How To Build A Cajon // Making A Box Drum

[@boydstongrove]

After Making these Cajons, I got a lot of good pointers from some musicians. I would really like to try making one with hardwood and see how of a difference that makes in the sound.

[@VchetverGoff]

Hi! Thanks for video) let's try making your own model tomorrow)

[@ElisaAlvarez-y2j]

I’m a long time classically trained musician, although I’m not a drummer. I loved your video. Very open, honest, easy to understand and follow for anyone thinking of making their own canon rather than buying one xx

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you! I really appreciate that. Thanks for watching!

[@yodasecondave]

Very very clever addition with the adjustable snare....totally stealing this idea. Thank you!

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you! Honestly, it's a pretty common thing with "real" Cajon builders. I got the idea for the knobs from "Woodworking For Mere Mortals".

[@jcchavazimmerman9869]

Great video. Loved your tools. Wish I had such a simple way to make rabbit joint

[@boydstongrove]

Thanks! there's quite a few ways to cut rabbets: table saw, circular hand saw, or palm router to name a few. We gotta work with what we got. Thanks for watching!

[@ServiceOrchestramegastore]

loved the video, very educational.

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@Revivalofglory]

Loved 😂your video! Awesome! Talented Taylor 🎉

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you for watching!

[@wingdvm]

Great build! Could you provide where you drilled the holes with the Forstner bit for the snare dowel? Thx! Am building one out of 3/4” Baltic Birch for my son’s birthday

[@boydstongrove]

Took me a minute, had to find the plans. I drilled the holes 5.5" from the top and 2.5" from the front.

[@mattosmith4811]

Great woodworking! Looks awesome! I you could get a better sound. I made a couple cajons and have drummed for decades. As a drummer I like a tight high snare sound with a deep bass. I tend to play along top corners. So I moved my snare wires more to the corners. I also think the snare sounds better with more snare wires laying along contact with the front panel, not just the ends of the wires. I tried a bigger size for more bass but I noticed how tight and loose the screws makes lots of difference. So I left the screws less tight for the bass, then tighter along the top. I’ve even tried putting a piece of tin under one top corner for different sounds. I also installed a piezo pickup, but sound it sensitive and loud, I still used it with low volume. Only a good kick drum mic gets a huge bass sound. Love your video, from New Zealand.

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you! I could have used your advice when I was making them. I will def. take all these notes into account when I make another one. Thanks!

[@ВалерийБеликов-щ1н]

Bravo Mastery...😊😊😊

[@boydstongrove]

Haha, thanks.

[@JakeSteikDrums]

Great build there's things I'd change , but pro clean build

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you! I'd love to hear your ideas, always looking to improve. Plus I need to make another, gave those two away, lol.

[@kathrynnewton8721]

Oh my goodness, didn’t realise what it was till the end, thought it was some foul thing for catching an animal ( as you Americans like to do😅!) thanks for the Education!

[@boydstongrove]

Haha, well I’m glad you stuck it out! Cajons are a lot of fun to have around the house.

[@jerbear7952]

The VAST majority of us are not catching animals (although historically thats what people have always done)

[@ZenBudden]

What would the best wood to make this out of, and where did you buy/what snare did you use? Awesome video, we are doing a project in school where we have to build an instrument and your video is super helpful. Am going to recommend to high school wood shop teacher. I thought it would be cool to make a drum, because I am a drummer. Thanks.

[@boydstongrove]

Thanks! I know that a lot of real drummers prefer to make theirs from hard woods, but I just used standard grade, pre-sanded plywood. I got the snares from Amazon: amzn.to/3BMx6Po I also made a lap sized drum that may be a little simpler for younger students: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6S4YZuCerR5jJI Thanks for watching!

[@Immigrantlovesamerica]

nice cajones

[@boydstongrove]

Haha, thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@emmanuelmbao686]

It sounds so awesome

[@boydstongrove]

Thank you! Yeah, they came out really nice, both were re-homed to musicians so now I have to make another for myself....again.

[@crystalr7602]

As a drummer, it's good you left the snare in the box. Both with and w/o have their places in music. Is that all that's in those things? I've seen them with some kind of tin plate I guess for the snare instead of a regular drum snare. I've also seen them plug into an amp. Don't know much about them, but from the first time seeing one, it's got to be way easier than hauling a whole kit around lol......great project!

[@boydstongrove]

Thanks! Yeah, my friend has an electric one that has built in effects and everything which I would think defeats the purpose, but I digress. I've never seen one with a metal plate, most of the tutorials I found used the snare, the plate may add an interesting sound though. I did discover that the one I made just a few inches taller has a much better sound. Thanks for watching!

[@haraldkrennrich3624]

I'm just building my second Cajon right now and i want to try those piezo pickups that you can buy for acoustic guitars. They are really cheap (~10$) and have three self-adhessive, round pickups, so you are able to place them anywhere on the plate.

[@chrismalkoski6846]

Question... Does the size of the rabbet you cut matter in this project? Would the size of the rabbet cut change any of the dimensions of the other pieces?

[@boydstongrove]

The depth of the rabbets on the top and bottom panels don't effect the sides, However, the depth rabbets on all the panels will all effect the size of the back panel. And they all also effect the front panel but that should be cut last anyways so you can cut it to size.

[@dipensarkar8891]

Nice

[@boydstongrove]

Thanks!!

[@haraldkrennrich3624]

iI really like your idea to put the snares on a wheel. I did my last one on a slider. But yours seems to make more sense, since you can control the touch a little bit better.

[@boydstongrove]

YES! So I gifted mine to a drummer and that's exactly what he said, he loved the control.

[@bradbailey6712]

Thanks!

[@boydstongrove]

Thanks for watching!

[@worstworkshop]

Why have I never built a cajon?? I've always been more of a djembe guy, but I don't have one right now. I think I need to do this.

[@boydstongrove]

So, I made one a few inches taller by accident and it actually had a much richer sound, in case you go that direction. 😁

[@glenyswana1128]

Excellent

[@boydstongrove]

Thanks

[@lesterloren1166]

I wish i had 1 of that😢🙏

[@boydstongrove]

Me too, they both were re-homed. I was just thinking this week of making another.

[@JakeCarterCarSales]

Boyston Grove time grab the bourbon

[@Mikeahobby]

countersink those screws on the topas so they can be below the striking surface. nice otherwise.

[@boydstongrove]

Yes! After I made mine, I saw my friends store bought one and they were countersunk. Thanks for watching!

[@BobStCyr]

Yes always go for the cheap plywood ;-) I have nothing against saving money, but, lets see I'd like to make a nice drum that I hope to use for the rest of my life, show off to my friends, enjoy my work over time - hmmm maybe I'll just spend a few more bucks and make it look nice, well not that yours does not look nice, it does but it could look super with baltic birch play (no need for filler) and maybe a nice piece of decorative veneer on the "drum" face. With all the work going into the box, might as well look fantastic. Are you really going to brag to your friends "and I used cheap plywood!"?

[@boydstongrove]

I couldn't agree more. The two in the video are the very first I've ever made, the second one because of the mistakes I made on the first, so I am glad I had a few trial runs before making some out of higher end materials. As for these two; I really put in effort in the finishes and gave them to some friends who were thrilled to add them to their arsenals of instruments, so the effort wasn't in vain. Next time I'm going all out though .

[@oliverleslie7382]

Original cajons were made from all kinds and any kinds of scrap woods found wherever. Nailed, glued or both varies as well in the poor regions of the globe where this instrument originated.

[@Sugarsail1]

You realize you can buy one at Guitar Center for $89 bucks? Probably less than you spent on the plywood you used for the project.

[@boydstongrove]

This is true, but us makers make because we love doing it, not to save money. I don't even play, I gifted both of them away, just enjoyed the building part.