(edit: I quit Facebook in 3/2018, which accounts for the missing videos.)
So, I make these musical drums out of up-cycled propane tanks. Click through for a demo video (and the build log) for Tonepod 2, the new model. Making this one, as with the others – gave me tremendous joy – which is good because the process takes about 40-60 hours and fills our basement shop with dust and noise. And yes, I might be able make one for you. Inquire here.
At this point, I have already safely emptied the tank of propane and washed out the residue of methyl mercaptan (the nasty stink agent that lets you know when odorless propane is leaking). (Seriously, don’t use any tool on metal until the propane is safely gone). I’ve cut off the handle from the top and the base ring from the bottom, and ground off the welds, and now I’m grinding off the rest of the paint before cutting … Continue reading
I’m not much of a player, but here’s a demo of a drum in C-minor – This is the seventh drum I’ve made out of a 20-pound propane tank.
The discarded tank came into the shop in a thrashed, rusted-out pale blue, which looked amazing.
So I kept much of the original paint, cleaning off only a ring of the steel at the tips of the tongues. I then added a pinstripe ring around the hexagonal key (low-C) in the center, painted on a stylized “7”, which I limned in Sharpie – and sprayed 3 or 4 coats of clear enamel over the whole thing.
I made two major design improvements for sound – I cut out a resonator hole in the tank’s bottom (around the valve, just inside the handle).
And I’m experimenting with a new deadening material – recycled bicycle tubes wrapped around all the way around the tank to keep the body from ringing and drowning out the keys.
I fashioned a valve wrench out of 2-inch-diameter aluminum SpeedRail, but any stout metal pipe will do.
Start with an empty propane tank. The bad news is, you can’t empty a propane tank by just burning off the contents or bleeeding out the last bit of it by inserting a tool into the valve. Propane remains – along with methyl mercaptan, the horrible-smelling chemical added to otherwise odorless propane. So the tank is still dangerous and should NOT be worked on with or near tools that cause sparks.
Once you’ve unscrewed the valve, take the tank – which still contains propane and methyl mercaptan residue – immediately out back and fill it with water and dish soap. Leave it overnight, then dump it and rinse and drain it dry.
I then ratchet-strapped it to a post and put a bar on the wrench to get the needed leverage. It takes a *lot* of leverage to break the seal.
I epoxied a chunk of slit garden hose to the handle to act as floor protection for the base …
I sprayed the middle of the drum with this wild green mealflake model enamel I’ve had sitting around forever, and then sprayed the handle in black.
If you would like me to make a drum for you on commission, the price is $300 – $250 if you bring your own empty propane tank. Contact me for details.
Blood, money, paint, metal shavings, and an awful lot of passion have been spilled here on projects for Burning Man and beyond. XyloVan is Mack Reed's creative sandbox.