Thunder Gourd Tutorial

                                         

Thunder gourds are a beginner friendly project. Of course, they can be as simple or ornate as you choose. They're fun to make and people love them!

Considerations before you start: 

You'll need to open the bottom of the gourd to add your drum skin to. You'll need a drum cover that will entirely cover the hole. It can be a synthetic cover or a rawhide cover.  If you've never made a drum with rawhide, the synthetic drum head will be easier. (Rawhide requires soaking and stretching the skin over the opening. You can find those instructions in the tutorials under "Making a Gourd Drum by Bonnie Gibson".) You'll also need another hole for the sound to resonate. It can be the top, or an image carved out on the side of the gourd. In the photo, I chose to cut off the tops. Either way works well, it depends on your intended look and the tools you have available to work with.  You'll also need to create a hanger for your thunder gourd. You'll attach the drum head and spring after all the hanger is attached and artwork is completed. 

Creating your thunder gourd:

Start with a well cleaned gourd. Remove the bottom of the gourd. This can be done with a Japanese pull saw, which creates a flat bottom. You can use a mini jig saw for made for use with gourds or a jig saw. You could use a band saw or a Dremel or other rotary tool with a side cutting burr. Even a hacksaw will work. 

You'll want the bottom rim to be flat to get a secure fit when adhering the drum skin to the gourd, though a bit of texture is okay. This can be done a few different ways, depending on what you have available: If you only need minimal sanding, you can use a bit of hand-held sandpaper. If you need a bit more sanding to correct unevenness, you can still do this by hand (Use a piece of sand paper that's larger than the bottom of your gourd. Tape it down on a flat surface and push the gourd across. (For best results, sand only in one direction.), a belt sander (Be mindful of how you're holding the gourd, avoiding uneven pressure or the gourd may going flying!), or a palm sander (Use light pressure on a gourd that's cut pretty straight to begin with. Be careful not to overdo it and make the surface less even.).

Clean the inside of the gourd well. Finish the inside. This is optional, though I always do this for a more complete look.  It can be done with a coat of paint and/or sealer of your choice. It's easiest to do this before cutting your resonating hole to avoid unwanted over-spray on the outside of your project.

Mark the resonating hole(s). Whether you're cutting off the top or creating a design in the side. Decorate the outside: acrylic paint, alcohol ink, stipple carving or whatever artwork you choose. In the first photo, I wood-burned the lizard designs, dabbed alcohol inks, heat-set them and then stipple carved around the lizards. The Thunderbird one was done by drawing the Thunderbird design, painting with acrylic paint, then sealing the gourd, leaving the background natural.

Cut the resonating hole(s). Sand and smooth the edges, if needed, carefully so as not to sand off your artwork unintentionally. Do any needed touch ups to your artwork and seal it with the finish of your choice.

Add your hanger:

Note that this is easier to do before you add the drum skin as you'll have the bottom will still be open so you'll have more access to work. 

If you've left the top intact, you can add a single loop by drilling a hole in the, top of the gourd in the center. , Create a loop of leather or other cord making a knot on the end. Push the loop up through the inside. You may want to add another knot on the outside so the loop can't fall back through. Or add a dowel and cord as described below.

If you've cut the top off, a small dowel and piece of leather (or other cord), placed through holes near the top edge works well. Drill appropriate size holes spaced across from each other. Insert the dowel and secure it super glue, wood glue or glue of your choice. Add the leather or other cord to the dowel (on the outside of the gourd) with simple knots or by drilling a hole on each side of the dowel and running the cord through it to create a loop. Knot the ends to secure.

You can also use use a piece of leather or other cord without the dowel. Drill appropriate size holes on across from each other near the top of the gourd. Simply knot one end of the cord and run it through from the inside of the gourd. Feed the other end through from the outside to the inside. Make a knot to secure the cord. 

Attaching the drum head:

Once everything else is done, it's time to attach the drum head. As mentioned, the synthetic head is easier if you've never used a rawhide drum cover.

The synthetic head has a smooth side and a slightly more textured side. The textured side is the best side to attach to the gourd. Set the drum head, textured side up, on a flat surface. Carefully run a bead of gel super glue (CA glue) to the flat bottom rim of the gourd. Make sure there is a continuous bead of glue on the entire rim. Press the bottom of the gourd firmly onto the synthetic head. Check that there are no bare spots and add glue to them if needed.  Very important: Allow the glue to dry thoroughly. If it's not completely dry, the skin may pull away from the gourd when you heat shrink it, potentially making the drum head unusable.

Once you're sure the glue is dry, you can easily trim the excess drum head using a craft knife. 

Heat shrink the drum head to tighten it up:

Use a hair dryer or heat gun (on low setting). Aim the heat source at the drum head, moving continuously in small circles. It may take a a couple of minutes to see any effect. Keep the heat source moving. Once it gets warm enough, the drum head will visibly start to tighten rather quickly.  Once it looks evenly tightened (it'll be pretty obvious), you're finished with this part.

Add the spring:

Make a small hole in the center of the drum head with a pin. Insert the straight tip of the spring into the hole. Thread the spring into the hole a by rotating it a few turns to secure it. There is no need to glue it in. 

*If you're using a rawhide drum head, please read "Making a Gourd Drum by Bonnie Gibson" in the tutorials section of this website.  Attach the spring after the rawhide has thoroughly dried. It is done the same way as for a synthetic drum head.