Tag: Luthier

Behind the Art, Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Indigenous Art, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman, Real-Time Crafting, Studio Process

Drum December Day 15 – Sanding Smooth the Drum Frame

Portia "Po" Chapman
Close-up of Portia Po Chapman’s hands guiding a white oak drum frame on an oscillating drum sander for Day 15 of Drum December.
The final sanding stages begin in the woodshop for Day 15.

Levelling the Joint: Precision Sanding in the Winter Workshop

Welcome back to the workshop! Today is all about the “Great Sanding.” The dust is flying as we move into the first and most critical stage of finishing: leveling that joint.

In today’s video, I’m at the drum sander, pink shop apron on, getting to work on the white oak frame. You’ll see me focusing on the seam where the wood overlaps.

“We are sanding the sharp edges off of the seam. We are using a RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander so that the seam is really nice and even. Some of my competitors leave this inside edge. But you won’t find that here at Love Art By Po.”

The “Po” Difference

For me, the inside of the drum is just as important as the outside. By using the drum sander to level those sharp edges, I ensure the frame feels like one continuous, seamless piece of wood. It’s a small detail, but it’s what makes a Love Art By Po drum a professional piece of art.

The Holiday Schedule

We are moving fast to hit our December 27th stringing deadline! Here is what the next few days look like:

  • Day 16 (Tomorrow, Dec 24): I’ll be finishing the hand-sanding and moving straight into the custom staining process.
  • Christmas Day (Dec 25): The studio will be closed. I’ll be taking the day to celebrate with family while the first layers of our work cure.
  • Day 17 (Boxing Day, Dec 26): We hit the ground running with the first coats of varnish in the painting studio.

Come back tomorrow for Day 16 to see these frames finally get their colour!

See You Tomorrow for Day 16

Read more about my art and contact information at Love Art By Po and the many drums I make.
To contact me directly, please use this email:

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

One response to “Drum December Day 15 – Sanding Smooth the Drum Frame”

  1. Drum December Day 16 – How to Stain a Drum Frame – Love Art by Po Avatar
    Drum December Day 16 – How to Stain a Drum Frame – Love Art by Po

    […] our Day 15 video, we tackled the critical task of erasing the overlap seam. Using a portable spindle sander, I […]

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Find Love Art by Po’s Portia “Po” Chapman Kingston Art studio on Google Maps at this link.

Behind the Art, Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Indigenous Art, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman

Drum December Day 14: Stepping Into the Winter Workshop

Portia "Po" Chapman
Portia Po Chapman in a pink beanie and sunglasses smiling in front of the Love Art By Po studio sign for Drum December Day 14 Winter Workshop reveal.
Stepping into the winter workshop for Day 14! The real-time race to New Year’s Eve begins.

From Summer Bends to New Year’s Song: The Real-Time Race to December 27

Welcome to Day 14! The seasons have shifted, and it is officially winter here at the Love Art By Po studio. As I toss this fresh Kingston snow into the air, I am inviting you to step out of the summer archives and follow along with the Drum December real-time videos from inside my workshop, where it is warm.

We have finally moved back into the winter wood shop to finish the frames that we have been working on throughout the first thirteen days of Drum December. Sitting here at my bench, surrounded by some of the cherry, maple white oak frames I crafted in the heat of the summer, the journey ahead feels both exciting and urgent. On New Year’s Eve, I plan to drum a drum made from one of these hardwood dry-bent drum frames.

It is December 22nd, and we are now in real-time. My goal is to transform this raw white oak frame into a finished work of art—much like this sanded, green-stained, and varnished maple frame beside me (featured in the video below).

The clock is ticking toward my December 27th deadline. We must have the frame ready to string by then so the rawhide has the time it needs to dry, allowing us to drum in the New Year together.

Between Christmas celebrations and family gatherings over the next four days, I will be balancing holiday joy with shop discipline. To transform these raw summer hoops into a finished masterpiece, I need to follow these specific steps:

The 8-Step Sprint to Stringing

  1. Level the Joint: Using a drum sander, I’ll sand the joint edges. The goal is to make the overlapped ends appear as one continuous, seamless hoop.
  2. Progressive Sanding: I’ll sand the entire frame using 80, 120, and then 220 grit papers. It is vital to start coarse and transition progressively to the finest grit.
  3. Detail Work: Using a “mouse,” palm sander, or oscillating sander, I will delicately sand every inch until the wood is perfectly smooth and all scratch marks vanish.
  4. The Hand-Finished Touch: I’ll complete the final sanding by hand for total control.PRO-TIP: Do NOT use 400+ grit sandpaper. If the wood is too “polished,” the stain cannot penetrate effectively to reveal the beautiful, natural woodgrain.
  5. Custom Color: I’ll hand-mix a custom stain and apply it to the wood with a cloth to bring out its unique personality.
  6. The First Coat: The frame moves to the painting studio for its first layer of varnish.
  7. Refining the Finish: Once dry, I’ll lightly sand the varnished frame and wipe it down with a tack cloth to ensure it is dust-free.
  8. The Final Glow: I’ll apply the remaining coats. While I hope for two, sometimes it takes three or four to reach the perfect luster.

Why the Frame Matters

I treat my drum frames like a standalone piece of art because I choose not to fully cover the outside edge with the rawhide. I want the wood to highlight and accent the rawhide head, not just support it.

Come back tomorrow for Day 15 for the full drum sanding tutorial. It is truly amazing how rough, unfinished wood can be transformed to look like opaque stained glass.

See you tomorrow for Day 15!



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

To contact me directly, please use this email:

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

Let Me Know What You Think! Start or Join the Convesation

Find Love Art by Po’s Portia “Po” Chapman Kingston Art studio on Google Maps at this link.

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

Drum December Day 13 – Beyond the Clamps: Wrapping the Summer Bend for a Winter Reveal

Portia "Po" Chapman
Close-up of a wood drum frame with blue C-clamps attached, sitting on grass, from the "Drum December Day 13 Summer Bend Ready For Winter Reveal" blog post by Portia Po Chapman.
Clamped wood drum frames from the summer bending sessions, ready to be finished in the winter studio.

Beyond the Clamps: Wrapping the Summer Bend for a Winter Reveal

We have reached Day 13 of Drum December. Using my innovative dry-bend technique and the disciplined 6-clamp method for freehand organic formation, the drum frames are now set. They have been glued and secured into their unique shapes and sizes—now, we must give them the gift of time.

The Art of the Cure

In the heat of the summer, I prefer to hang the clamped frames in the maple tree at the Love Art By Po studio. I’ve found that the blazing summer sun and a hot woodshop can be too aggressive; the glue and wood need to work their magic at their own pace. This stage cannot be rushed.

Whether they are hanging in the cool shade of a tree or resting in my humidity-controlled studio, the environment must be just right. To ensure the wood “remembers” its new shape without stress, I maintain these optimal conditions:

  • Temperature Range: 18–27°C (65–80°F)
  • Humidity: 55%
  • Lighting: Reduced UV exposure with dappled, indirect sunlight

More Than Craft: The Living Drum

Once dry, the frames move into my controlled environment for about 30 days. But this isn’t just storage—it is an introduction. I bring them into a living space filled with family conversation, singing, and music. I introduce them to their “sister drums” by playing the finished drums that surround them.

Some might think of drum making as simple carpentry, like crafting a coffee table, but the wood tells a different story. If you do not acknowledge their living nature, they rebel. For years, I heard stories of drums as family members who “talk” in their own ways. I never truly comprehended how that was possible until I began making them myself. Now, I know the truth: Drum making, most assuredly, becomes LIFE.

The Pivot: Moving to Real-Time

Today is December 21, 2025. Our summer-bent frames have dried, been unclamped, and are fully conditioned to the spirit of my studio. Starting tomorrow, Day 14, we leave the archives behind and move into real-time.

We are officially on a countdown to New Year’s Eve. To drum in 2026 with a newly finished piece, I must have the rawhide strung by December 27. Rawhide requires three days to dry in perfect conditions, and with the shifting winter weather outside my stringing studio, this will be a true nail-biter.

Nature will do as Nature does, and the drum is a part of that natural world. Join me tomorrow for Day 14 as we step into the workshop to begin the sanding and finishing.

See you in the studio!

See you tomorrow for Day 14!

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

To contact me directly, please use this email:

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

Let Me Know What You Think! Start or Join the Convesation

Find Love Art by Po’s Portia “Po” Chapman Kingston Art studio on Google Maps at this link.