Custom Drum Preparation

[forthaney]

Well I decided not to get the balazs i-frame just yet.
I know that I'll keep looking at that MDF and want it changed "i have no will power"

SO instead. I have decided to make the frame myself for now. But the drum is the challange in this project. I found a Wood Smith to make me one. Well lets say I paid him

Its going to be 30" Diameter 2" thick Maple butcher block with finger jointed butt joints. The finger jointed part makes it cheeper "so I'm told" it Also adds strength "I'm told again"

The edges will be rounded with a 1/8" radius so no chips and splinters.

I think ChrisM put a larger maple drum on his i-beam frame.
So I might do that later.

This will be unfinished. I read "I think it was ChrisM again" that linseed oil can be used.

How is this done, how often, and is it a common item at homedepot or lowes?


.

[Chris M]

I'm sure you'll be happy with it regardless of cost. I've rarely regretted spending more money to get something really nice.

Here's the discussion where I talked about how I made my drum, but I made mine out of cherry, and that was only because I had several hundred board feet of that laying in my shop just waiting for a project.

http://speedbagforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111

How is this done, how often, and is it a common item at homedepot or lowes?

What are you referring to on from above?

[Kyle]

sounds good post some pics of it im interested to see how it turns out. plus if you can let us know how much it was that would be good to.
________
Roll blunts

[forthaney]

HI

ChirsM i was asking about the linseed oil. The drum will be unfinished and wanted to know about linseed oil as a finish.

any suggestions on a finish.


Also the price is $130 plus shipping. I'll have alot of photos when the project is done. I want to detail a little how I tweeked the swivel after I find out how well it works.

I am thinking about getting some steel for the frame and having it welded.
If I can keep that under $100 I'll be real happy with the final price of the total project.

[Chris M]

HI

ChirsM i was asking about the linseed oil. The drum will be unfinished and wanted to know about linseed oil as a finish.

any suggestions on a finish.


Also the price is $130 plus shipping. I'll have alot of photos when the project is done. I want to detail a little how I tweeked the swivel after I find out how well it works.

I am thinking about getting some steel for the frame and having it welded.
If I can keep that under $100 I'll be real happy with the final price of the total project.

Boiled Linseed oil is readily available at just about any hardware store. A quart is pretty cheap and will easily do many coats on your drum.

You'll want to do this to both sides:

First of all, make sure the drum is sanded with at least 150 or 220 grit sandpaper before starting. It should be pretty smooth.

What you want to do to apply it is to put on a thoroughly wet coat and let it sit for about 15 minutes or so. Then wipe it off and let it dry overnight. Then follow up with some 0000 steel wool and remove all the metal particles with a vacuum cleaner or a wet shop rag. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times. If you really have a lot of patience, if you keep this up for several weeks you will have the most beautiful finish you've ever seen, but it's not necessary at all. What you're after is a little protection from moisture and to seal the wood, which 2 or 3 coats do just fine. I've done the old fashioned oil finish on some furniture pieces that I've made, with the final sanding starting at 400 grit and going up to 15,000 grit and it's literally smoother than glass and makes a reflection like a mirror. It's absolutely the most beautiful finish you can get. It's the way they used to do it way back in the old days before there was urethane, varnish, etc. This method of finish goes back several hundred years. If you're really interested in that and want to spend hours upon hours of sanding at progressively finer sandpapers and mediums, I'll send you some links, but it is way overkill for something as mundane as a speedbag drum.

When after the last coat is dry, lightly go over the entire drum with 0000 steel wool to remove any final nibs and dust particles, remove the steel wool dust and then apply a coat of paste wax (if you don't have any beeswax based wax, car wax will do just fine) and you should have a pretty handsome drum that is well protected against moisture. Apply the wax with a clean cotton cloth using overlapping circular motions just like you wax a car. Let it dry 15 to 20 minutes and then buff it out. Repeat at least one more time.

The finish should last indefinitely indoors. If you are using it outdoors I would re-do it at least once a year. The linseed oil will darken the wood slightly, making it a more amber color which is really okay in my opinion since hard maple is so white, it brings out the grain nicely.

Good luck and if you need anything, let me know. BTW, that price is pretty good, you did well.

As far as the steel, I was collecting old angle iron from bed rails that people had discarded that was laying on the side of the street. For the plans that I had, I needed about 30 feet of it and that's only about 5 or 6 bed rails and that angle iron is very sturdy stuff! You could easily pick up 5 or 6 rails in a day if you spent an afternoon or evening driving around on trash day around a decent sized town. Make sure to pay attention to apartment complexes at the beginning and end of the month, you'll find a treasure trove there.

ps, upload some pictures in the pics/video section when you get it!

[Chris M]

To get an idea what hard maple looks like after doing what I detailed above, see the following pictures. I did exactly what I described to the workbench you can see in the background. It's not a good picture, but you can get an idea of what the color will be like when you're done. If you click on the picture after opening it, the picture will enlarge and you can see it much better.

Chris

http://www.speedbagforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41&d=1166217596

http://www.speedbagforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=40&d=1166217596

[Roscoe]

Making your own platform

Man, you won't regret making your own platform, anybody will tell you it is a very gratifying experience. You found a great deal with your woodsmith, you might ask him afterward if he'd be willing to make more in case anyone here is interested. Chris M has been a wealth of information for me while building mine and if bed rail steel doesn't fit your configuration needs may I suggest a scrap yard or asking for remnants at a steel distributor...very inexpensive, my steel came to around $15.

Good luck.

Roscoe

[forthaney]

Wow Thanks ChrisM
Those are great directions. I'm going to do that finish that you described.
I figure I'll keep applying the coats until I get the frame material and the welding done.

Where is a good source for beeswax based wax. besides car wax. I mean in what section of a hardware stoore would I find it. Is it a common wood finishing product.

I checked out the photos you sent and can get a good idea of the final finish.
I am really looking forward to getting this drum. Im glad I went this route.

Roscoe thanks, I definitly planned on telling the wood smith that I could send others his way if he wanted. But I want to see the quality for my self before I send people his way. I can't imagine he wouldn't want the extra buisness.

I get some great photos when I start making progress on the drum finish.

[Chris M]

Wow Thanks ChrisM
Those are great directions. I'm going to do that finish that you described.
I figure I'll keep applying the coats until I get the frame material and the welding done.

Where is a good source for beeswax based wax. besides car wax. I mean in what section of a hardware stoore would I find it. Is it a common wood finishing product.

I checked out the photos you sent and can get a good idea of the final finish.
I am really looking forward to getting this drum. Im glad I went this route.

Roscoe thanks, I definitly planned on telling the wood smith that I could send others his way if he wanted. But I want to see the quality for my self before I send people his way. I can't imagine he wouldn't want the extra buisness.

I get some great photos when I start making progress on the drum finish.

Just about any place that specializes in woodworking products should have it. The big box stores like Lowes, Home Depot may or may not have it. I buy most of my woodworking stuff through Woodcraft, but I have a store about 30 miles from me. Just about any of the waxes on the following page will work just fine. It's pricey, but one can will last you a very long time. You can buy it online here: http://woodcraft.com/search/search.aspx?query=wax

Also, check out to see if you have a store near you, you'll probably get some great ideas, Woodcraft has some very good quality tools, equipment, bits, blades, chemicals, etc. http://www.woodcraft.com/stores/

Edit, don't buy the straight beeswax, this is good stuff: http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=7264

And this will be good too: http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=7263

And this: http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1635

[forthaney]

Thanks Again ChrisM
I do have a woodcraft about 15 to 20 miles from me so thats wher I m going this weekend

Im going to get one of the waxes you mentioned and this linseed oil http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=20148

What is the VM & P Naphtha; for thinning the linseed? If so I don't need to thin or do I? hmmmm

[Chris M]

No, you don't need to thin it at all.

I've never used Naptha, but I know it's a pretty strong solvent, probably to thin the linseed oil and/or clean up afterwards.

BTW, get your hands on lots of rags for applying the linseed oil. The rags will be useless after using them to apply the linseed oil. I suppose you could pick up some naptha to clean the rags afterwards, but I usually buy a whole bunch of old t-shirts and raggedy blue jeans at Goodwill. If you tell them you want old cotton clothes for rags, they'll probably load you up with them for free or very cheap, that's what I do.

Goodwill is also a great resource if you're wanting to restuff or fill up a heavy bag that's settled.

One more tip: When you're done applying the linseed oil with the rag, lay it flat or drape it over something to dry. They say that rags soaked in linseed oil can spontaneously combust when left in a garbage can, so put them in an outdoor garbage can after they have thoroughly dried if possible.

Oh, one other. That linseed oil is a bitch to get off your hands. Pick up some cheap surgical gloves. They also have those at Woodcraft. Your wife or girlfriend will thank me when you don't have orange fingernails and beds.

[forthaney]

Thanks for the tip about the rags and how they can spontaneously combust.
I don't need those problems

and yes my wife would thank you.