new skins - how do you mount them

[rumbaman]

How is everyone today . Great i hope all my blessings . What is the procedure to mount the skins on my rims .

thanks rumbaman

[onile]

Alafia Abure Rumbaman!
I hope that you are well my brother!

Ahuh! The mounting of a new sking on your drum is always a wonderful challenge.
First of all, I always soak the skin in warm water intially (it turns cold after a while anyway), for about 8hrs. Just before going off to work, I fill the tub with warm water, just enough to cover the skin. Also, if you are going to use the "hoop" of the old head (the one you are replacing), put it in the tub also. The "hoop" or "el aro", is the steel hoop that is sandwiched inside the skin and what the "crown" sits on for tuning.

When you are ready to mount the skin, both of them should be as pliable as paper by then (8hrs of soaking), much easier to handle. Remove the hoop from the old head, place the new skin onto your drum, fit the hoop on it and then fold the skin over the hoop. Keep the crown nearby, because here is the tricky part, once you fold the skin over the hoop, you'll need the crown to fit on top of it. Don't be so concerned with getting it all perfect right away.

Oh! BTW, you'll need the following tools: a box knife (or a razor blade), some pliers (needle nose perferrably), a hard plastic spatchela (one used for applying putty) - this is used to place between the part of the skin that you will be cutting and the actual head of the drum, so you don't slip and cut the head itself.

Okay, back to the crown. You'll have fun with this part, you will need to "feed" the skin between the hoop and the crown, keep your pliers nearby, it will make it much easier to do this part of the task.
Once you've done this part, you'll need to put your "tension rods" on the drum. I normally start off with one directly in front of me, then opposite of that one just to secure it in place. Remember not to tighten the skin too much at this point, the skin could slip out of place if you aren't careful.

Once your are satisfied with the placement of the skin, then you can begin to 'cut' the excess from the drum. Be very careful with this part, because once you begin cutting, it's relatively permanent.

Place the plastic spatchala between the part of the skin you will be cutting and the head of the drum (you will need to continue to move this as you cut). Grab the skin with your pliers in one hand, and with the other begin to cut the excess skin. Once again, be very careful with this part, you should maintain some tension on the skin pulling with the pliers, while you cut with the box knife/razor.

Depending on your preference, you should look at the distance from the "top" of the drum, to the top of the "crown", if it's at a level you can live with, then begin your cutting.

Remember that the skin is wet and will 'shrink' in the drying process, so depending on the drum (quinto, conga, or tumba), you want to consider how much tightening/tuning you will be giving the drum, and allow for the comfort level of the playing surface.

Now, if I've totally confused you, then I've done my part. It's an experience you have to live through, and then you become a glutton for punishment, you decide to do another drum and yet another! :p :laugh:

Suerte!
Onile!



Edited By onile on 1135130189

[caballoballo]

Onile,Rumba,como están,Feliz Navidad

I think you forgot to mentione an extra set of hands to aid on the process of holding the skin. Last Monday I mounted a thicker skin on my Moperc Bongó Hembra relatively easy because my Son was helping me. I hope I can tune it today because the skin have been drying for the last 3 day and that is another thing Rumba,you have to let it dry before you can use it.

[onile]

Alafia Mi Hermano Caballoballo!
¡Felices Pascuas y Prospero Año Nuevo Mi Hermano!

You are absolutely right, except......when you live alone, as I do, and you get this wild hair to mount the skin on your own! :p :laugh:

It is definitely better to have someone help you, because the part of pulling the skin through the hoop and the crown is really frustrating, but if you do it enough, you'll figure out the little tricks. What I do is I lay one of my arms across the crown while with the other hand I am pulling the skin through the hoop and crown with the pliers. Like I said, you do it enough times you figure out how to invent a new way of doing it, maybe next time.....uso los dedos del pie. :p

Caballoballo, es un gusto, como siempre, leer tu mensaje mi hermano. ¡Espero que Papa Dios te bendiga a ti y a tu familia durante este tiempo y los años que vienen!

Suave!
Onile!



Edited By onile on 1135175559

[caballoballo]

Onile,gracias por tus buenos deseos. How is the holiday season music wise around your area ? Last Saturday we played the worst gig of the season. We went to hotel el convento in Sanjuan to play a private party,the type that everybody is just talking and no dancing. It is what I call un ensayo pagado but you feel like your music is not good not matter what you play. Back to the skin issue, I mounted the skin I have on the Pearl Elite Bongó on the Moperc because don't matter what I do to the Elite I am not satisfy with the sound. I guess I be using him only to practice and rehersal.

Bueno Hermano,que el señor te traiga una compañera buena,bonita,que le guste la musica y que comparta contigo todos tus anhelos ya que vives solo y segun dice El Combo la soledad es mala compañera.

[onile]

¡Dimelo Papa! ¿Qué si Que?

¡Espero que el senor te escuche!

Well, it’s not all that bad actually, I have a six-year old daughter, Destiny que me trae tanta alegria a mi vida! What with my day job, musical gigs, and my baby girl, I am happy with my life at this moment. I also have two other adult children, un hijo en la fuerza naval, es un piloto y esta volando helicópteros en la Florida al momento y una hija mayor que es una asistente farmacéutica. Entre ellos dos me brindan tres nietos con uno más en la vía. Que vida Papa!

I actually was called for a gig on New Years/La Noche Buena, but my daughter’s mom is going out of town, and I just couldn’t have my baby girl with a baby sitter. Besides, ¿que mejor manera de pasar la noche Buena si no con los quien amas....familia?

Suave Papa!
Onile!



Edited By onile on 1135185956

[captainquinto]

Greetings and a fine Winter Solstice to you all!

Great instructions, Onile! I will be trying this out pretty soon myself. Moperc's are on the way.

VP's website has similar instructions with some pictures, too.

Aqui: http://www.volcanopercussion.com/html/tucking_skins.html

Good luck gentleman ... the first couple tries should be like the Keystone Cops!!
P.S. Keep those "dedos del pie" put away for pete's sake!

Cap'n Q

[onile]

Yo! Cap'n Q!
Great Save my brother!
That VP link is perfect, I had seen it before but couldn't recall on which site! Much easier with pictures to illustrate it!

Whew! you're right, I'd better keep my toes in my shoes where they belong! :p :laugh:

Suave!
Onile!

[Isaac]

Onile,
Great explaining on how to mount a Skin. I also
use the needle nose pliers.

Miguel Arnedo-Gomez, A cuban percussiont living
in New Zealand told me about a very innovative aid
for mounting he came up with.
'll try to explain it in an upcoming
post. His method also alllows you to use smaller
skins with less hassle.

~ ISAAC ~


ISAAC

[onile]

Alafia Brother Isaac!
It's great to read your post again! I hope that you are well this holiday season.
Thanks for the kind words.

Hey, I'll look forward to the next post you mentioned!

Happy Hanukkah My Brother!

Shalom!

Onile!

[franc]

onile,
como esta , mi bro!! ojaja que muy bien!! ahi i i i! ! ! . in your fourth paragraph it also could be said. that once the crown is set .with two pliers you can adjust the skin so that it won't fold under itself under the ''hoop or aro'' and the crown. maybe that is what you meant by mentioning the word ''feed'' the skin when wet is very managable and it could be done. you couldn't be more precised in mounting ''los cueros''!!! mucho blessing in christmas and new year. pasalo, al cien, mi bro. you deserve it!!! tu pana, franc

[onile]

Alafia Franc!
¡Espero que todo este bien contigo y la familia mi pana!

That's a very good point you make Franc. It has happened once to me, and fortunately it was on a tumbadora, so I was able to use the same skin on a conga instead. I had actually already "cut" the excess skin, everything was already in place (the tension rods were in place), and I had begun tightening the head. I didn't pay close attention to the fact that on one side, the skin was 'pulling' under the crown, until it was too late, it had slipped out. This was very frustrating, so your point is very well made and should be considered when mounting the skins.

¡Que Papa Dios te brinde muchas bendiciones en este año nuevo, pa’ ti y pa la familia mi pana Franc!

Suave!
Onile!

[JohnnyConga]

Hi ...In my New DVD, I will be showing with the help of my "apprentice" Ivan Galvez, the mounting of a skin on a tumbadora. Coming Soon to a nabe near you!.....HAPPY HOLIDAYS!....'JC' JOHNNY CONGA.....

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... o__2am.jpg

[rumbaman]

Thank you gentelmen for this info. thanks to all of you ' i will try myself to do this . i will sacrafice my good buffalo heads on the meinl for a good pair of skins useing the same rims . i am going to save these post and will follow your dirrections . Thanks again to you all and a great holiday season to all .

rumbaman

[trickyricky]

Hi Onile!
Blessings to you for the coming year!
In your instructions you said: "Remember that the skin is wet and will 'shrink' in the drying process, so depending on the drum (quinto, conga, or tumba), you want to consider how much tightening/tuning you will be giving the drum, and allow for the comfort level of the playing surface." I have to assume that sometime in this process you stop to let the skin dry completely (as someone mentioned possibly 2-3 days) When in this process do you stop to let the skin dry? How much do you tighten before stopping to let it dry? Thanks for the info.
trickyricky