I received a text from my granddaughter asking me if I would build her a cajon (pronounced KAH - HONE).  In all honesty I could not answer her until I did a google search to see what a cajon was - LOL.  Well it turns out it is a percussion box drum that you sit on.

 

So at that I said YES - I could build her one.  Here is the start - I am almost finished with it - I just need to attach the padded seat and create some stops on the inside so she does not overturn the snares.

 

Here are the pieces for the basic box - will be 12 x 12 x 18

 

 

...  and of course a dry fit

 

 

She wanted the drum to have a snare setting - so I needed a knob for the outside and some sort of "stopping" mechanism on the inside.  I used the same approach for both, just used different size drills

Here you can see the inside mechanism.  I created an arm and glued in a dowel to fit the groves.  I used a spring to keep pressure that would hold the snares in place

 

 

... and here are the snare wires in place - I had to add another J hook to enable tightening the spring - decided to just leave the extra spring inside

 

 

The face of the cajon - called the tapa is 1/4 cherry plywood.  I decided to embellish it and customize it for Anna

 

 

 

 

The next picture you can see the knob on the outside that controls the snares

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 20205 yr by IrishWoodCarver

Yeah, I would have had to research that, too 

 

Really cool build. What doe it sound like in "operation"?

20 minutes ago, lew said:

Yeah, I would have had to research that, too 

 

Really cool build. What doe it sound like in "operation"?

 Wondering the same thing.

Awesome project!

I built one a couple years ago for my music teacher daughter.  She had a student that was deaf with a cochlear implant.  I was invited to the unveiling and when the student sat on it and struck the face for the first time his expression was priceless.  It made all of the effort worthwhile.  Fast forward to today.....he’s a percussionist in the high school band.

Cool project Irish.  I am not familiar at all with this instrument.  You will have to post up more pics, or a video, of it when it is complete

On 11/19/2020 at 4:11 PM, lew said:

Yeah, I would have had to research that, too 

 

Really cool build. What doe it sound like in "operation"?

 

Well, if you tap it on the face towards the top, sounds like a tom-tom, if you hit it in the center - sounds like a bass drum and of course if you turn the snares on - sounds like a snare drum.  At least that is what the different locations are supposed to sound like - lol

1 minute ago, IrishWoodCarver said:

 

Well, if you tap it on the face towards the top, sounds like a tom-tom, if you hit it in the center - sounds like a bass drum and of course if you turn the snares on - sounds like a snare drum.  At least that is what the different locations are supposed to sound like - lol

Thanks!

Excellent project, fitted professionally and looking forward to a video of it being used.  With sound.  

Ok this ism what it

can sound like