Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Manufacturers, brands, skins, maintenance, stands, sticks, michrophones and other accessories for congueros can be discussed into this forum ...... leave your experience or express your doubts!

Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby Jasie_gee » Sat May 09, 2015 3:00 pm

Hi there,

just got back from Cuba, bought a cheap basic conga, quite rugged, great thick skin, sounds really good. However needs a bit of remedial maintenance. Mainly the bands aren't well attached, they're not tight and just screwed in to the shell. Can anyone descibe the best way to reattach them to the shell, I'm quite practical, good Diyer so just some pointers will be good. Should I rivet them? Not sure, look forward to some advice.

Thanks Jason
Jasie_gee
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby jorge » Sat May 09, 2015 4:28 pm

Welcome to the forum Jason. Depending on how robust the wood shell is, the bands serve to either reinforce the strength of the shell or just decorate it. I personally like the look of bands and also have congas with relatively thin shells that do benefit from the reinforcement.
If you want the bands to serve a strengthening purpose, they should be mounted on the shell and, before attaching them, tightened by tapping them toward the fattest part of the belly of the drum (either up or down). I use a large flat blade screwdriver and rubber mallet and go around a few times to make sure each band is even and relatively tight. I don't know where you live but the best season to do this is winter or early spring when the wood is dryest and has shrunk somewhat. In climates with large temperature differences between winter and summer, the wood shell tends to expand in diameter with the summer humidity and shrink in diameter with the winter dryness. Once you have the bands mounted moderately tightly, enough to hold them in place by themselves but not so tight that they will pop with summer expansion. Cuban congas often have hardware that is not very strong so be careful not to make the bands so tight that they will pop the rivets or welds when the wood swells in the summer. You mainly want to keep the bands from buzzing when you hit the drum. Mark the hole locations, and drill pilot holes (eg, 1/16"). I would use wood screws not rivets to hold them in place, and definitely drill pilot holes for the to keep the screws from cracking the wood. The wood screws and the pilot holes should not go all the way through the shell, there is not a lot of force on the screws. If your new band locations are different from the old, after you mark the new holes but before you screw the bands back on, fill the old holes with Plastic Wood or sawdust and glue, sand lightly and refinish each little spot. The drum should be airtight, even a small hole can affect the sound a lot.
I have had to tighten the bands on all of my wood congas (oak, cherry and ash), sometimes I wait a few years to get a sense of how much difference there is between summer and winter. If they are loose in the winter, they sometimes buzz or ring and you can temporarily stuff some paper or cardboard behind them to prevent that. It is better if they are tight enough to contact the wood all around. Sounds like your conga does not really need them for structural strength, so you can wait until it is winter in your locale, no big deal.
jorge
 
Posts: 1128
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 3:47 am
Location: Teaneck, NJ

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby Jasie_gee » Sat May 09, 2015 5:20 pm

Hi Jorge,

thanks for the good advice, I live in London, UK, our driest Month is July, least humidity, so from what you described sounds better to attach them around that time.
I'll post some pics when I'm done. Thanks

Jase :D
Jasie_gee
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby jorge » Sat May 09, 2015 8:32 pm

Actually, when cold outside air is heated to room temp, the relative humidity drops way down so the humidity your drum sees is probably lowest in winter. Of course that depends on other factors like moisture sources in the room, use of AC, etc. Also, it takes a few months for the moisture in the wood to equilibrate with the humidity in the room air, so your drum's wood may still be relatively dry and shrunk even now in May. If you just brought the drum from Cuba, you may want to wait until next year. Try to minimize the number of times you make a new set of screw holes in the shell. Pics would be great.
jorge
 
Posts: 1128
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 3:47 am
Location: Teaneck, NJ

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby Jasie_gee » Sat May 09, 2015 11:09 pm

I see , yes you're right, contrary to what I initially thought. Yes I will wait to next mid winter.

Thanks again for your advice.

Will get some pics together in next few days..

Jase
Jasie_gee
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby Jasie_gee » Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:38 pm

Jasie_gee
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby burke » Sun Jun 14, 2015 8:27 pm

Looking at the pictures I thought the rivets attaching the plate to the rim might be a bit weak, but the last one you took shows they are pretty thick and robust looking - bet its nice sounding drum!

Congrats!
Burke
burke
 
Posts: 753
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:50 pm
Location: Nova Scotia

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby Jasie_gee » Mon Jun 15, 2015 12:35 pm

Yes, it does sound nice, it was only 100CUC, a real bargain. I couldn't even buy a mule skin for that price alone.
I'm very happy.

Best regards

Jason
Jasie_gee
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: Reattaching bands to cuban conga

Postby jorge » Mon Jun 15, 2015 2:56 pm

burke wrote:Looking at the pictures I thought the rivets attaching the plate to the rim might be a bit weak, but the last one you took shows they are pretty thick and robust looking - bet its nice sounding drum! Congrats!


Looking at the plates themselves, where the lugs hook on, and the thickness of the skin, I would be cautious about how high you tune that drum. Also although it may be the angle of the photo, the shell looks like it is shaped kind of like a boku used for comparsa. Those drums are made to be played while walking and are sometimes very light with thin shells. If the shell is thin or the wood is soft and there is no steel alma (ring) inside supporting the bearing edge, that is another reason to be careful tuning the drum up, and to be sure to tune it down between uses in the winter time, when the dry indoor heated air can cause the skin to tighten up a lot on its own.
jorge
 
Posts: 1128
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 3:47 am
Location: Teaneck, NJ


Return to CongaSet and accessories

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 36 guests


cron