The latest homemade pad: it’s like an obsession

I think I keep making pads at home because it’s some kind of obsession.

It may also be a quiet rebellion against the mountains of mass-produced crap that companies like Hanflag, Evans and Vic Firth keep churning out of unsustainable materials like silicon, MDF and plastic.

The truth is that my dozens of homemade pads, made and given away over the years, won’t make a real difference in the scheme of things. They certainly won’t compel the mass-producers to change the way they do business. (Which is why their insistence on shouting down my uncomfortable questions on the socials confuses me slightly. What have they got to lose when most of their teenaged buyers aren’t paying attention to anything but the hype?)  But I continue to make them out of found and repurposed objects, mostly because doing this brings me joy. When I pass along one of my homemade pads to another drummer and learn that they love using it, that gives me more joy still.

(Jay O’Brien, a percussionist based in New Jersey who plays with multiple orchestras and keeps a full private studio, is currently using one of my recent pads, a 1/2” rubber slab on a small cutting board shaped like the state of Oregon. He says it’s the perfect size to keep on a trap table onstage as a warmup tool before concerts, and I am thrilled.)

This pad was made using a gum rubber sheet on top (purchased as a 12” square, 1/4” thick, and cut down to a round), a piece of yoga mat on bottom, and both are glued to a solid birch base that was originally the top of a lazy Susan for someone’s dinner table. The top surface is a nearly perfect practice surface that isn’t too loud but offers a nice rebound for Rudimental work. The yoga mat material provides a great nonskid surface, and doubles as a practice surface for when I want to really work out the fingers and wrists. Solid wood as a base offers more resonance and ring than a fiber board like MDF or Valchromat, and takes a little getting used to. But making the adjustment isn’t hard, and the solid wood provides a durable base for the practice pad.

The wood came from a thrift store and cost me a couple of bucks. It probably dates from the 1970s, and the dark stain adds a nice visual appeal.

I applied the yoga mat to the bottom, not bothering to remove the label. I sanded it lightly before glueing on  the yoga mat, and let it dry overnight.

I sanded the top side of the base lightly, and also lightly sanded the side of the gum rubber being glued against the wood for a better adhesion. Again, I weighted it down and let it dry overnight in a well-ventilated shed.

The rubber sheet was 1/4” about the thickest I’d attempt to cut by hand with industrial shears. The edge is a little bit rough, but I chose this method rather than trying to hold the rubber in place while cutting with a carpet knife. I was simply too afraid of having the knife slip and ruin the rubber or slice my hand. I can live with the result.

If you choose to make your own practice pad, always apply the glue in a well-ventilated space that’s not in the home — in the summer, I work outdoors and in the winter, I work in a shed next to the house. 

In each case, I use a medium strength super glue that’s readily available at many hardware stores. You can also buy it online at PadParts.com, where you can also find a variety of base and playing surface materials that come precut in a choice of sizes. If you prefer everything neatly trimmed, just order the parts there and you’ll be very pleased with the final result.

This pad measures about 11” across, with top and bottom surfaces trimmed to about 10” across. The slightly smaller size means it fits easily in a backpack; and at less than four pounds it’s light enough to take anywhere. I’m pleased with how this one turned out and will likely keep it.