EMERGENCY: My Drum is Cracking!

by Erin Bishop

These are my two drums, the cracked one is the right, painted red and carved out sea turtles.

I don’t know how many of you live in an area that has seen a hotter than average summer, but here in Seattle, we have. Because I live in a very temperate area, I’ve never thought about how frequent I should oil my drums. So I was shocked and in a panic that one of my hand drums started developing cracks.

Close up of the cracks forming on my drums in the center as well as along the edges.

Research, Research, Research

I knew I needed to fix whatever the problem was and fast. I know that the rawhide material is made from the skins of animals and any cracks would have developed from a lack of moisture, just like our skin. But unlike our alive skin, it cannot repair itself and since it already developed a crack it will always have that crack. What I needed to do was to stop the spread, but what products do I use? And how can I obviously take better care in the future.

For answers to those questions I did a simple search on Google by typing in “The rawhide on my drum is cracking what do I do?” I then read over the top 4 links to find out that drums need natural based oils like shea butter and coconut oil, or leather based conditioners like saddle soap. I wanted to jump into action right away, and not wait for a package to arrive or to make a trip to the store. I asked Willow what products would fit that description. She pointed out that we have an Aussie Conditioner and coconut oil.

This is Fiebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner with Beeswax. I'm sure that this would make a great natural sealant from drums, but it's the best hydrator.

This is the coconut oil that I used on the drums. You can really feel the difference once applied.

No Time to Lose, Apply NOW!

So Willow and I applied the Aussie Conditioner, a bees wax to the cracked drum. Neither of us were satisfied with the results so we switched to our coconut oil. Satisfied with the results of the coconut oil application. I then used the oil on my non-cracked drum, hopefully that will stop that one from cracking. ​

The before and after photos, this one is the before you can clearly see a few cracks and some staining.

This is the after photo of the cracked drum you'll noticed that not much has changed, there is a slight darkening of the drum. If you take great care of your drums you'll notice that over time they will darken due to keeping them well oiled.

“If you've got a problem, take it out on a drum​.” - Neil Peart

Other tips I’ve learned from those sites, share that you should never keep your drums in a car, something I did while camping. Oil regularly, a practice that I will have to start. Store at room temperature, something I already do. Tuning your drum is important, wish I knew how to tune. It’s best to store them in a bag that breathes and is made out of a similar material. Happy Drumming!

That's my me beating on my favorite drum, psst, don't tell the other drum. I am happy knowing that my drums are now well oiled!