Tongue Drum - 1st Project

[Pogo69]

ok... I've decided to make a tongue drum; basically a solid, 6 sided wooden box with tongues cut into the top so that it can be played like a xylophone with rubber ended mallets.

I've read through pretty much every post in the box making forum and paid particular attention to the following thread:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=22733&highlight=tongue+drum

describing others' experiences...

I've decided to join the sides using a box joint, nice and simple, rather than dovetails, as it's my introduction to joinery (introduction to pretty much anything useful with tools actually).

what I haven't figured out yet... is once the sides are together, what's the best (or best compromise) way to fix the top and bottom?

I'll want it all to be fairly rigid, as I'm sure it'll affect the ability of the drum to resonate. similar boxes I've seen look like the top and bottom are just sitting there, no obvious joinery... are they dowelled and glued?

--pogo (pat)

[zenwood]

You probably want the stock quite thin so you get a loud sound. You could do it like a guitar body: just but joints reinforced with glue-blocks, as in the pic.