# Tongue Drum



## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

Finished this today as a fun Christmas project for my sisters kids. It is in the Easy-Build Woodworking magazine, October issue. It's a fast easy project, and actually sounds pretty good even though I didn't tune it. The issue says to make sticks from rubber balls and dowels, but I just bought a cheap pair from the music store. Well worth it.

If jigs and tools were chairs and stools, we'd always have a place to sit.
~Stumpy Nubs


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Very nice job. How did you cut the pattern for the tongues?


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

The plans came with a pattern to copy and glue to your workpiece. They suggested using a jigsaw with a fine tooth blade to cut it out, but I used my scrollsaw instead. The cuts aren't perfect, but it's my third time scrolling and i'm happy with it.

The materials used are padauk and red oak, just finished with deft spray polyurethane.

These are built as real musical instruments as well. Go to tonguedrum.com to see the real thing. They suggest padauk as it has the best sound quality that they know of. I've also seen YouTube videos with them made from oak, but I didn't like the sound of them.

If jigs and tools were chairs and stools, we'd always have a place to sit.
~Stumpy Nubs


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

Here's a short video with my sons first reaction to it. I plan on making another one for him sometime. He's 9 months old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD7CuoFJV90&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If jigs and tools were chairs and stools, we'd always have a place to sit.
~Stumpy Nubs


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Nice work on the drum, very unique. The video is very cute. 








 







.


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## Travico (Dec 25, 2012)

I have never seen one of those. That looks neat!


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## J Thomas (Aug 14, 2012)

Neat project & great video..
Gotta realize that everything needs to be taste tested first...LOL
...Jon...


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Sounds good from both ends of the stick!


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

Haha thanks guys. I've never seen one either until this magazine and I had to buy it to make one. I thought his big smile was priceless!

If jigs and tools were chairs and stools, we'd always have a place to sit.
~Stumpy Nubs


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That's pretty cool. Nicely done. How about a video of you layin' down some tones. :laughing:


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> That's pretty cool. Nicely done. How about a video of you latin' down some tones. :laughing:


Lol I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.

If jigs and tools were chairs and stools, we'd always have a place to sit.
~Stumpy Nubs


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

I made one VERY similar to that about 20 years ago, and I tuned it and it really sounded great but after a few years the padauk lost its resilience or something and it just went "thunk". Hope you have better luck. Yours looks nicer than mine did.


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

phinds said:


> I made one VERY similar to that about 20 years ago, and I tuned it and it really sounded great but after a few years the padauk lost its resilience or something and it just went "thunk". Hope you have better luck. Yours looks nicer than mine did.


Thanks phinds. I'm not too concerned about it losing it's tone since I made it as a toy, but that is bad news. I was hoping it would last for a couple generations. I guess only time will tell. Thanks for the heads up.

If jigs and tools were chairs and stools, we'd always have a place to sit.
~Stumpy Nubs


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Cool. I made a few of them decades ago for kids bday gifts. Always good noisemakers.


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## Nowthatumentionit (Aug 8, 2020)

*A Lasting Gift*



27207 said:


> I was hoping it would last for a couple generations. I guess only time will tell. Thanks for the heads up.


That is excellent work, my friend, that, no mater if it stays in tune, will span generations, just watch. Sixteen years ago, Wood Magazine got me out of a bind a week before Christmas. Knocked out 4 small jewelry boxes using simple plans, scraps of cherry, walnut, maple and ipe. The 1 out of ipe I haven’t seen since, but the other 3 are doing well. Two went to my mother and mother-in-law, who have since passed. My wife got the cherry box, and my father-in-law’s new wife got the walnut hand-me-down she now refuses to part with.







Since I churned them out as fast as I had to there was no time to finish them the right way. Instead, I rubbed on some oil. So, of course, over time imagine what became of the way they looked. Not a pretty sight. UNTIL I got my new mother-in-law to part with hers for a few days while I put a proper urethane finish on all 3 for the 1st time in 11 years. That was 5 years ago, and look at them now. One day my sons’ better halves will wind up with the ones I made my wife and my mother, or at least that’s the plan. I expect my step mom-in-law’s will be passed on to her daughter. The point is, like you said, 27207, only time will tell what becomes of a lasting gift.


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