this drum is going to be double-sided. I had always wanted to make a 2-sided drum and this request allowed me to give it a shot. One side will be Fm and the other Dm.

The first attempt worked but I felt the drum was too shallow to properly resonate with the added slots, so I made another.. and it was too deep so I trimmed it a bit, this one should be perfect...

I'll upload a video as soon as it's ready.... I'm pushing myself to completing it tonight but as the sun sets, the lighting in my shop diminishes and it gets very cold. we'll see what happens..

I really can't wait for the 12" drums to be phased out and the 16" Lotus Drum to be ready. I planned on having the first one completed by the 1st but have continued to receive a few orders for the Original 12", so... I still have a little catching up to do.

Here are some things I am really going to enjoy about the 16":
1. a greater sound range: 11 notes(maybe more) vs 8 notes.
2. faster building time: with the 12" I am doing some serious hard labor just to prepare the steel, while the 16" will be custom-shaped to my specific requirements; steel type, thickness, tempering, diameter etc. I'll enjoy more time fine-tuning and cutting and will no longer have to vacuum 1" of metallic dust from the floor on a daily basis.. no more wearing the painful respirator mask 8+ hours a day... mmmmm..... dreams...
3. Minimized effect on my health. Regarding the above-mentioned metallic dust <--- not good for the lungs :D
4. New discoveries, new frontiers and lots of fun. I really can't wait to have the first one ready.. Just gotta catch up on these 12" and begin taking orders for the 16".

UPDATE: I have added a paypal link to the Purchase page to allow interested peeps to get themselves on the waiting list for the 16" drum. As mentioned above, once I have caught up with the time-consuming 12" instruments, the 16" drums will be released and they will take much less time to complete. I promise they will sound amazing :)

2nd Generation Lotus Drums are almost ready..
I am modifying the makeup of the steel to streamline tonality, resonance and volume.
They will be .105" thick with a more defined edge and lower crown. No heat will be used during forming, to impart hardness... excited :D

The first one should be ready Jan 1st.

I like the Quasi drums because I get to doctor them up and experiment... this one is for Joshua in Brooklyn, NY

I had been working myself a bit too hard..So.. I decided to take a break and devote some time to a small project. I enjoyed making this little knife. It's my first knife ever and though it's not spectacular, it taught me a few things and allowed me to clear my mind while trying something new.

This is a chronological map of my weekend adventure in knife-making. It's not the best knife in the world and it's far from perfect, but I'm not a fan of "perfect" things; imperfections are what make things beautiful. It's my favorite knife.

If you'd like a knife, let me know. All knives will be donation-based. You offer whatever you want and if it's fair, I'll make it for you as long as you leave me room for creativity.