I don't know how I didn't find this site sooner.. I've come across it plenty of times but never really took the time to read through the forums. Looks like there are quite a few folks here around the CLT area. It's always cool to have a good support group when doing something that your not sure if you love or hate...
So about me... I always enjoyed building stuff, taking things apart and not being able to put them back together, getting tunnel vision on a project for weeks or longer just to loose interest halfway through...
I started drumming (mostly hand drums... specifically from West Africa) a few years back and thought why not make my own drum. Without any real woodworking experience I set out to get the basics I'd need to make a drum from a 8"x20" pine log. I got a long drill bit, some walmart chisels, a hand saw and an axe... I think that was it for the first drum. I loved the process and the drum turned out horrible. A year or so later I got really serious about drumming and wanted to build a better drum.. I turned to a more economical and practical method which was to build a drum with staves or slats.. I picked up a 100 dollar table saw from lowes and made my first ashiko drum shell out of poplar... it sucked too, but again I loved the process and learned so much...
Since then I've started my own business (plug) Rhythm House Drums, where I build top notch hand drums as well as import drum shells from various West African countries, specifically Guinea and Mali. The woods I get from over there are beautiful.. a lot of the djembe woods are not available as lumber such as Khadi (hare'), Lenke, Djalla, Dimba.. etc. I'll have photos of most of these woods in my gallery before too long.
Through the business I have been able to build a decent size workshed (still in construction) I've acquired a full size 6" jointer, planer, drill press, DC, 3hp sawstop and tons hand tools and carving tools, welding equipment.... lots of toys. I work full time as a Graphic Designer and am doing this business as hard as I can so that I can switch over to doing it full time in the next few years.
From having the equipment and building drums I've developed a love for wood and woodworking in general. I love the smell of woods and the textures.. padauk dust smells like candy, and will probably kill me faster.... I'm learning Sketchup now so I can put some of my thoughts on "paper" to help me work out my ideas. I have a lot to learn and hope to share some of the process on this forum.
I have one inch discs in my ears turned from Khadi wood. It's my favorite West African wood and my main djembe is carved from Khadi... I have about 200 Rhythm House Drums shirts that I rotate through, so it's rare that you'll see me out and about without sporting my RHD logo.. Say HI!!!
I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you.
So about me... I always enjoyed building stuff, taking things apart and not being able to put them back together, getting tunnel vision on a project for weeks or longer just to loose interest halfway through...
I started drumming (mostly hand drums... specifically from West Africa) a few years back and thought why not make my own drum. Without any real woodworking experience I set out to get the basics I'd need to make a drum from a 8"x20" pine log. I got a long drill bit, some walmart chisels, a hand saw and an axe... I think that was it for the first drum. I loved the process and the drum turned out horrible. A year or so later I got really serious about drumming and wanted to build a better drum.. I turned to a more economical and practical method which was to build a drum with staves or slats.. I picked up a 100 dollar table saw from lowes and made my first ashiko drum shell out of poplar... it sucked too, but again I loved the process and learned so much...
Since then I've started my own business (plug) Rhythm House Drums, where I build top notch hand drums as well as import drum shells from various West African countries, specifically Guinea and Mali. The woods I get from over there are beautiful.. a lot of the djembe woods are not available as lumber such as Khadi (hare'), Lenke, Djalla, Dimba.. etc. I'll have photos of most of these woods in my gallery before too long.
Through the business I have been able to build a decent size workshed (still in construction) I've acquired a full size 6" jointer, planer, drill press, DC, 3hp sawstop and tons hand tools and carving tools, welding equipment.... lots of toys. I work full time as a Graphic Designer and am doing this business as hard as I can so that I can switch over to doing it full time in the next few years.
From having the equipment and building drums I've developed a love for wood and woodworking in general. I love the smell of woods and the textures.. padauk dust smells like candy, and will probably kill me faster.... I'm learning Sketchup now so I can put some of my thoughts on "paper" to help me work out my ideas. I have a lot to learn and hope to share some of the process on this forum.
I have one inch discs in my ears turned from Khadi wood. It's my favorite West African wood and my main djembe is carved from Khadi... I have about 200 Rhythm House Drums shirts that I rotate through, so it's rare that you'll see me out and about without sporting my RHD logo.. Say HI!!!
I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you.