Wood drum of choice??

[buda315]

Hi,

Brand new here and just returning to speed bagging after a 14 year break. I am going to build my own and am looking for advice. The options that I am considering are using 1" x 24'' round pine from Lowe's ($16). I was considering buying two and glueing them together, but not sure if this adds to the product or just using a sand bag would accomplish the same thing.

Any wood guys know the pros or cons for using one 1'' pine board vs. two or alternately using a sand bag instead of the additional wood. Pine from Lowe's was the cheapest and easiest 24'' round I could find, well actually the only in a local store. I know pine is a soft wood, so I am worried about whether it is a good choice. Is plywood better?

I was pretty good back in my younger years, so I would like to have a quality set up. I am by no means a craftsman or knowledgeable about wood working.

My second option was going to be to buy a used end table which I found for $30 and cut two 3/4'' round oak sections and glue them together. Would this be that much different than using the pine? It would be more work, b/c the pine is already cut and has rounded edges.

My last and most expensive option is that I found a 24'' round hard maple that is 1 1/2'' thick for $118. If I used this, I would use just the one piece.

Sooo... 1'' vs 2'' (glued together), pine vs oak, and finally 1 1/2'' maple???

What do you think is the winning combination?

I've ordered my swivel and a couple of bags based on my reading in this forum.

Thanks for all the great advice.

Happy holidays.

[Biff]

Hey buda, welcome to the forum. I think I'd go with the oak option. Another member, Dax_q, used the Lowe's pine, and it started to break up on him. $30.00 sounds a lot better than $118. Once you get it setup, see if there is any vibration, then place the sand on top. That normally solves any vibration problems.

Whatever you choose, let us know and post up some pics of the final product. Also, let's see some vids of you in action.

EDIT: just curious, what type of swivel and bags did you order?

[dax_q]

Buda,
Biff is right. I have the Lowe's pine and it is starting to come apart and I have a small, light bag on the platform. It will definitely do the job to start, but I am looking for something thicker and heavier now.
Dax

[buda315]

Very good to know, about the pine... O.k., I will rule that out. No need building something if I will just have to replace it.

Regarding the swivel and bag, I was all set to buy the all metal Watkins, but then ended up just getting the Everlast plastic swivel. I'll plan on using lock-tite to secure the ball. It seems that they both work about the same, minus less noise on the plastic model. Also, I don't know if there is any truth to the getting metal shavings in your eyes, but I figured I would play it safe.

Any thoughts on whether one 1'' oak would be sufficient? Or would it be advantageous to glue two 1'' together?

How would two oak compare to a 1 1/2'' hard maple?

Thanks for the welcome. I am really looking forward to getting back into bagging. I was probably 18-20 years old the last time I did it.

[Speedbag]

Very good to know, about the pine... O.k., I will rule that out. No need building something if I will just have to replace it.

Regarding the swivel and bag, I was all set to buy the all metal Watkins, but then ended up just getting the Everlast plastic swivel. I'll plan on using lock-tite to secure the ball. It seems that they both work about the same, minus less noise on the plastic model. Also, I don't know if there is any truth to the getting metal shavings in your eyes, but I figured I would play it safe.

Any thoughts on whether one 1'' oak would be sufficient? Or would it be advantageous to glue two 1'' together?

How would two oak compare to a 1 1/2'' hard maple?

Thanks for the welcome. I am really looking forward to getting back into bagging. I was probably 18-20 years old the last time I did it.

Several of us can attest to the truth of the metal shavings rumor. I have had it happen x2 that I can attest to the initial irritation to a speed bag session. The plastic swivel is a good option, however several of us find it a bit floatie or difficult to control. If I was hitting hours a day like I use to, I might consider changing swivels or wearing close fit protective lenses, but I don't hit nearly that much anymore, and 2 incidents in over 35 years gives a pretty low percentage of occurence. The biggest problem with wearing normal glasses is the frames tend to get hit by the thumb on a downward elbow, so If I pay attention when I do that I can get by 98% of the time. The other 2% gets ugly.

As for the "best wood" that will probably be debatable. Some of us did fine with the cheapest presswood boards available in a $49.00 set years ago. a good piece of hardwood with a sandbag on top seems to yield the most stable and pleasing sound.

[paranday]

...2 incidents in over 35 years gives a pretty low percentage of occurence.

I agree, it's not very likely to happen. Is it metal wear at the point where the eyehook attaches to the s-hook that causes this problem?

The biggest problem with wearing normal glasses is the frames tend to get hit by the thumb on a downward elbow, so If I pay attention when I do that I can get by 98% of the time. The other 2% gets ugly.

My glasses have been knocked crooked several times, and have hit the floor hard once now. And they've been mashed into my face on another occasion, haha. But I'm blind without them and like the downward elbow.

Wear an old pair you don't care about, I guess. Can't say you didn't warn us.

[Speedbag]

I agree, it's not very likely to happen. Is it metal wear at the point where the eyehook attaches to the s-hook that causes this problem?

I suspect that also. The metal housing by the board is usually soft and gets beat down flat. I think a metal flake from there would go upward slightly, away from the eye. The metal area of eye-hook to S-hook is more at eye level and gets twisted and worn considerably also. The last time this happened, I felt a distinct eye hit after hard Reverse Single Punching (RSP) with my right fist. The eye-hook area on that swivel was almost worn in two at the time.

I considered that it might be a bit of dirt or grit from the board that rides on the bag, and got knocked off during the punch, but the Eye Dr. identified it a week later as a tiny metal shard, clearing viewable when cleared out.

My glasses have been knocked crooked several times, and have hit the floor hard once now. And they've been mashed into my face on another occasion, haha. But I'm blind without them and like the downward elbow.

Wear an old pair you don't care about, I guess. Can't say you didn't warn us.

HA! I'm hearing Barbara Streisand singing "memories..." on this one. I've also done the "glasses face, to wall, to floor" scene, as well as drilled the frame down into my nose a few times. I'm trying to cultivate the timing to turn my head a bit to "look over at my downward moving fist", which will move that corner of the glasses rim a bit back behind the path of the fist. I try to do that on a Downward Triple's.

The reasons are that for the Triple (D-TES), I almost always link a single or double fist off that technique and tend to make a "C" with the last fist to keep the elbow up in position (99% of time??) The "C" brings the downward fist down close to the ear to about eye-nose level then bend outward a bit. If I angle my head toward the downward arm, it moves that high side frame of the glasses back behind the normal fist path, so it usually misses.

On Doward Doubles (D-DES) I try to hold my head up and back a bit more moving the frame out of the way, since I normally don't link a fist behind on the Downward Double, but use it more in the O-DES ' ' ' D-DES...combinations.

I hate having to remember to do these head movements when punching with glass, because my punching style is pretty set after 35+ years and any alterations are a distraction. To be honest, I pretty much still punch bare faced and take my chances, particulary when video taping. But Eye protection is recommended along with hand protection.

(Do as I say, no as I do.?? )

[Tim]

Several of us can attest to the truth of the metal shavings rumor. I have had it happen x2 that I can attest to the initial irritation to a speed bag session.

I believe it's happened once to me. It's happened to skunk at least twice that I know of.

[Speedbag]

I believe it's happened once to me. It's happened to skunk at least twice that I know of.

Perhaps this happens more than we realize, but I find it hard to happen if punching from the front only. Maybe more people hit from behind than I realized. I would have bet Reverse Punching is used by a very small number of the actual daily bagger population.

[Tim]

Perhaps this happens more than we realize, but I find it hard to happen if punching from the front only. Maybe more people hit from behind than I realized. I would have bet Reverse Punching is used by a very small number of the actual daily bagger population.

I try not to look up while bagging I'm not sure how it happens. I definitely got something in my eye one night, half way through a session. Luckily it didn't require medical intervention. My eye was irritated for about 4-5 hours afterwards, but was fine the next day. I think when the hook strikes the base (any direction punching) it probably casts off a minute amount of material. I use a pretty heavy chassis grease on my metal swivels and I think that might help. I can tell you it gets FILTHY quickly , which is small particles of metal getting trapped in the grease. Makes a huge mess on the bags but it does keep things quiet and MIGHT be safer (hard to know for sure though).

[paranday]

I would think an engineer could come up with a swivel without this problem. Maybe just a different choice of materials is needed, or a modest redesign. It's the kind of problem that begs to be solved, once and for all.

[fingers]

Hmm could this be a valid reason to keep my u bar swivel ?

[whiptats]

Perhaps this happens more than we realize, but I find it hard to happen if punching from the front only. Maybe more people hit from behind than I realized. I would have bet Reverse Punching is used by a very small number of the actual daily bagger population.

This just cracked me up because I never even heard of punching from behind until I happened on this forum. If more people are doin it than you realized, it is only because you don't realize how many people you have influenced. It still blows me away whenever I do a reverse fist roll. Thanks, Alan! Thats because you showed me. Long live King Kahn!

[Speedbag]

I would think an engineer could come up with a swivel without this problem. Maybe just a different choice of materials is needed, or a modest redesign. It's the kind of problem that begs to be solved, once and for all.

Agreed.

I'll bet my bags that the swivels in the '70's & '80's were made of harder metals than those of last few years. They had a different pitch of "clank" sound and seemed to last longer before getting beat down. These metal things today feel light and cheap.