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Timpani Maintenance Tool List
When I travel for work, I often have clients purchase or borrow tools that would be more expensive to send ahead than to purchase. The cost of shipping a 700lb pallet is far more than purchasing this entire list! This list serves several purposes: While I would certainly appreciate you following these links, feel no…
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Timpani Part Names
Click on the part of the timpani for a further explanation: Part Name This image is from the original American Drum Manufacturing Company’s website, recreated and labeled here for your convenience. If you’d like to learn more about the parts, names, and how they work together, check out this video:
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Layout Board
This PDF is to be printed at 100% (36″ x 36″) and then laminated to a piece of MDF or similar board. I use this for all my layout work on drums and hoops. It includes 6, 8, and 10 line layouts for everything from snare drums to timpani hoops. This “post” is meant to…
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Introducing: “The Flood Lights.”
It started with an Facebook message… …followed by a lengthy email conversation. Eventually it was agreed upon that I would buy these drums so that I could restore them to their former glory on my own time. The timpani had survived a saltwater flood back in 1985; Hurricane Gloria. 38 years, these drums have sat…
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How to Wrap Chamois Timpani Mallets
These are directions saved from a previous version of the DK Percussion website. If you enjoy or have questions, please leave a comment! Chamois covered mallets are an easy mallet to recover or make yourself. The advantages of chamois covering include protecting the bare wood mallet, removing the “tick” from wood-on-plastic, and adding one more…
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How To Wrap Timpani Mallets – Cartwheel
These are directions saved from a previous version of the DK Percussion website. If you enjoy or have questions, please leave a comment! Cartwheel wraps are a very popular wrap style and use much less felt than ball or parachute wrapped mallets. There are many variations on how this can be done, so experiment and…
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How To Wrap Timpani Mallets – Parachute
These are directions saved from a previous version of the DK Percussion website. If you enjoy or have questions, please leave a comment! Parachute (or “ball”) wraps are a common wrap style that has no seam in the felt, but uses more felt as a trade-off. There are many variations on how this can be…
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Bridgeport M Head Rebuild (for the Benchmaster Mill) – Pt. 5 (Finale!)
As the title says, here is the Finale! However, I’m sure I’ll be tweaking this thing until the day I’m done using it. Everything went together really nicely, I only had to modify my idea in one minor way, and I’m very happy with how the mill operates. I do believe I lost a bit…
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Bridgeport M Head Rebuild (for the Benchmaster Mill) – Pt. 4
Well, we’re almost there! Of all the projects I have going on this summer, I’ve basically been going at this one the last week or two at full throttle. A few more hours in the shop and I’m positive the mill will be assembled and done. At the time of this writing, the riser columns…
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Bridgeport M Head Rebuild (for the Benchmaster Mill) – Pt. 3
Well school and the symphony are out for the summer, so I have time to continue working on this project. Since the last post, I rebuilt the quill and finished work on the pulley housing. I’ve started reassembly and planning for the mounting of the head. The QuillOne of the primary reasons for marrying a…
The Tinkering Timpanist
Musings of a mechanically minded musician.