Making the Drum

Once the hair was slipped off the hides, and the lye neutralised with vinegar, it was time to make the drum. We cut circles of rawhide a little bigger than the ends of an old icecream making pail. The ring was taken off the pail, the staves removed, and the bottom taken out. Then the staves were put back (after a little more sanding), and the ring replaced without the bottom. Holes were punched around the circumference of the rawhide (2 inches apart, but we only used every second hole). We stitched a shoe lace (two long ones tied together) through the holes and tied off with a reef knot. We didn't make it very tight because the rawhide will shrink as it dries (we will redo this step if the skins are not tight enough when dry).

The icecream maker motor says: Silex P.S. Proctor-Silex. I don't know if it still works, but I don't think I have the beaters anyway. I do have a pamphlet that came with it (somewhere).