Do it yourself conga projects - Looking for instructions/help to make

[Roadeater]

I want to make my own congas and I am looking for anything that could help..books, instructions, measurements etc... prefferably a solid wood construction, if anyone out there can help??

[drumba]

A good general overview of drum making techniques is the book, Drum Making by Dennis Waring. I have not found anything specifically dealing with the making of congas. I have made a lot of stave drums-djembes, ashikos and djun-djuns and intend making a set of congas quite soon.
So if you are wanting to make drums from wooden staves, which is the way most congas are made, I can help.
Let me know.

[Roadeater]

Drumba: Thank you for your reply... (I really think it's marvelous to be able to chat about this with someone so far away) My thinking is that solid wood might be easier for an amateur like me than staves.. What do you think?

[SkinDeep]

WELL IF THAT'S THE CASE GO TO LATIN RHYTHM TRADERS WEBSITE AND YOU CAN BUY THE WHOLE KIT TO PUT ONE TOGETHER TO YOUR LIKING.

[Roadeater]

Skindeep: I've seen their web site and although it's a good option, I want the pleasure of doing it from scratch myself.

[whitemanplay]

african kpanlogo's are made from one peice tree trunks, you can use that same idea if you are going for modern tuning lugs over the traditional pegs and string just come up with your own ideas and measurments. from modern hoops and lugs. If you feel like gutting out a log with a spoon go for it



Edited By whitemanplay on 1158548642

[OLSONGO]

In using a whole tree trunk to make a conga, there are some companies out there that offer this concept one of them is DEL CIELO congas out of Oregon, and I also love that look. But from what I hear you have to seal the drum very well , because the metal plates and modern lug system can cause the drum to crack or split if the drum is not sealed tight.
DEL CIELO uses a different tuning system where no drilling is requiered.

Paz OLSONGO

[drumba]

Greetings
Staves are a cinch if you have a good bandsaw. The stave angle calculations are not to difficult either. There is a stave calculator at the djembe faq, this is also a good site for general drum making info.
Also, have a look at the Moperc website if you want to get a clearer idea of the process.
Most African drum makers carve the shells out of wet wood. its a lot easier, less saw dust. But then you have to let the wood dry, before you finish it off. This takes a while and can result in splitting and warping if youre not careful.
Working with dry wood is a mission. The are two drum makers down here who make djembes out of solid logs, the process would be much the same for congas. I have also seen a couple of guys who use a small angle grinder with a wood carving attatchment to hollow out the shell. Then they put the shell onto a lathe to shape and finish the outside.
Lots of dust and a few cracked teeth, but its definitely possible.

drumba



Edited By drumba on 1158609021

[Roadeater]

Drumba: Thank you for the info.. I appreciate it very much. The Djembe FAQ site for the staves calculations, is this somewhere on the CongaBoard website or somewhere else?? I'm sorry for my ignorance but this is all new to me.

[drumba]

Roadeater,
If you Google ''djembe'' it should come up. Also do a search for ''stave drum'' there is some interesting info on the net.
If you let me know how many staves you thinking of using I will work it out for you.



Edited By drumba on 1158782954

[Roadeater]

Drumba: I found the website the link is http://www.drums.org/djembefaq/toc.htm for those that might want it. I found the stave calculator but I was wondering how and where to take into account the waist diameter in a conga. I'm supposing here that you are using the ashiko calculator page??? Is this correct? If I use the ashiko page will the angles still be correct when I form the staves to the right curve???? Or do you use the values for the upper bowl on a Djembe and ignore the bottom dimensions??

From the Moperc website (I found out that they are only a couple of hours from where I am so I might try to get a tour) I think it's safe to say 16 staves?? Is this typical in your opinion?

Thanks for all the help.

[drumba]

Greetings
The more staves you use the easier it is to round off the drum. Also the number of staves could vary depending on the size of the drum, eg an LP Classic Tumba 12 1/2 inch has 23 staves, the LP Matador Quinto 11 inch has 20, the Matador Conga 11 3/4 has 23, while the 10 inch Toca Player series Quinto has 16. I work mostly with 18, it just makes finishing much easier
The stave angle is determined by the number of staves and stays the same no matter what the profile curve is. Thats my experience anyhow.
If you imagine one ashiko turned upside down and placed on top of the other. The two top openings will be the waist of the conga. If you have a look at a set of fibreglass drums you will see what I mean.

Drumba

[Roadeater]

Drumba: Thank you. I really appreciate the help. Does anyone have a suggestion for glue?? On a different subject, it has been suggested to me that using a big bag and a vacuum to create a vacuum chamber is a good way to create even pressure on the staves until the glue sets. Has anyone here tried this in the past? Or does anyone have any suggestions for that part?

Best regards to all!!

This forum and the open exchanges between people from all over the world is a true expression of brotherly love.