Sheilagh Mercer

Sacred Drum For You

Here are some estimates that can serve as a guide, as everyone has different requests for a design.
 

Drums approx sizes in inches 

Wooden Forms

ALL DRUMS ARE white cedar  - raw hide red farm deer - approximately 4" to 5" inches deep (some 12 " across x are 3" inches deep they are used in the drum Making workshops)  all prices are approximately priced and include the carved indent , ridding the straight look of the drums. All prices subject to change . 

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12"x3" no art  - $300 - $275 without indentation by the holes leaving a straight up and down look.  (these are used for the  Drum Making classes.) not enough room to burn on the sides 

12 " x 4"-5" no art - $450 - FACE art   Add $200 per subject. Suggest one subject is best on this size. 

BURNT art on wood - Add $150  and up for burned in images

BURNT AND PAINTED art   $300 plus depending on the content.  

14"x 5" no art - $550  - FACE art   $200 per subject suggest no more than  two subjects   

BURNT art on wood - 150 +

BURNT AND PAINTED art   $300 plus depending on the content.  

16"x 5" - $650 -  FACE art $200 per subject and suggest  about three subjects 

BURNT art  on wood- $200 +

BURNT AND PAINTED art   $300 plus depending on the content.  

18"x 5" - $850 FACE $200 + Per subject 

BURNT images on wood $200+

PAINTED and BURNT . - 400 +

20" x 5" - $900 FACE art - 300+per subject 

BURNT art only on wood -$200+ 

BURNT AND PAINTED art   $400+ depending on the content.

PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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Please contact Sheilagh to discuss your order first

Shipping charges are extra. We make a wooden crate, pack the drum with bubble wrap, then it's all brown paper wrapped and weighed in for the post office price options, and let the client know before shipping.

THE  MAKING OF THE DRUM FORM 

All drums are individually shaped and rough sanded by hand with love and care, by Doug Mercer.  The white cedar drum forms are selected from a northern Ontario family business Saw Mill, not a local store. Doug mills the rough wood to size before cutting the precise angled wedges he needs to make the drums.  The raw hide deer skins are from Humanely raised  Red Deer, on a family farm, here locally in Ontario. 

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Doug designs a nicely thinned down form to reduce the weight of the drums, which is more comfortable,  especially with the larger drums. We make a deeper drum because the sound resonates more than a shallow drum. However, we can make a shallower  drum on demand. All drums sound wonderful. It's a matter of  preference is all.  Many of our customers have a smaller shallow drum when traveling, plus a larger drum for local outings.  We include Shea butter for a light yearly coat, placed on the inside of your drum. Water misting not only keeps your drum from drying out too much, it also will lower the pitch if you like a lower sound. Still store in a dry place. A drum that's used  is best as it gets oil from your hands and moister too... either from the air or your misting.  Sheilagh's first original drum  was made in the year 2000.  Other than the wood being a bit too thick and heavy, it still sounds like new and the acrylic art work as well has had  no touch ups. The drums have since been brought down to a more slender strong lightweight. The 15" to 16" and 5" deep to allow for artwork and better still the sound it resonates. I am comfortable with long times of playing from 12" to 16" . 

FINE SANDING

Once the drums are shaped and rough sanded by Doug, then Sheilagh takes over the next stages, and carves an indentation by the holes at the bottom of the drum, (unless that person wants the sides straight by request). Sheilagh  spends hours lovingly sanding each drum form to a silky smooth surface. 

THE ART OF PYROGRAPHY

The fine Sanding prepares the wooden surface for the art of Pyrography. An electrical  unit with a pencil size handle fits different points and shaders used in the burning of the images into the wooden drums form, and option some people ask for. Once the original designed images are burned in, this can be left its original brownish colouring or painted as well. Then begins the many layers of varathane brushed out onto the surfaces inside and out of the drum form, and only after the artwork is done. There is further sanding between each of the many coats, with a 2 hour drying time, wait between these coats. Many thin coats of water proof varathane is applied until the desired silky surface is achieved. The artwork painted or unpainted is now protected.  Then the assembling of the drum begins by stringing on the raw hide deer skin, using a virtually unbreakable waxed twisted cord. The cord of natural colour is thin and does not hide the artwork on the wooden form.

THE DRUM'S VOICE

Each drum is unique and not one exactly the same. Even it's unique sound can only be heard by you and therefore a unique price on it as well due to your art choices. It will harmonize with your own vibration. Please do not have someone tell you how your drum sounds to them, because Your drum will sound different to others, then it sounds to you. All drums are to be only loved and honored as a sacred tool. Our drums are strung higher because the night moist air will lower it. These drums then last longer in the moist air needing less warning by the fire, which can harm the artwork painted in your drum. Indoor or dry weather mist your drum lightly until it drops to the pitch you like.