Plywood vs Pine

[wdipaulo]

Just a quick question ... building a homemade platform. Which is better to use to make the drum. Solid Pine or Birch Plywood? Both are 3/4" 2' x 4' and will be cut, trimmed and glued together to make a 1 1/2 inch 24" circle. Just not sure which will be stronger in the long-run. Just looking for some guidance. Thanks in advance ...

[Speedbag]

I can't say I know member "Chris M" is a master woodworker. There may be a few others.

[Dutchman]

Theoretically the plywood should be stronger, as the layers are glued with the grain at 90 degrees to the preceeding one. If it's a furniture grade ply with few to no voids it will make a very satisfactory drum. If you can laminate three pieces together that would be even better.

[wdipaulo]

Theoretically the plywood should be stronger, as the layers are glued with the grain at 90 degrees to the preceeding one. If it's a furniture grade ply with few to no voids it will make a very satisfactory drum. If you can laminate three pieces together that would be even better.

Perfect ... thanks to you both ... damn, i knew someone would say three , well now that i need to buy a full sheet of plywood, would it be better to glue 4 pieces together? Or make the drum larger than 24" because I'm not gone to use the sheet for anything else. What's the best use of a full sheet of furniture grade 3/4" plywood when making a homemade platform, thoughts????

[ebolacereal]

the 24" plywood route

I glued two 3/4 inch drums together to make a whopping 1.5 inch, which I thought would make a small improvement. I would have went thicker but I question the integrity of my weakass hollow metal U-frames. I now have a thicker board and a mere 15 lb bag of sand above what the manufacturer built it for. Does anyone know of a way to reinforce the U-frames I'm talking about? I do not possess any welding skills though. I'd love to maximize stability and preserve my neighbors sanity.

[Speedbag]

I glued two 3/4 inch drums together to make a whopping 1.5 inch, which I thought would make a small improvement. I would have went thicker but I question the integrity of my weakass hollow metal U-frames. I now have a thicker board and a mere 15 lb bag of sand above what the manufacturer built it for. Does anyone know of a way to reinforce the U-frames I'm talking about? I do not possess any welding skills though. I'd love to maximize stability and preserve my neighbors sanity.

Whoa!! that is a magnificent looking board.


Great Job

[wdipaulo]

...so what route did you go with your drum and do you have a pic of it...ralph

Well, still a work in progress but for an update ... bought a 4x8 3/4" sheet of hardwood plywood, got (4) 27 3/4" circles out of it for a drum, Gorilla glued the 4 3/4" circles together, finishing with a Minwax Poly shade finish (still drying) ... working on the connecting to basement rafters now ... its one heavy sucker of a drum ... ... will post pics when complete. Hope it works

[ebolacereal]

...like speedbag said wow that is a nice looking drum. btw i have that bag if it is the fightingsports pro 6x9 and it puts a lot of stress on the platform because of the weight of the bag. maybe try a lighter smaller bag for your neighbors sanity :-) ...ralph

That's exactly the bag I have. I was thinking about getting a golden title 5x8, but may opt for the lesser "classic" title 5x8 because I hear it is lighter, which makes for softer rebounds, perhaps?

[paranday]

That's exactly the bag I have. I was thinking about getting a golden title 5x8, but may opt for the lesser "classic" title 5x8 because I hear it is lighter, which makes for softer rebounds, perhaps?

The Classic rebounds more softly. Don't overlook the Title Platinum Atomic XS Mini Pro bag in 7x5, it is the quietest bag in this size range, it is super light, and has a nice rebound. On sale right now. It shakes the foundation the least of any "real" bag I've got.

[ebolacereal]

Wow, 50% off regular price is no joke. I wonder if I can blackmail my neighbor into getting this for me. jokes. How about the XXS Super Pro? Is that a bit excessive, do you think?

[paranday]

...How about the XXS Super Pro? Is that a bit excessive, do you think?

Think Wiffle ball, haha. Hope Tim replies, he excels on that one.