Drum Riser

[@PaulKeepsItReal]

This is one of the most ingenious solutions I’ve seen on the internet. Well done!

[@davidwillis9270]

If you're on level surface, this riser is brilliant... and being more portable is much better than just the standard heavy bi-fold or two piece monstrosity. Well done, Jim!

[@drumfanatik316]

I have watched probably EVERY video on here with the title, “DIY Mobile Drum Riser”. Yours is by far the best and most practical design for function and portability! Well done sir and thanks for posting!

[@funkynelg]

This is genius Jim Tks for sharing! Small pieces, light , easily portable and could have a few spare pieces to easily add on for bigger kit. Excellent!!

[@perttukilpelainen4010]

Exellent! This is what I am talkin about! You made this stage very mobile and light. Also takes only small space. Exellent I must say again.. you are smart. I like how elements folds and also connects to each others. Again simple but firm. 👍🏼

[@declancampion3051]

Well fair play to you. Well designed, practical and clever. You are creative Jim

[@retrobutionband1147]

I like it better than any I have seen because it breaks down into transportable pieces.

[@Velkro5000]

I friggin love this. I want to make one now. I watchd this entire video every second, iits got a weird calm educational entertaining suspence to it.

[@katmartin6447]

Omg!!! You are genius!! I hope to utilize your design soon!! Seriously going to tell every drummer I know

[@sideshowdrummer]

very cool jim great idea. im working on one. thanks for the idea.

[@julsrique9148]

Jim your a Genius! Great Job!

[@jjld7140]

great idea, is the disassembly of the buckets hard to remove? do you have video of that process?

[@roccopanetta1713]

Love this simple easy and portable 👏👏👏but what about the hinges ??

[@BretWaltonDrums]

Brilliant! Solves the problems of portability. Great job!

[@idaholife246]

I made one of these this summer and used it for or outdoor gigs. Thank you very much!

[@ckyro121]

Very clever and sturdy.

[@Darkestlitany]

Good job Jim!Thanks

[@murielglass5333]

Very cool. I played two shows for Halloween this year. I'm not visible in any of the video...

[@bartvirden218]

Really clever. Have you ever written down step-by-step instructions with dimensions and hardware?

[@jimsprague7499]

I've thought about it. Mainly I was flying by the seat of my pants. Years ago I made a drum riser according to plans in Modern Drummer. It worked but weighed a ton. Those plans called for a 1/2" plywood top. That was a little too flimsy so I glued and screwed another piece of 1'2" plywood to it. I saw another bucket riser here on youtube and started toying with the idea of modifying mine. Mad the top smaller and cut it into thirds. Used the wooden legs from the original as bracing for the top sections. Added the carpet, the latches, the d-rings and the skirt. I also put some squares (about 6"'x6") of 1/2" plywood underneath the lids. That way the lids don't get deformed and the buckets go on and off easier.

[@sparrovski]

I would like to have the kit set up already. Like any "idea" like this and home made drum racks or even large custom factory drum rack set ups, they all are extra work and extra gear to carry and it comes down to ease of set up and tear down. Some times we have to sacrifice for convenience. I want to see you dis-assemble it too, to see how easy it is to get the buckets off the lid. Us drummers would all love a riser but do we have the method to transport it and the time to set it up. At my age I am looking for ways to carry less gear to gigs.

[@monkeyponk]

YOU ARE AMAZING THIS IS THE BEST I'M GONNA BUILD ONE

[@nc3836]

How did you hang the skirt?

[@jimsprague7499]

I didn't keep a running total. The top was from a riser I built about 10 years ago using plans from Modern Drummer. The plans called for 1/2" plywood but that wasn't stable enough. I got another piece 1f 1/2" and glued it to the other one. Probably one piece of 3/4" would suffice. The buckets were about $3 each at Lowes. The carpet was $18. Then there's all the misc stuff like the hardware, screws, glue, etc. Probably came up to about $100. (Don't quote me on that.)

[@toddhalverson9289]

Good Ideas, and looks Great....

[@davehernandez4177]

Your the man. Great idea

[@longsnapper5381]

Thank you Jim! These damn things are ridiculously expensive to buy pre-made. I'm in.

[@TheVaVoomRoom]

Super helpful. Thank you!

[@jimsprague7499]

.The wood and hinge was recycled from a previous project. I just counted the buckets (and lids), the carpet, the glue, and the hardware.

[@TheReviewKing909]

Sweet riser! The idea of me and my drums being on plastic buckets is enough to unsettle me and prevent me from building this though. Sweet for unheavy people though!

[@adamtilley8918]

Where can I find that type of carpet?

[@kirkhinton3124]

What’s the max weight

[@motodrummer]

I love this, I just wish I could find buckets strong enough that are only about 8" tall instead of the 15" home depot buckets are.

[@jimsprague7499]

+motodrummer There are some smaller buckets, but for some reason they're more expensive. Me, being the cheapskate that I am, opted for the larger size.

[@venisin]

jim sprague paint buckets?

[@Woddy52]

Very good !!

[@robflanagan250]

Very creative..... keep rockin

[@thearmoniaband9189]

Nice job Jim. What's the L & W? Thanks

[@jbmoon333]

What's the trick to removing the buckets. My first test was unsuccessful. I cracked a lid trying to remove the bucket. Thanks, Brian

[@jimsprague7499]

I have some pieces of 1/2" plywood underneath the lids. This keeps them from being deformed when they're screwed to the top. to remove them I hold onto the lid and press sideways against the buckets. They pop right off.

[@eddiematsueda4332]

Hi, I really like this set-up. Can you tell me the dimensions of the panels?

[@jimsprague7499]

Thanks for the comments. Each panel is 22" wide and 30" long when folded. That makes the riser about 6' x 5.5' when assembled. I started with two pieces of plywood and then cut them to fit my kit and then cut them into thirds.

[@jdrumz321ify]

Would have been much more useful to make a video of you building it than just putting on buckets!

[@trucksguns6898]

@@jdrumz321ify if you can't see how it's build by him assembling then you've got problems

[@ramondenila1738]

how did you build a big drum did your gana start your own band or what i do not know?

[@dubfamtour2240]

we are in the process of making this! what did you use for the black cover (floor) i was thinking about carpet but thought it might be too heavy.

[@JRandallS]

And it will also double as a raft since the buckets are waterproof :)

[@isaicordero5654]

Ingenious AF 😂 ❤❤❤

[@wkrp71]

Jim, excellent video. I had a few questions about the specs: what are the dimensions of the riser. How did you ensure leveling of all three planks?

[@TheInvertedofficial]

actually a great idea! utilizing the 5 gallon buckets are great. The only question I have is how do you handle uneven surfaces?

[@jimsprague7499]

The Inverted Fortunately I've never had to set up on any uneven surfaces. I can see where setting up on the grass or on cobblestones might present some challenges.

[@musketteer99]

can you please tell me the measurements

[@claysmell]

This is awesome

[@joerocket9999]

Nice!

[@joellong62]

What's the total size of your riser? What thickness of wood did you use?

[@tjmitchell7639]

so what's measurements on this, I'm gonna guess and say 6x6

[@kagequeen7277]

Hey man! Great riser. We want to build one for our church. What dimensions did you use?

[@jimsprague7499]

+Kage Queen I used a couple of 4x8 pieces of plywood for the top and some 1x2 wood for the support pieces. Once that was done I put my kit on the top and marked and then cut the excess off.

[@anonliberty338]

HOW MUCH DID THIS COST?

[@jimsprague7499]

I didn't keep a running total. I recycled the wood from an earlier project. My best guess is $100 - $150.

[@Banguts]

Is your drumkit gonna sit on your lap? Wait, do you do the one man band thing; drum backpack and tuba and harmonica n'stuff?

[@gregorylondos534]

Nice concept... I would be a bit Leary when the temperature outside get near triple didgets ... The buckets could soften and collapse... LoL

[@jeffd9193]

If that were true, they’d be no good use on construction sites in the summer. Lol

[@PartyMTLcom]

Genius!

[@greg4673]

Ah!! The much-sought-after floating drum platform. Great for those harbor concerts......We tap the front two and fill them with beer providing the band with refreshment during the show. No more groupie waitresses to deal with. These were invented by Jim Morrison...

[@DanielMcMahan]

Awesome!

[@TehSyneS]

a drum riser made out of drums!

[@jdrumz321ify]

Thats great, but would be a lot more helpful to show how you built it!

[@StumptownDrummer]

Just more stuff to carry around when gigging. Good idea and good design, but not very practical in the long run.

[@26upclose]

Hello im in the process of building this set up but the problem that i am having is i cant seem to find the correct lids for the buckets. All the lids i find are the ones that clip on really hard like the ones for dry wall mud buckets. What kind of lids is it that you used in this set up? Is it a soft clip lid or what? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[@jimsprague7499]

26upclose I used the Gray buckets and the blue lids from Lowes. I put a square of 1/2" plywood underneath each lid in order to keep them from deforming. When disassembling, I hold one side of the lid and press the bucket sideways. The bucket pops right off.

[@danw4975]

+26upclose another option is to remove part of the lid and the gasket in the groove so it's a smaller lip. This will make it easier to assemble and disassemble.

[@TheBassLizard]

As the carabiners rattle away all night..... It's cool. small but cool.

[@jimsprague7499]

Any rattle is drowned out by the drums, cymbals, and the rest of the band. We're not a jazz band. I wouldn't use this in a studio

[@jimsprague7499]

Oops. I accidentally hit the "thumbs down" icon.

[@mulletpower2009]

is this a joke

[@wildchild307]

your comment was

[@MrDrumsPhilAmbros]

THIS IS WHEN YOU REALIZE? THAT YOU AS A DRUMMER?ARE FINISH IN THE MUSIC WORLD IF I EVER GET TO THAT POINT I WILL ????????????????????????????

[@wildchild307]

im sure you reached it long ago

[@Banguts]

Is your drumkit gonna sit on your lap? Wait, do you do the one man band thing; drum backpack and tuba and harmonica n'stuff?

[@wildchild307]

just because you wouldn’t fit doesn’t mean others won’t