Member Since: 10/3/2007
Band Website: lukapercussion.com
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All of our instruments involve the same labor intensive process. Whole logs need to be dried and shaped into percussive instruments; it is no easy feat!
Forming the shell involves, hoisting a 400lbs log onto our lathe and cutting the rough shape. At this stage the shell is not at it final thickness and is still very wet. The wood is allowed to rest until it is placed in our custom, oversized ovens.
The shell is then dried in our kiln. The logs are slowly heated to a very high temperature and slowly cooled at a calculated rate. The drying process is the 'make it or break it point'. If properly dried, the shell will remain stable. If incorrectly dried, it will continue to shrink until the wood weakens and cracks.
The drying process requires weeks. It requires planning and a constant minding of our inventory. If you want a drum today, we started working on it 5 months ago.
Once out of the oven, the raw shells are again allowed time to rest before its final shaping. The shell is brought back onto the lathe and shaped to its finished form. At this time the shell thickness is cut to 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch etcÖ. And the drum gets its finished exterior and interior diameter.
All this is done using precision mechanical lathes. Our lathes have the ability to produce perfect roundness. Our bearing edges are shaped while the shell is on the lathe. This produces 100% concentric shells, and a perfect bearing edge. There is no margin of error, no tool slippage.
Compared to a standard edge that is cut on a router on a table, the precision of our edges are beyond comparison. We still go the extra mile and check our edges on a marble surface to make sure that they are flawless.
Before being painted the drum gets its logo and air hole. Rather than adding badges and air grommets. LuKa burns its logo into the shell, and drills a clean hole through the shell for air release. The logo and air vent maintains the natural look of our drums.
The drum shell is ready to be finished and assembled. Drums can be stained, lacquered, or oiled in many different colors. The drum gets sanded and buffed. A Nickel Drumworks throw-off and Evans drumheads get installed and the drum is ready to be tested and shipped.
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