How to Make a Cajon Drum

The cajon is a Peruvian hexagonal drum known as a popular homemade musical instrument. This instrument is quite versatile and fun, you can use both hands and feet to play the drums at the same time, creating a variety of sounds and melodies. With the right materials and a good plan you can make this woodwork yourself. See step 1 for more information.

Table of Contents

Begin

Prepare enough plywood to make cajon. In general, a cajon is made of two different thicknesses of wood, the thinner wood for the hitting surface and the slightly thicker wood for the rest. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Use plywood about 3mm thick to make the tapa. The tapa is the hit side of the instrument, and you’ll usually use a piece of wood about 33 cm x 48 cm for most cajon drums.
The remaining sides of the instrument are made of plywood 13 mm thick.

Cut the wood into the required pieces. Prepare the body of the cajon with pieces of wood cut to exact sizes to create the base frame. Make sure the cuts are straight by clamping a metal ruler to the piece of wood and using a hacksaw or circular saw to cut.

The size of the piece of wood for the top and bottom of the drum is 33 cm x 33 cm.
The piece on the back is 33 cm x 46 cm.
The sides are about 32 cm x 46 cm.

Draw a hole 12 cm in diameter on the back piece of wood. Drill near the edge of the marked sound hole, and start from there to cut the sound hole with a hacksaw. or circular saw.

Grind to roundness and polish edges for even and smooth edges.

Snare rope design. One of the different things about the sound of the cajon is that the strings make the drum sound like a rattle makes a sound when it collides with a tapa. You can also make it yourself by attaching some strings from a snare set, using the strings from an old drum, or using a new set of snare strings and attaching it to the inside of the drum. ^{[2] X Research Source}

A snare is basically a wire or metal wire that is stretched and attached to a rattling object. If you’re making your own, using old guitar strings, fishing lines, or other metal strings will create the perfect harmony for a homemade cajon. To make rattles, try using paper clips, lead, or tiny metal recycling materials that can make rattle sounds.

Mounting Frame

Mount the drum frame. Starting at the bottom and one of the edges, apply a generous amount of wood glue. Next, glue the other side and top to create a blank rib.

Use a support tool to steady the pieces as you apply the glue and keep them as straight as possible, or cut a piece of wood to insert into the box and make sure it forms a flat corner.

Squeeze down. A large carpenter’s wood clamp would be ideal, but using straps will also help tighten it. Bundle tightly to apply enough pressure on the piece of wood while waiting for the glue to dry. Leave it like that for several hours before attaching the back, tapa, and snare band.

Wipe away excess glue with a wet cloth and read the instructions for use for each specific glue to understand the pressure required and the time it takes for the glue to dry.

Attach the snare before gluing the tapa. Depending on the material you use for the snare, you can have different attachments. Ideally, buy a tuner from an instrument store so you can tune it periodically.

Stretch the snare cord diagonally from the top corner of the edge that will be the tapa, about 8 cm from each corner on the top and braided edge. Secure them inside with wood screws, or attach them to a tuner for better sound control.

Apply glue to the tapa and the piece of wood behind. Attach the front and back pieces as you did and apply pressure for the same amount of time. Orient the back piece to make sure the sound hole is on the bottom face of the instrument, and the snare string is on the top. You can also consider mounting screws to add extra stability to your instrument. You will be sitting on the drum, so it needs to add some stability to the drum.

Finishing Cajon

Make legs out of extra pieces of wood and fasten them to the bottom piece. Can use rubber or cork. It’s best to find something to cushion the frame on, as it will have to support your weight as well. Leaving plywood on the ground can scratch the surfaces.

Rounded corners at the top for more comfort when sitting up. Use sandpaper and spend a little time smoothing the edges and surfaces. Polish your cajon with fine sandpaper, then finish to your liking.

Give it a personal touch. Decorate your musical instrument in your own style. Finish it with a wood finish for a nice and professional look, or glue it on with Neptune and Polar Bear for a wild hippie look. Now enjoy it.

Warning

Eyes and ears must be protected when working with machine tools. Wear safety glasses and earplugs or a hat.

Things you need

12 mm (or 1.2 cm) plywood
3mm (or 0.3cm) plywood
Jigsaw
Clamp and/or belt machine
Wood glue
3x20mm or 3.5x20mm . screws
Electric drill
Wood File
Sandpaper

Steps

Begin

Mounting Frame

Finishing Cajon

Warning

Things you need

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