Fully 3D Printable Working Djembe Drum

Update:  Added bolt-joined 7 inch shell with 3 different drumheads. For this variant you will need additional parts: 3x M3x10 bolts, 3x M3 nuts.

I'm a drummer who decided to check out if there is a possibility to print any great sounding instrument. Turns out it is! The design exceeded all my expectations.

🌸Note for new people🌸

I suggest to print at first 5 inch drum with my favourite parameters (◡‿◡✿):

• Drumhead - 0.8 mm, Prusament PLA
• Shell - 3 mm, some random and pretty PLA

Drumhead

Membrane of the drumhead must be printed at 100% infill. The decorative fringe with hex holes can be printed with less infill. The thicker the membrane, the higher the pitch. For example in the 5 inch model - the 0.4 mm drumhead has the lowest pitch and the 1 mm the highest pitch. I suggest printing it in PLA to achive the best sound. The timbre may vary depending on which filament you choose. Brittle filaments will give a more metallic sound, while plastic ones (like prusament) will sound warmer - more like a skin head. However, each filament has its own unique sound depending on its formulation. If the drumhead has sharp edges on the top (very likely for PETG) sand it off so it won't hurt your fingers.

Shell

Shell should be printed at 100% infill. The thicker it is the more contrast between the bass and higher tones on the rim. It also provides better support for the drumhead - basically the thicker the shell the better. Filament type used to print the shell is not very important, cause difference in the sound is very subtle.  

ASSEMBLY NOTE

The drumhead is friction fit. However, sometimes the shell may shrink. To fix loose drumhead you can add few layers of tape on the top of the shell to make it a little bit wider. It is also a great way to tune your drum if you are not happy with the sound. You will be suprised how ringy it will become! 

Drums used in my videos:

Black Djembe:

• Drumhead - 0.6 mm, Prusament PLA (Jet Black)
• Shell - 2 mm, Fiberlogy PLA (Onyx)

Silver Djembe:

• Drumhead - 0.8 mm, Prusament PLA (Prusa Orange)
• Shell - 3 mm, Prusa PLA (Galaxy Silver)

Green Djembe:

• Drumhead - 1 mm, Prusament PLA (Jet Black)
• Shell - 4 mm, Fiberlogy PLA (Fibersilk Light Green)

Translucent (but not really:))

• Drumhead, Shell - Fiberlogy Pure PETG