Links
Whiteley Solutions Drum Enclosure (approx. $2,500 – $7,000)
Clear Sonic Drum Shields (approx. $500 – $2000)
Notes about the DIY enclosure
- The aluminium frame was all 90 degree angled pieces
- The lexan(polycarbonate) was sandwiched between the angled frame and aluminum strips using nuts and bolts
- The other side of the frame was bolted to the floor(drum riser)
- Lexan Thickness: 3/16 inch
Tips
- Adding a roof to your enclosure has a huge impact of reducing volume
- Enclosures get warm, we installed an exhaust fan to help reduce heat
- With any drum enclosure watch directions on cleaning and maintenance of the glass so that you don’t scratch the surface or cause damage.
what type business did you get the lexan sheet from?
Did a search for "lexan West Michigan" and found a Rubber supply company that sold lexan and plexi. Try also searching for polycarbonate in your area.
Can you do a tutorial about the wooden background please?
I will look into it, for now, go look at ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com they have a list of pallet walls and many contain behind the scenes on how it was created.
Can you please tell what thickness of Lexan you used and sls how easy was it to bend?
Gary Brown
1/4 inch Lexan. Bending wasn't the hard part the weight was the hard part and bolting it together. I never felt like we were going to break the sheet, it was more about man handling it. Also we predrilled holes and as we bent those holes didn't line up anymore.
Hello, at our church we currently have a five panel drum shield but have no sound absorbtion happening. Would you suggest the first thing we need is a roof? Also, is there any price points for a decent quality roof and any other sound observing ideas?
Drum enclosures are not meant to absorb sound, they are meant to contain sound. You can add acoustic panels to an enclosure to help absorb some sound, but mostly they are meant to contain/redirect sound. Right now your 5 panel shield is redirecting sound backwards and up instead of going forward.
If you have a standard 5 panel shield and it isn't doing the job for you i would first put a roof on it. Clearsonic makes one that you could look at. or build your own. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CSPLP53D
We made our roof from plywood and added these tiles to help cut down on reflections(sound bouncing) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00759D22C/ref=o…
Hey Brad thanks for the details, maybe you mentioned it but one question… what was the thickness of the lexan? 1/16?
thanks again for sharing! #gonnaDoThis!
I believe it was 1/16
Brad, thanks for sharing this. It's exactly what we're looking for. In one of the comments you say 1/4" lexan but in this one you say 1/16" Could you verify which it is? I'm ready to order some but want to make sure it'll bend to the radius we've made.
It is 3/16, I was mistaken when I replied to this comment. I am Am adding the information above to make it more clear.
Thanks for the quick answer. For anyone having trouble sourcing local lexan I found these guys had decent pricing and reasonable shipping charges. http://www.totalplastics.com They carry sheets that are 80"x120" which will give you 6.6' of height.
What was the price for that with shipping?
I ordered 2 sheets of 80"x120". They were $260 each with $175 for shipping. They are shipped from Kalamazoo MI I believe. So if you could get there you could save on the shipping. I'm using one sheet to make the curve and the second sheet will be cut in half to make two 6.6'x5' walls. I'm framing the roof and back out of 1x4s and putting roxul safe and sound insulation in them. The insides of the roof and back wall/doors will be covered with a fine weave burlap to let the sound get into the insulation and get absorbed as much as possible. The outside of the roof and wall will be painted wood.
Did you attach the lexan on the outside of the metal frame or did it fit inside the angle? Also, in the video it looks like there are some sort of fixtures around the lexan where they attach to the angle that look like those door stops you put on a hinge. What are those?
Any chance you'd be willing to post some pictures of the areas where the lexan attached to the frame?
$268.59 per sheet plus $175 for shipping
How did you attach the curved lexan to the vertical angle pieces? What kind of hardware? Pictures available? Also, we need one the same dimensions. Can you send me the specs for the size of aluminum pieces? thanks
I’m a little late in responding to this thread, but thought I’d leave my two cents anyway, for anyone else that happens to stumble upon it like me.
Garth mentioned he purchased his LEXAN sheets from Total Plastics (TPI) in Kalamazoo. I’m actually the marketing manager for Total Plastics (and located in Kalamazoo). We get a lot of requests from churches for materials to build these drum enclosures. With that send, I wanted to add a few helpful hints:
1. Find a local plastics distributor. In just about every city there’s a plastics distributor that sells plastic sheet, rod and tube. TPI is just one of many. If you’re near a major city, there will be several. As Brad mentioned in this video, shipping costs can be as much as the sheet themselves. Find a local distributor and pickup the sheets from their warehouse.
2. Ask for cut-to-size. For a fairly nominal cost, these distributors will cut-to-size for you. Transporting or handling an 80×120 inch sheet is difficult. They can cut it to size, so you’re getting panels that are ready to work with.
3. Use polycarbonate. LEXAN is a brand of polycarbonate. You’ll see on other DIY sites and videos people mentioning “plexiglass.” Plexlglas is a brand of acrylic, a completely different material. Acrylic, while often less expensive, is more brittle and easier to break. Polycarbonate is basically unbreakable. If you’re moving the enclosure, setting it up and taking it down on a regular basis, you’ll want to use polycarbonate. Be careful, it can scratch easy. Hard coated polycarbonate is available (more cost), which helps prevent scratching.
4. Don’t use Windex! Common household glass cleaners often have ammonia as an ingredient. Ammonia and plastic don’t typically get along and you’ll end up damaging the material over time. Ammonia will cause crazing, small cracks that distort the sheet. There are specialty plastic cleaners available … use those and a microfiber cloth. Also, don’t use paper towel.
Awesome information! Thanks for the input.
Has anyone used 1/4″ lexan for the curved front. I was talking with Total plastics who were mentioned below and they only sell 1/8″ or 1/4″ lexan in the 80×120 sheets. I didn’t know if the 1/4″ has enough flex to do the curve.
I would do with 1/8, it will be plenty strong for you. 1/4 can work but its heavier and will be harder to handle.
I used 1/4″. You have to wrap it o the outside of the frame rather than wedge it on the inside.
A friend of mine built an enclosure using one of the folding shield mentioned. Basically framed around it and insulated it with Rockwool. He also installed a solid wood door. It doesn’t look as pretty as yours but for those who already have a folding shield it may be a more cost effective option if they don’t mind the seems. I’m working on the plans to do it. We have a horrible time controlling our sound. the combo of rotating volunteer sound guys, concrete floors and a heavy metal drummer make for some over bearing drum action. We could put him in the parking lot and still hear him!
Brad- how did you build the roof? Is it one piece? Is it wood covered in carpet or fabric?
Brad we are in the same situation and your enclosure looks great. How can I get the information you have on the design and all needed material?
Please look at the show notes above. If you have a specific question not answered by the tips, pdf, or video leave it below.
Brad, in a pic shown in the video, it seems as if the metal frame has only a bottom rail for the arc… Did you secure the top of the lexan to anything?
There is a metal arc at the top and the bottom or all panels.
Brad,
I noticed you recommended 1/4" lexan. My question why not 3/16"? It is lighter and since we are not absorbing the sound would be lighter would this work? Also how do you cool inside the enclosure?
I was worried about cracking when you drill through the lexen near the edges. Also I think this was the only thickness that was available in the large sheets.
As far as temp goes, it can get warm but i added a fan in the ceiling that pulls all the hot air out, if that fan is running I rarely get to warm while drumming.
I was wrong in my measurement, I have since fixed that in the description.
I am trying to get ideas on lighting and the foundation of the set. Is the set foundation plywood. How is the aluminum frame attached. What materials were used for the riser? Lastly, did you all go with LED due as heat can be a consideration.
Hey Brad, can you give me the info on the people who made your aluminum frame?
Garth, I am interested in knowing how much the sheets costed. I am looking for a source on the West Coast (Southern California to be exact). I'm struggling because the size is considered custom. Spoke with a guy today…wanted to charge me $995 for two sheets. OMG…Help!
Don't ask for a specific size, just ask for pricing on the largest size they sell. I built mine around the large piece I could get my hands on. Call as many places as you can and ask for the largest size they carry, then you can figure out how big on and enclosure you can building with that material.
Hi Brad, I've been looking around in my area for Lexan and 1/4" X 6' X10' is very hard to find! I'd have to buy a batch of 10 sheets at 570$ each! :I Did you ever consider trying thinner Lexan like 3/16" or 1/8"? 1/8" is half price + 10% I watched a reseller show me how strong 1/8" is! He practically bended a 2' X 4' piece into a full circle with a lot of elbow grease 😉 He said that to bend 1/4" would be pretty hard and 3/16" would do fine and even 1/8" for this projet. What do you think?
When I bought mine I only asked about the width and height, i never even asked what the thickness was. I am sure you will be fine to use a thinner material.
Good morning, Brad. Was wondering how far apart did you space out the drilled holes on the front curved Lexan sheet? What size were the drilled holes and did you use rubber washers?
Hi Brad! My church is needing a drum cage and I too had seen the Whiteley Solutions drum cages and immediately fell in love. And then I stumbled on your project and was wondering a few things. In fact, I was wondering if I could get a copy of your complete plans so we could build one of our own. Don’t know if you’d do that or not though. Thanks!
The video and PDFs above describe everything we did to make the enclosure. There arnt any “complete” plans that I am holding back. This is a very case by case type of project, that's why I said in the video that it wasn't going To be a step by step “How To” tutorial. Sorry I can't give any more assistance.
Amazingly helpful video!!! I have built a similar drum cage using an aging clearsonic shield as a starting point but this looks much better. Big thank you from His Church Pinetown in South Africa!!
Wow thanks for the quick response! I understand you don’t have formal plans. Let me ask this, how did you get the Lexan installed? Did you do it yourselves or have the metal fabricator to it? Thanks again for the quick response!
We installed everything and built the platform and roof ourselves. We also had to paint all the metal. The fabricator only made the frame then gave it to us in pieces.
Did you install the Lexan little by little (like drill a hole and bolt it) then move on to the next one until you had it fully curved or did you just curve it around the frame and have a bunch of guys hold it in place while it was bolted to the frame?
Hi Brad, re-posting my question; I'm not sure if it successfully posted the first time 🙂 Really enjoyed your info you've given, we are seriously thinking about going through with this kind of build. Our biggest question was in regards to bending the polycarbonate. In what I've researched online, it's quite a project to bend; did you do it entirely by hand with no heat whatsoever, and if so, how many people did it take to work it into shape? Any other pointers you can give as well on shaping the poly would be super appreciated!
There is was no heating for permanent bending involved in our project, the lexan(don't use plexiglass) is tightened to the frame via nuts/bolts/washers. I would attach in the center first then bend to the outside edges and attach there. Then fill in In-between.If we would remove our bolts the lexan would go back to a straight piece.It only took myself and 1 other person to attach the lexan to the frame. 3 people would be plenty.
Brad,
Quick question- I could not tell if you bolted the lexan to the inside out the frame or the outside of it?
Mike Chatt
i would like to see if you could send me some up close pictures of you enclosure to present to my our church board?
Hello, at our church we currently have a five panel drum shield but have no sound absorbtion happening. Would you suggest the first thing we need is a roof?
Yup! That would be a great start.
agree
I love this design and we are giving it a go. Question: Is there anything you would change after building it? Like trying to make it taller? Have you tried anything absorb more sound?
With the lack of sound absorbing material inside the enclosure, is it boomy and roomy sounding?
It is not at all. Since some sound can escape out the fabric wall it has a really nice natural tight sound.
Loved the tutorial! Would you mind posting a couple pictures of the enclosure apart from the video that I can take to my builders?
I’ve gotten a lot of questions from different people about the drum enclosure I built based off of this post. I’d like to answer some of them in one spot and give you a link to some pictures so here goes. We love the results of our drum enclosure and love how it looks even more. All total we spent $1800-$2000. As I said in a previous post I got the Lexan from Total Plastics Indy. They are 1/4″ thick and 80″x120″ I made the side panels of the enclosure to be 80″ tall by 60″ wide so that one panel of Lexan cut in half covered both sides. The front curved part is 80″tall and the total length of the curve is 120″. We made it out of 1 1/2″ steel angle and it was extreme overkill. The curved part needed to be that big so that it didn’t buckle when we rolled the curve, but the rest could be much smaller angle. When I was designing it I was thinking that there would be a lot of stress on the frame from the Lexan but there really isn’t any stress at all. There is a man at our church who owns a metal fab shop so we did all of that work there. The Lexan curved around the frame very easily. I was surprised how flexible it was because I’d never worked with it before. I would imagine that you could have rolled the entire sheet into a cylinder with no problem. I’m telling you that bending the Lexan around the curve is absolutely no problem. I was never afraid of breaking it even once. It will take two people to manage these sheets though. Three would be better.
As far as sound goes I did make a set of sliding doors for the back that were framed from 1×3’s with a luan sheet as the outer face. Then I put Roxul Safe and Sound insulation in the framing and covered the inside of the doors in heavy cloth drop cloths. It sounds cheap and it is, but it looks pretty cool. and since the cloth is a light tan the whole enclosure just sort of disappears on stage. I just stapled the cloth to the framing. I framed the top the same way and built a fan into the ceiling that blows air out of the enclosure. There is about a 3/4″ gap down the side of the doors that allow fresh air to be sucked in and when the fan is running it stays pretty cool inside. Because of the insulated top and back is sounds very tight and quiet inside. Not loud and harsh at all which I was a little afraid of. The important thing to do is have some sort of sound insulation on the top and back. This thing absolutely needs to be all the way enclosed to get the maximum benefit from it. The only exception to that would be if you were going to set it close to a back wall that already had some sound treatment on it. Then you might be able to get away without a back. But a top is a must.
Just so I’d have numbers to post today I took a decibel meter inside the enclosure and played for a while with it set to A Weighting and a slow reaction time. The peaks inside the enclosure were around 110-112db. Then I set the meter up 2 inches in front of the enclosure right in the front middle of the curve on the outside of the enclosure with the doors closed and the peaks were 68-70. That’s a difference of about 40db just from the Lexan. It’s even quieter if you take a reading behind the door or above the enclosure.
The construction wasn’t that difficult. I drilled holes in the steel frame every 12″ and used a 5/16″ bolt with a flat washer to secure the Lexan to the outside of the steel frame. 12″ is overkill but I thought it had a cool Harry Houdini industrial water tank look to it. Before I bolted the Lexan on I cleaned up the bare metal angle and wiped it down with some degreaser. Then I spray painted it all flat black. I poked the bolts through some cardboard and laid the washers out and sprayed them flat black. We set the Lexan up and clamped it to the frame in a few places once we had it where we wanted it. Then we drilled the holes through the Lexan from the inside of the frames using the holes in the frame as a guide. I don’t think there would have been any way that I could have predrilled the holes in the Lexan and gotten them to match up to the holes in the frame. The Lexan drilled very easily. It’s not brittle like plexiglass. It’s sort of soft and drills very nicely. The one thing you need to take into account is that the verticle posts on the curved part can’t be angle iron because they don’t end up being 90 degrees. You need the vertical part of the curve to mate with the vertical part of the side wall, but the other angled side of that piece needs to be able to have the Lexan of the curved part bolted to it. This is hard to explain but hopefully, the pictures will help. The roof just sits on top of the frame and is not bolted on. Because of where we were going to put the enclosure on our stage there wasn’t enough room behind it for a door to swing open. So I made the doors slide like barn doors using heavy duty drawer sliders I bought at Lowes.
That’s about what I remember from this build. If you have any questions I think if you click on my name in this comment it will take you to our church website. You can find me on there and send me an e-mail. I’m even happy to have a phone conversation if I could answer any questions.
Here’s the link to some pictures.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9nkofppxg20np37/AABZi1phtDJQE5F0WrVC5B69a?dl=0
Garth…love your pics. Do you have build plans and dimensions of you drum enclosures?
How did you do the top Garth?
Brad, the video you did on the drum enclosure was very helpful, but I didn’t see an answer to the question regarding whether the lexan was bolted to the outside or inside of the frame. You do mention that it is “sandwitched” between another strip. It seems to me that the lexan would fit inside the angled aluminum and bolt there. Is that correct? Thanks.
Frame on inside, lexan in the middle, metal strip on outside.
Having worked with the 3/16″ Lexan (I’ve never seen it), do you think it would be feasible to fasten it on the inside? Or would it be impossible to manage? Thanks again.
Hey Kevin,
I actually purchased Lexan from the roll, cut to length. It was significantly cheaper, already curved approximately the way I wanted and I was able to fasten it from the inside. I added a thick layer of clear silicone between the frame and glass during the fastening time to ensure a tight fit.
Hope this helps
Hey Brad, the aluminum angle pieces, do you happen to know what’s the measurements on those. Like we’re they 1”, 2” or 3” aluminum angle?
What thickness Lexan did you get ?
How did you do the top Garth?
What thickness Lexan did you get ?
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IS there a detailed plan for the Alluminum structure in its totality?
short and quick suggestion if you read this to consider building an enclosure for your church etc and you have not tried silent sticks from adoro first. Go get these, and the beater, together less that 50$ incl. shipping, and they reduce drum volume by 80%.
While a drum booth sure is a good idea for many, please consider that you also run into new problems: a drum booth is, from sound perspective, not the best room you could use for your drums to mic them in. The bathroom vibes make amplifying drums a task not every weekend-warrior-soundengineer can master propperly. Plus, you still do hear the acoustic drums, just a bit less loud, but now sounding even worse. Most people think less loud drums are better drums, but if you have an already bad sounding drum kit (loud is the definition of unbalanced, thus “bad” sound) and muffle it, it does not improve the sound despite volume going down. So now it is up to the sound engineer to make the drums sound good, because acoustically, they now suck even more. Yes, they are less loud, but gosh…
Using silent sticks can be a life saver for many drummers, getting the volume down about the same amount as a drum enclosure would do, minus adding the new reflections and the muffling and the distortions. Now if the drums happen to actually sound nice when played low volume (hint: double ply heads tuned high with extra muffling will not sound any good when played softly), your drums will shine and sound better than ever, especially because playing the drums less loud in a sonic vibrant room as a church will always be beneficary for the overall sound of your band.
I get it, many churches just want to put the drums in a box, lock the drummer up and lose the key. But I have been helping churches getting drum volume issues solved, and when you actually treat your drums like a real acoustic instrument, tame them with silent sticks, make good choices on instruments, both drums and cymbals, 90% of the volume issues are solved. And if you did not get them solved, spending less than 50 bucks on sticks and beaters is well worth the risk.