• It's time to cast your vote in the November 2025 Turning Challenge. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Dave Roberts for "Low Rider" being selected as Turning of the Week for December 1, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Greg Haggard

G

Greg Haggard

Joined
Nov 29, 2025
Messages
3
Likes
2
Location
Wilbraham, MA
Hi all. I started turning about a year ago at Artisans Asylum, then migrated to Lowell Makes where they have some amazing Rikon lathes. I recently moved to Wilbraham, MA and am looking at ways to plug in in my new neighborhood.

Being a drummer most of my life, I have a long-term goal of turning full size djembe drums out of local hardwoods (I am a cheap barstid, and plan to "rescue" wood from downed trees etc), most likely maple. Meanwhile, bowls have been an excellent training ground, and what the heck, I know where my holiday gifts are coming from!

Over the past year, I turned several bowls from apple wood that has been aging about 7 years in a pile originally designated for the fire pit. It is really beautiful wood, and hard as a beast! Tried to end grain cut a miniature drum from one larger piece, but gave up after burning up a 2" Forstner bit and sweating over it for hours. It is now on a shelf, the ultimate lesson in humility. The steady rest was intended to support the drum, but I came to realize before I even finished it that anything short of steel didn't have a chance.

I look forward to interactions with folks on this board, and will be attending the Western MA Woodturners club meets as often as possible. Suggestions of other ways to connect are always welcome!
 

Attachments

  • Apple Bowl 08-16-25 (1).jpg
    Apple Bowl 08-16-25 (1).jpg
    414.4 KB · Views: 3
  • Apple drum.jpg
    Apple drum.jpg
    297.7 KB · Views: 3
  • apple flat bottom angled top 08-16_25 (1).jpg
    apple flat bottom angled top 08-16_25 (1).jpg
    330.3 KB · Views: 3
  • Apple Live Edge (1).jpg
    Apple Live Edge (1).jpg
    389.5 KB · Views: 3
Nice work - looks like you're having fun!

Hello Greg! Hey, have you made any drumsticks? Just for fun I made a set from Dogwood with Ebony tips. I'm no drummer so I have no idea how they would actually respond!

A good friend (who I've known since she was 6 years old!) is a fantastic drummer and when we started turning lessons the first real project she wanted to do was make a pair of sticks. As I always start students with the skew on spindles, she had zero problems, made one pair and wants to try another sometimes with a different wood. Good fun!

1764711601593.jpeg 1764711769433.jpeg

JKJ
 
Cool! How did you bond the tips to the stick? That seems like it would be the most challenging, although it seems glues today are stronger than the wood itself.

At one point, I was considering building a drum from layered slices cut from a ShopBot. Someday I might still try it, although I wonder if the glue between layers doesn't kill any resonance. Could be an interesting way to create some contouring that would be difficult to do on a solid piece of wood. My carving skills are even more limited than turning!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top