Cherry Wood 14X6.5 Snare Build
Hey guys, for this build I decided to break away from the metal alloys for a bit and go back to wood. I wanted to build a drum that was harder, denser, and heavier than your standard maple or brich drum.
After doing some digging, it looked like walnut or cherry would be the pick……… I can always have a stave drum shell made from harder woods, but cherry and walnut are the shells I found at a reasonable price (depending on the wood and size a good stave shell, after shipping, can set you back a good $250 – $350).
According to a wood hardness scale, cherry is a harder wood than walnut and therefore my pick. First step was to tape the inside off to stain it with watered down purple unicorn spit. To get an even coat the trick it to wet the shell surface you are painting. After having it dry it was time to mix the triple thick polyurethane with a four tone metal flake. I use a sponge rather than brushes to avoid having to do a lot of sanding (from lines left from the brush bristles) and saves me having to add a second clear layer in the end. Two good layers of poly + flake with one clear is enough to get you to a good sanding spot.
I personally use a grit between 250 and 500 to smooth the surface out (this way you avoid sanding too deep and hitting the flakes in the finish). Once the surface is smooth to the touch, you can grab a can of spray on polyurethane. One or two layers will give the drum a good gloss and make the shell look good. Even though I use fast-drying polyurethane, it is good to let the shell cure for a day or two (depending on temperature and humidity) before taping it up to drill hole for the hardware.
Once I was done taping the outer part of the shell, it wasn’t hard to map and drill the holes for the hardware. I used to be a die hard fan for metal alloy drums until this drum……. I always went on about how metal drums have a certain dry ‘body’ that I like. I fell in love with the warm and full sound you get from this shell. The hardness of the wood allows it to resonate more and get the tone I felt was missing from other wood drums.
