I finally got this custom djembe finished up. I’m extremely happy with the sound. This is the first deer skin I have put on a djembe. I had previously gotten some rawhide deerskin cleaned and shaved that I put on an ashiko drum, but I got this skin raw a few hours after the kill… […]

I finally got a nice finish on this djembe.? I sanded down to 320 grit on the shell and sanded the inlay down to 1000 grit.? It was glossy enough for me, so I didn’t worry about buffing or polishing.?? Next I mixed 50/50 mineral spirits with boiled linseed oil and put on a heavy […]

A bit delayed, but not too bad. In working with the Inlace inlay system I’ve realized that it takes way longer to dry than the spec sheet says. Sure it was “hard” after 12 hours, but it gummed up the sandpaper, and I got dust from the wood in the resin as it was still […]

So my first attempt with the Inlace inlay system didn’t go as smooth as I had hoped.? It’s a very thin, watery mixture that would normally go on a flat level surface to cure.? They have a product called thicken-it that you can add to the Inlace resin to make it able to be used […]

I’m working on a djembe for a friend in return for some deer skins.? I decided it would be a great first “current project” for the blog.? I’ve already got the bulk of the djembe shell completed. I’m building this djembe out of staves (slats of wood glued up to be round) as I do […]