that hitting a drum with “enthusiastic force” will eventually shake loose any weak or brittle bonds. To ensure your steamed frame remains silent and solid, follow these three steps:

  1. Cooling Time: Let the wood cool until it is no longer steaming, but is still slightly damp before applying glue.
  2. Even Spread: Use a non-foaming polyurethane glue spread evenly across the entire joint.
  3. Pressure: Use 6+ C-clamps, applied two at a time on opposite sides to ensure even compression.

Innovating with Dry Wood Bending

For my premium drums, I prefer to glue the wood when it is fully dry. This produces a beautiful, rattle-free instrument. However, dry hardwood doesn’t like to bend—it behaves like a floor plank!

To solve this, I developed a proprietary dry-bending technique. The wood is pre-bent and shaped before the glue is ever applied. You can see the foundation of this technique in my previous posts: Day 5, Day 7, and Day 8.

My Go-To Choice: Titebond III

For dry, single-layer frames, I recommend Titebond III Ultimate.

  • Why? It offers a longer working time, becomes “tacky” quickly for better clamping, and is rated for both interior and exterior use.
  • The Secret: Let the wood and glue “perform their magic” for at least 24 hours before sanding or knocking the frame.

The “Drum Making Golden Rule”

Frame drums are built for life—they go from drizzling rain at a community circle to the dry heat of a bonfire. Because they are exposed to moisture, heat, and travel, your glue must be waterproof.

The Golden Rule:

No matter the purpose of the drum, ALWAYS use a high-strength, waterproof glue that produces zero (or nearly zero) bubbles.

Coming Tomorrow: Join me for Drum December Day 11, where I’ll share a deep-dive tutorial on Professional Clamping. I’ll show you the “tricks of the trade” to ensure your frame is perfectly circular and structurally sound.

See you tomorrow!

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📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

One response to “Drum December Day 10 | How to Glue Before Clamping Drum Frame”

  1. Drum December Day 11 – How to Clamp a Drum Frame – Love Art by Po Avatar
    Drum December Day 11 – How to Clamp a Drum Frame – Love Art by Po

    […] Welcome back to Drum December! Today, we are diving into one of the most transformative stages of the process: using my innovative dry-bending technique to compress and clamp the drum frame. This method is born from my preference for non-polyurethane glues, which we explored in our Day 10 tutorial. […]

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