It is easy enough to do, however finding a market, making a name for yourself and getting them sold, now that is the bigger problem. It costs a lot of money to advertise. Stop and consider how many drums it will cost you to advertise for the exposure, and then you will see what it will take to actually make it profitable. Not trying to kill your dream, but I want to build custom kits, and breaking it down to the bare costs for the materials is simple enough, but then the other cost are the ones that get you.

There was a company here, Oregon Drum, they made a smoking drum. However they also used only local hardwoods. When some regulatory changes to the logging industry changed the amount and availability of the main tree source, and the global economy reality hit them, it put them out of business. These are the uncontrollables you have to deal with.

Merely making a good drum is not enough anymore. You have to have a differentiating style, or material that sets you apart from the rest in order to just get a good following in the first place. I can make an amazing drum, but since I am just a little guy, I have to buy from the same places as everyone else, using the same materials and off the shelf parts but at a higher cost because I am only a small company, so now I am basically building the same drum, at ahigher cost than the big boys, so I lose.

D49, I am actually attempting to make a snare right now. This is my 4th try. I am not a wood worker so It has been trial and error all the way for me. I plan to do this as a hobby rather than a business. My 1st attempt making a stave drum was out of round. the 2nd one was between 13 and 14", LOL. the 3rd try was round and correct size, but as I mentioned, not a wood worker, I chewed it up with my newly purchased router. Try looking at this website for valuable info. good luck. . .James

http://forum.drumshed.org/

As an ex builder i can tell you to go ahead and try,but start small and dont expect to much to happen for awhile.Unfortunately the wheel has already been invented so coming up with something "new"is going to be a challenge in itself.Speak well of other people doing the same thing and stay away from mud slinging and jealous rants of others trying to put you down.There is a small assembler in western Canada that for years went on a rampage bad mouthing anyone in his path.Now he has to live with the reputation of being the industrys bufoon....and he deserves it.....good luckCool1

thanx jonni & papatime, much appreciated feedback.

i am doing it just as a hobbie first, then maybe going into it full time, like you say jonni, it's hard work!!!

i'm trying a snare, purely for myself, out of a rack tom shell - 13x10" - getting some friends to help with spraying it and artworking it, then, if it came of anything, then i'll look deeper into it.(making drums that is, not the drum shell! LOL)

it will probably be a few weeks yet, but when it's done i'll put some pics up.

check this guy out on you tube.....very ingenius!!!

his user name is Legacyman200.

hey wayne, thanx for your reply.

yeah, i'm no woodwork expert myself, but hopefully have enough knowledge of the drum, to be able to put one together, using a ready made shell, but with some nice spray work and maybe artwork on.

and also, maybe give potential customers the choice of lug and hoop colour, shell colour etc etc.

you never know.....