Cajón (Drum Box)

This Cajon is the perfect alternative to a drum set when room is an issue. It reproduces the sounds of the bass and snares beautifully.

Step 1: Assembly

Each piece of plywood was precisely cut and glued. Clamps were placed to on woodblocks that will support the snare wire. Snare wire was screwed into place. A cross was wood burned on the front. A light coat of stain was applied. The 4 inch hole amplifies the sound. Plywood becomes a musical instrument...

Comments

[drcrash]

No dimensions or materials list?

For anyone contemplating building a cajon: be aware that the front panel (the "tapa") matters a lot. It acts as a drumhead, which must be flexible, and is usually 3mm or 1/8" birch plywood. The stiffness of the wood depends on the cube of the thickness, so 4mm birch plywood is probably too thick, and 1/4" plywood certainly is. (1/4" plywood is twice as thick as 1/8" plywood, so it's 2 * 2 * 2 = 8 times stiffer.) If your Home Depot doesn't have 1/8" plywood, don't substitute 1/4". Find 3mm or 1/8" plywood online.

The usual proportions of a cajon are about 12 inches by 12 inches by 18 inches. It's not clear how magical those dimensions or proportions are, but if you're not looking to experiment and maybe get it badly wrong, don't stray far from that. (I looked at a scientific paper on cajon resonances, and one of the important modes of vibration for the particular cajon they studied was a checkerboard pattern, where the tapa was divided in 3 the long way and 2 the short way, with alternating squares moving front to back while the ones in between move back to front. So the 2 x 3 proportions of the front panel may be significant, for a plywood front that's approximately equally flexible in both directions.

Normally, the tapa is glued across the bottom and most of the way up the sides, but not near the top or across the top. That allows the top edges of the tapa to buzz against the top panel and the tops of the side panels, giving a somewhat snare-drumish sound even without the snares or wires that most cajons have. The screws across the top allow you to adjust the tightness vs. buzziness there, but BE CAREFUL NOT TO STRIP THEM.

[DIYMusicMaker]

Nice job, good looking cajon. Just wondering if you can provide more details concerning the dimensions of the spacing between the snare wires and the tapa? I am in the process of building a similar style cajon and would appreciate your input. Thanks.

[varmitwife]

I have all the specs documented in a folder, but unfortunately we have just relocated and are waiting on completion of our house. Most of our belongings are in storage right now, including that particular folder. I will search through computer files to see if I can find anything there.

[DIYMusicMaker]

OK, sounds good. I know what the location/storage process is like. Been there, done that. No rush or no big deal if you can't find it. Would save a me little time if the info should turn up. Thanks again.

[trampus]

NIce project , color me stupid though , how does this work ? Thank you .

The engraving is beuatiful . Is this a cnc router patern ?

[varmitwife]

A person sits on the box and when the top front is tapped it sounds like a snare drum. Hit it more in the center and it sounds like a bass drum. The sound can vary depending on how you hit it. Here's a link for an example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isvDrgNth2I

The image was burned on their with a simple wood burning tool. Thank you for your compliment.

[Timotheo]

I really like this! Simple effort and machinery, yet not simple results.

[tomatoskins]

I made a Cajon a few years back. Beautiful instrument!