The loop is liberally painted with epoxy resin and left to set. I should mension that before I started, I put a layer of sellotape round the pot to protect the wood.
The head uses a piece of mylar sheet. I found the best source of this material to be windsurfer sail repairers.
Modern high-performance windsurf sails are made of clear mylar with just the right thickness. An old sail won't do, it is likely to be polythene and anyway will be too scratched and brittle (sunlight damage).
But a new piece of the stuff used for repairs is perfect. I bought enough for 6 heads for £10. You can buy it from the manufacturer but at a minimum order of £100 for 25 sq metres - I think not!
| An 11 inch circle is cut out of the mylar sheet, then the edge is cut into 'fingers' all round down to a 9 1/2 inch diameter circle. The mylar can be folded and creased so that these fingers stand up and form a shallow dish. | |
| The mylar dish is slipped over the pot and tied in place with a double loop of thin rope, thick string, wire, whatever you fancy. I used some braided leather string from my wife's stash of bits and pieces
The loop is liberally painted with epoxy resin and left to set. I should mension that before I started, I put a layer of sellotape round the pot to protect the wood. | |
| Here is the completed head, slipped off the pot the next morning. The knot has been cut away and trimmed | |
| The head mounted and undergoing tuning - I use an eraser tipped pencil to tap the head, seeking for an even note all round as I tension the head | |