I need ideas for building a lazy susan for a drum kit

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:25 pm

Anybody seen a cost-effective design/implementation of a lazy susan for a drum kit?

I need to raise my kit off the floor because of moisture issues. I was just going to put some plywood on some spread out hockey pucks, but I'd really like to be able to turn my kit into the corner for recording/practicing and then turn it back so it faces out for jamming with others. Without having to move every piece of kit and mic stand.

I was thinking a stout pipe bolted to the floor via a flange in the center of the contraption. The pipe would go up through a hole in the center of the plywood. Maybe some sort of ball bearing bushing thingy if friction is an issue. Then, evenly spaced casters around the edges of the plywood. Cut the pipe so it doesn't really poke through. That seems highly doable to me, but casters are so fucking expensive and I'd need a zillion of them. Plus, it would probably resonate like a mother...

So....

Anyone got a cheaper/better idea? And yes, I really am that lazy.

ck

I just thought of a bonus reason to do this: I could set up a stereo pair of room mics and have someone spin the kit for some crazy drum "leslie" effects. (Followed by stereo barfing sounds.)

Nathangrn · Post by **Nathangrn** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 6:55 pm

Here's a link for some bearing for it.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#turntables/=9hrji2

You will probably need a pin to lock it into position so it won't twirl about while you're playing. Although if you have some one spin it maybe you can get that "Kashmir" drum sound.

Nathangrn · Post by **Nathangrn** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 6:59 pm

You can use one of those bearing to rotate about or your pipe idea would work. Then use some bolts around the perimeter that you lower to stabilize it. The bolt would be much cheaper than casters.

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:12 pm

Or...

Just go rummaging through Neil Peart's dumpster on bulk trash pickup day? Maybe you'll get lucky!

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 9:14 am

Wow, that's a cool (but expensive and time-consuming) idea. Love to see some pictures if you make it work.

We just built a simple one-way riser with plastic industrial palettes and plywood. No turning, but large enough and solid as a rock.

GJ

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 9:42 am

So it doesn't need to turn with the full weight of a drummer on it? That makes it easier.

You could do something with cheaper casters that are mounted on foam blocks or something so that when there's weight the riser settles down and becomes more solid.

Or just think in terms of slippery plastic instead of casters. How about a thick round carpet backed with something slick, sitting on a slick surface, and with some clips around the edge to hold it in place when not being spun? You could still do a pivot in the middle, and it won't need to be as heavy-duty.

roygbiv · Post by **roygbiv** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 9:44 am

i love crazy stuff like this. don't let the bossy "rational" part of your mind dissuade you.

maybe 4 or 5 of those wheeled things you put big potted plants on could work underneath your platform.

alternatively, with patience, you might be able to find a bunch of castered wheels from the goodwill, from old roller skates.

good luck.

roygbiv · Post by **roygbiv** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 9:47 am

ooh, i like scodiddly's slick idea better. much easier to implement and test, that's for sure. pretty slick.

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 10:58 am

roygbiv wrote:ooh, i like scodiddly's slick idea better. much easier to implement and test, that's for sure. pretty slick.

+1

Scodiddly's ideas are a hell of a lot better than my dumb-ass Neil Peart remark. Given me some inspiration on an idea for you but it might be better for me to just draw out what I'm thinking. I'll try and do that and come back with it soon.

stylus flanger · Post by **stylus flanger** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 12:06 pm

a number of these might work.

http://www.thelibrarystore.com/category ... &id=100065

a modified playground carousel would be perfect, but expensive.

stylus flanger · Post by **stylus flanger** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 12:14 pm

a number of these might work.
http://www.thelibrarystore.com/category ... &id=100065

a modified playground carousel would be perfect, but expensive.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 2:52 pm

Yeah, I would just build a drum riser with casters, and attach the casters to the riser via Scodiddly's foam idea or hockey pucks or whatever. Then it is truly mobile, you could move the drum riser anywhere around the room and lock the outside casters.

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:51 pm

There's not that many places to move it in the room. I really just want to rotate it. And have you every tried to just rotate something that big and unwieldy that's just on free floating casters? I was thinking maybe fixed casters around the edge (all aiming sideways) so it couldn't really roll in any one direction very easily. Might not even need the pole in the middle for that to work.

But casters, Ugh. Even medium duty ones cost like $40,000 each. I bet fixed ones are cheaper though.

eeldip · Post by **eeldip** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 7:50 pm

i think the riser will need to be isolated from the drums as well. the more mobile and light the structure, the more i fear it will resonate from the drums.

oh, and some plywood, a router and these
http://www.vxb.com/Merchant2/merchant.m ... aringBalls

would make a neat ball bearing.

sound for sandwiches · Post by **sound for sandwiches** » Sat Oct 30, 2010 8:30 pm

How flat and smooth is the floor that this riser will sit on? That will have a lot of impact on how easy it is to spin, and what technology would work best. I would add to the "slick" camp if the floor is reasonably flat and smooth. Buy a chunk of 1/2" thick UHMW plastic from McMaster-carr or anoher source, cut up a bunch of squares with a jigsaw or something, and drill and counterbore holes in each piece so you can screw them to the underside of the platform in evenly spaced places, without the screw heads scratching the floor.

Back when I worked as a carpenter in theaters, I built many big revolving platforms; some motorized, some not. if they're set up well, they are pretty easy to move by hand. When we used casters, they were always rigid (non-pivoting) and usually they were screwed to the floor, wheels up, and the platform had a smooth bottom and just sat on top. We'd use a laser level to make sure all the tops of the wheels were in the same level plane. If the floor was uneven we'd compensate with shims under the wheels as needed. There was always some kind of pivot pin in the middle. Pipe and flanges would work fine.

For your idea I would say that the above method is overkill, unless your floor is really uneven or rough-textured.

David

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