Sam S. Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 So, for awhile I've been messing around with making propane tank drums, aka hank drums aka steel tongue drums. The theory here is that this is the po man's handpan, or hangdrum. If anyone is interested in the process, feel free to PM me. I don't play, but here's a video of a musician friend playing one of my drums, albeit in need of a repaint. For this one, I've taken the unused propane tank, cut in half, welded back together (body filler, sanding, paint) so that it fits neatly on the player's lap. This one is tuned to the same scale as the Pantheon Steel Halo. All in all, minus my time, these can be made for about $50. Thanks to Dennis Havlena for creating the concept, and sharing it with everyone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 17, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 17, 2018 That's cool, and watching the video, then another led me to one with all different things as instruments. There was a couple of different styles like your making, tuning them might be tough or knowing how? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam S. Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 Interesting, dtel. I like the bagpiper with the latex glove and straws. I tune with a free android app - da tuner lite. Usually try for a controlled environment - no windows open, fan, a/c, heat, whatever off. Once the "tongues" (squares in my design) are rough-cut, it's just a matter of using a hand hacksaw to increase the length of the "tongues" or squares, then periodically hitting it with a mallet (I use a pencil with rubber bands - the kind you get around broccoli - wrapped around the tips) while holding all the other tongues down (or taping them off). When you continue to cut the tongue with the hand hacksaw, you see the note start to change. The rough cutting of the tongues is done with a jigsaw and metal blade, after plunging in an access point with a dremel. I've also discovered that the painting changes things slightly, so if for instance I'm tuning to a C, I'll cut it roughly just a bit high, then paint, and then refine it after painting. Thanks for sharing the video - I hadn't seen it before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 17, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 17, 2018 8 minutes ago, Sam S. said: it's just a matter of using a hand hacksaw to increase the length of the "tongues" or squares That's what I was thinking if you kind of follow the size of the tongues you should be close if the metal thickness is close, body filler and paint could also change it a little.. Cool idea, always liked the sound on normal steel drums like with Caribbean music, bit this can be tuned to be a little different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam S. Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 FYI - the body filler isn't used during the tuning -- you have to be careful not to cut too far. The body filler I use is after I cut the tank in half (well, less than half), and weld it back together to make a saucer with a lower profile. Once I grind down the welds, I use bondo to fill the void between the top and bottom halves, and smooth it out. I imagine that if you didn't have a welder, you could use JB weld, epoxy, or something else to hold the two halves together. The tank handles and feet are cut off, ground down smooth, and sanded before welding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 17, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 17, 2018 I didn't think the filler was used for tuning but I had no idea where it went. I didn't realize it had a bottom. About all I made out of propane tanks were smokers, two so far. Sold the first one which was large and still use the second one. Both are wood fired with gas added to the smaller one for quick things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 The guy throwing the sticks at the 2:40 mark of Dtel's video is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtmudd Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 On 10/17/2018 at 11:12 AM, Sam S. said: So, for awhile I've been messing around with making propane tank drums, aka hank drums aka steel tongue drums. The theory here is that this is the po man's handpan, or hangdrum. If anyone is interested in the process, feel free to PM me. I don't play, but here's a video of a musician friend playing one of my drums, albeit in need of a repaint. For this one, I've taken the unused propane tank, cut in half, welded back together (body filler, sanding, paint) so that it fits neatly on the player's lap. This one is tuned to the same scale as the Pantheon Steel Halo. All in all, minus my time, these can be made for about $50. Thanks to Dennis Havlena for creating the concept, and sharing it with everyone. On 10/17/2018 at 2:30 PM, dtel said: That's cool, and watching the video, then another led me to one with all different things as instruments. There was a couple of different styles like your making, tuning them might be tough or knowing how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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