Carving into the outside of shells? Custom Drum makers help!

StereoAtLast · 20th February 2009

Basically, I have friend that carves custom tiki idols out of basically anything imagineable, and I was wondering if it would be possible to have this done to the outside of drum shells?

I'm thinking they'll be something by Keller (if you can think of a better/cheaper company feel free to tell)

and I'm thinking as of right now it's going to be a maple kit..

Would I need to put a veneer on the kit and have him carve that, the glue that around the shell (I think this would make it impossible to get the heads on..) or would it be fine to just go straight into the shell?

I plan on finishing the kit with a tobacco stain, sortof like DW's satin oil but a little bit glossier so it will be less suseptable to scratches and marks...

any advice on what I should do or what kind of wood I should use?

Nutmeg II. · 21st February 2009

I would work on the shell.
There should not be much of a problem if he stays with in the first 1-2 plys.

Beefsurgeon · 22nd March 2009

Sounds interesting. The primary thing to consider is how deep he is going to carve. Keller shells are cross-laminated, which means that the plies alternate between horizontal and vertical. So if you cut into the second ply, which is vertical, that spot will look very different from the remaining outer ply. Each ply in a Keller shell is about 1/32", so you don't have much to work with on the outer ply.

I would try using a solid shell, there's a company called Vaughncraft that makes them in all kinds of different woods. That way you can carve as deep as you want and still get a good look.

20th February 2009	#1
StereoAtLast Gear maniac Joined: Nov 2008 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 154 Thread Starter	Carving into the outside of shells? Custom Drum makers help! Basically, I have friend that carves custom tiki idols out of basically anything imagineable, and I was wondering if it would be possible to have this done to the outside of drum shells? I'm thinking they'll be something by Keller (if you can think of a better/cheaper company feel free to tell) and I'm thinking as of right now it's going to be a maple kit.. Would I need to put a veneer on the kit and have him carve that, the glue that around the shell (I think this would make it impossible to get the heads on..) or would it be fine to just go straight into the shell? I plan on finishing the kit with a tobacco stain, sortof like DW's satin oil but a little bit glossier so it will be less suseptable to scratches and marks... any advice on what I should do or what kind of wood I should use? __________________ "I don't hear anything." "Did you push the faders up?"

21st February 2009	#2
Nutmeg II. Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2003 Location: GEARmany Posts: 985	I would work on the shell. There should not be much of a problem if he stays with in the first 1-2 plys. __________________ "Any recording engineer who uses a tube U47 is obviously not a professional" Stephan Temmer 1979

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22nd March 2009	#3
Beefsurgeon Gear Head Joined: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 34	Sounds interesting. The primary thing to consider is how deep he is going to carve. Keller shells are cross-laminated, which means that the plies alternate between horizontal and vertical. So if you cut into the second ply, which is vertical, that spot will look very different from the remaining outer ply. Each ply in a Keller shell is about 1/32", so you don't have much to work with on the outer ply. I would try using a solid shell, there's a company called Vaughncraft that makes them in all kinds of different woods. That way you can carve as deep as you want and still get a good look.