Local Mrdanga Production

Raivata writes:

Actually that pic was taken in Jan 2008. I was in LA talking drums with Ratnaji just a few months ago

The above picture you have seen before. It was my first design. I was fully into it when I came up with it. I spent a few hundred bucks and had the rims and bumpers made.

The ends and middle were to be made from aluminum. They would be cast (no big deal, they do it in sand at the foundry, they would come out a little rough tho) then turned to perfection on an engineers lathe (cheap if we had a lathe, only a couple k). Bumpers turned on the same lathe out of acrylic (possible as, I had some made, works premo). in between the aluminum rims and middle would be made out of transparent acrylic (or equivalent composite) segments. We have the segments cut out to the perfect measurements via saw. We put the bits in the oven for a bit, pull them out and mold them over a former. The bits would come out perfect shape. We then glue them all together and to the ends and middle. Presto. The coolest looking drum in the world! Problem was it was too expensive for me to continue and I was not convinced it would sound good or would be durable enough to take the neglect they are typically given.
Anyway, I have a Mk II, Mk III and a Mk IV. I'll draw them all in 3d when I get the chance. I will explain now.

MK II: Segments

Imagine the standard mrdanga shape cut vertically into 5 even strips. Making these strips would not be hard or expensive. We go to a plastic moulder or boat builder or anyone and investigate getting a die made so that they can be cast out of plastic, fiber glass, carbon fiber, graphite, Kevlar or whatever. Once a die is made each unit costs very little. Dies can be expensive or they can be cheap depending on the cunningness of the die maker and the intended material to be cast. I reckon we could fabricate one out of steel very cheaply. Otherwise we just pay the money and have one made up by a toolmaker. If the shape was modified to have a raised lip on one side (lengthwise) and a lowered lip on the other then they would clip in together nicely. Where the lips overlap we drill holes and pump in rivets. The thing will not come apart. I was kayaking over some rapids the other day in a plastic canoe. The damn thing was constantly smashing into and over rocks and boulders. It did not break. Invincible as. A brand new plastic canoe (big one) is not that expensive, $2000 give or take. A drum made out of these magical segments and riveted (and glued) together will be cheap to produce and will not break. God knows how it will sound. I reckon it would sound good. Rivets are cool too. Will make the thing look Mad Max to the max.

MK III: Metal spinning.

A circular piece of sheet metal is pushed against a former while spinning. Big steel lamp shades (among other things) are made this way. We make two formers. One the shape of the small half of a mrdanga and the other the big. Some how we tap a thread into the open ends so that they will screw together. Bingo, a steel drum. They spin stainless steel, brass copper anything. All good. Formers are expensive tho. They need to be made of steel. They guy at the metal spinning place said it was possible but the formers would cost a few grand. Also tapping a thread in the middle would be a bitch. Possible but tricky. We would need a massive tap. Small scale tapping is no problem. You can get drill taps from a fastening supplies store. Tapping big stuff is not standard. Totally possible tho.
Would be semi economical and is possible. Might easily dent tho and may sound tiny. Would come in two halves that screw together.

MK IV: Steel frame.

Getting steel tube or box section lengths from a steel supplier. Cutting them into smaller lengths, bending them and welding them together is not expensive or hard. I've done that sort of thing. Chairs, tables, racks and so many other things are made this way. We make a frame the shape of a mrdanga and then clad it with rigid materials. Plywood can be bent round and then screwed, bolted or riveted to the frame. Thin acrylic, polycarbonate, formed plastic segments can be stuck on the same way. Whatever makes the thing sound good. Drum kit drums are made out of thin wood or acrylic. Maybe the frame inside the drum would effect the internal acoustic and make the thing sound crap. I doubt it tho. The frame does not need to be chunky to hold the outside. Could make it very light. Good drums are often very light (brass band big round kick ass drums, Turkish drums and the Irish drum like the one BT Swami used to play).
Cheap and good. Still, only God knows how it will sound.