Updated: November 3, 2005

Roping Method 1 (Rawhide Lacing)

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A step-by-step guide to making the simplest ikigala.

In this demonstration, photographed in early 2003, I hadn't yet begun implememting the twisted rawhide anchoring rope that runs through the holes in the edge of each head. I highly recommend using the anchoring ropes.

 
Supplies & Tools

Components

Rawhide lacing
In addition to the large sheets of rawhide for the heads themselves, you will need rawhide laces. I have a ready supply at an Indian store about an hour's drive away. If you don't have such a resource, you might try buying one online. Rawhide lace is a long strip of cowskin. It comes in two widths. I use the thicker one.

You can also cut your own laces from unused sheet rawhide, but this is very time-consuming. Begin by cutting along the outside of a large disk or rectangular piece of hide. Continuously work around the perimeter until you are creating a spiral working inward. I did my first drum this way.

Tools

  • If you razorblade in a handle.
  • Water in a bucket.
  • Clamps.
  • Spray bottle filled with water.
Roping with Cowhide

We start this part of the ikigala construction process assuming you have already cut out and prepared the heads for mounting. For this method of roping, you need an odd number of holes in each head (the example has 13).

The photos in this series, like most of the tiny photos on this page, are thumbnails. Click them for a larger image.

Place one head facedown, then the drum vertically on top of it. Put the other head on top, and align the holes in the top head with the holes in the lower head.

Run one end of the wet rawhide lacing through the first hole, and put a clamp on it so it will not be drawn through the hole as you pull it.

Then begin lacing the drum.

You will want to thread the lace through every other hole, skipping one each time. You will go around a second time to thread the skipped holes.
When you come back around to the clamp, the lace should not meet with the other end, but it should skip over it and continue around. If it meets up with the first hole, you have either made a mistake threading the lace, or you have an even number of holes in the heads.
Continue around the drum a second time, threading the lace through all the holes you missed. While you are working, spray the hide to keep it wet.
When you have gone around again, the two ends of the hide should meet. Tie them together.
The shot at right demonstrates how much looseness I leave in the lacing. This is the maximum you would want. Other drums I have made tighter than this one.
The drum is basically done, but I like to have handles on mine for carrying and as anchors for a shoulder strap. This is best done while the drum is still wet.
Measure out someof hide lace about twice the length of your forearm.
Twist the hide until it resembles rope, then slip the ends through two adjacent lacing holes, towards the shell. Tie the ends together.
Here is the finished drum next to an 18" I had made earlier. The last step for me is to tuck rope under the hide. This prevents the laces from buzzing against the shell. The laces buzz because thin shells vibrate so much. If you made a drum with a thick, solid shell (for instancefrom a log), you don't have to do this. If you choose to insert the rope, wait until the hide is dry.

Tuning your Rawhide-laced Drum

Let us not forget that you will want to keep your drum tuned. They will steadily get lower in pitch as the heads stretch out, especially shortly after they are built. In fact, you will want to tighten them a couple of times as you break them in.

You can tighten your drum by soaking all of the hide, heads and laces, as much as possible for a few hours, then pulling the laces tight again. You can use wet towels or throw the drum in a swimming pool. Probably, you will have to do this at least twice before the heads are stretched out. The drying time will be the same as for the original construction, so you will need to tune your drum three or four days before playing it again.

For a quick tightening (one or two day's drying), you can just wet the center of the head. When it dries, it will tighten up a bit.
However, I recommend taking the whole drum apart and soaking the heads and laces for a few hours. The more you soften up the hide, the more you can tighten, and the less often you will need to do this.
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my hanko