How to Make African Bongos
- 1). Collect two different sized empty tins or cans for the shell of the drum. They can be of any material, but should be round and hollow. Consider coffee tins, oatmeal cans, buckets, barrels or carpet tubing. After cleaning both of the shells, cut the two cans using a craft knife to make their heights 8 and 12 inches. The 8-inch bongo is the macho and will have a higher pitch.
- 2). Get drum heads of your choice. You can collect drum heads from music stores or use materials like cotton fabric, canvas, plywood, latex gloves or even balloon rubber. Spread out the material on the floor or on a table and place the drum shell over it. Trace the circle, adding 2 inches to it so that drum head can be extended from the sides of the shell. Cut the circle and do the same for the second drum.
- 3). Put glue around the edges of the drum shell. Place the drum head over it and wait until it dries. Make sure that the drum head is kept in such a way that it extends 2 inches down the body of the drum shell.
- 4). Drill holes in the sides of the two containers, making them 1 inch apart through the drum head and shell. To keep the drum heads tight, thread a piece of string through each of the holes using a sewing needle. Do it twice and tie off the string at the end. Repeat for the second drum.
- 5). Cut a 4-inch long wood block using a saw. Put the block between the drums and use a hot glue gun to attach the drums to the wood block. Paint and decorate your bongos.
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