“You got to do things the hard way …“
“… if you’re ever gonna do them right.” Okay, I don’t usually discuss my build processes but, hey, let’s talk about bearing edges, just as an example.
Occasionally, I’ve wondered why I don’t get more efficient with my drum builds. If I rigged up more standard templates, involved more power operations, got computers to do production steps, built a larger shop, and bulk ordered more components, I could handle more volume and make more money. If I spent less time in the shop being hands-on, I could do more marketing and make more money. Frankly, if I just got less fussy about each build, I could make more money.
So why not?
A few years ago, I had the privilege of seeing Josh Goforth perform at a house concert. Josh is an alarmingly talented, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and storyteller who hails from the mountains of North Carolina where I’ve chosen to live. I was struck by a song of his called “The Hard Way,” which contained the words at the beginning of this article. (Here’s the song.) It’s an old-fashioned attitude, but there’s a lot of sense – and truth – in it.
So about the bearing edges: I go through a lot of steps to make them – more than you will see most builders do, and way, way more than the big mass-production companies would ever consider doing. It takes me a fair amount of time and plenty of attention, and maybe it’s overkill … but …
Before cutting bearing edge profiles, I double check shell thickness at the edges with a caliper. If there are any discrepancies, I resolve those with a cabinet card scraper and elbow grease.
Then I cut roundovers followed by chamfer shapes, at low speeds (depending on the wood species and grain direction) and in several shallow passes of 0.5 to 0.25 millimeter at a time. On snare drums I cut different profiles for the batter and snare edges, and with kits I cut graduated profiles for the different shell sizes. The profiles themselves are based on the balance of tone and sustain for each individual drum’s intended use and character.
After rough cutting the snare beds I shape them by hand using three types of files in succession.
Then the edges are refined by hand sanding, using five grades of sandpaper up to 800 grit. I check for evenness and smoothness with my fingertips – far more accurate than a visual inspection in detecting any imperfections.
When I’m satisfied, each edge gets an application of sealer, followed by a light top coat and a final polishing with hard carnauba wax. They’re moisture-resistant, smooth, hard, and ideal for tone and tuning.
Whew. And all that’s just for the edges. There’s a lot more for the rest of the drum.
I know I can do this more easily. I know, in fact, that I can cut all the edges in the same profile with a CNC machine and even leave them raw – the way a lot of the mass-produced lines are handled. One step, and it’s done.
But I also know I wouldn’t sleep at night, knowing what was possible to do that hadn’t been done. Because I need to achieve more than customer satisfaction – I need to achieve builder satisfaction as well. I need, in fact, to do some things the hard way … in order to do them right.
Thanks, Josh Goforth. You really nailed it.
