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A friend of mine just bought a Fat Congas Bajo Cajon. It is a great sounding cajon, but made me think, "I could probably do that for about $50. My question is, does anyone have specs on a caja? (dimensions, suggestions, experiences, etc.)

120dB

i dont write english very well, excuse me. I have made one, the best mesures are 50 cm tall and 30 X 30, and the head 0.5 cm thickness of some hard wood to get good bass, also you can try to put guitar strings behind the head, like a W: to get the sharp sound, but peruvians (where the cajon was originate) didnt like, they say that the strings are not necesary, but i like the sound. try it by your way.
hope that helps.if you want more information i´ll try to give you more.

Mbalax

Aché

Thank you! I have experimented with building a cajon this week. I am really pleased with the result. I made mine from 1/4 inch oak panels and a pine frame. I was able to make a great sounding 17"x16"x19" cajon. If anyone ever wants to save themself from some of the "lessons" that I learned building the cajon , drop me a line ???

120dB

Hey 120, Did you put strings inside the cajone like Mbalax suggested? Was it hard project?

RayBoogie[B]

I made mine from 1/4 inch oak panels and a pine frame. I was able to make a great sounding 17"x16"x19" cajon. If anyone ever wants to save themself from some of the "lessons" that I learned building the cajon , drop me a line

I'm impressed! I've got lots of questions - where did you get the panels, how did you join them (nails, glue?), etc. Please elaborate your 'lessons'.

Simon

Folks,

I did not put snares inside on this first cut. I figured that I would start simple.

I bought some 1/4" thick oak project panels at my local Home Depot. They came in 24"x48" sheets. I also picked up some 3/4" square pine boards for the frame.

Once I had cut everything to size, the problems began. I may run over the 76800 character limit. If I do, I'll post another message. I wanted to make my cajon look like the Fat Congas cajon, so I tried to make it so no screws would show from the outside. I didn't plan this very well, so it didn't work out.

I cut the frame pieces and began by predrilling the holes in the frame segments. I then glued the frame segments to the edge of the panels and screwed the frame segments to the panels to reinforce the glue. The trouble came when I tried to screw the hole thing together into a box. It was too hard to get the screw driver into the corners. I ended up putting a few screws in from the outside.

Continued in next post......

CONTINUED.....

Tips:

1.) Use a small paint can or something to outline the hole on one of the 16"x19" panels. Then use a jigsaw to cut out the hole. (Drill some holes to insert the drill into)

2.) Make sure to let the glue dry before drilling

3.) If you don't overlap the panels at the corners, the panels will resonate more freely. (Forgive me. Acoustics is my day job)

4.) Use 1/4" diameter dowels as trim. It is pretty and it makes for a nice edge when you don't overlap the corners.

5.) Apply three coats of clear polyurethane to the assembled cajon. The polyurethane will make it look good, seal it, protect it, and the extra mass brings out the bass tones.

Good luck. If you need anything else, drop me a post or email.

Zach

An update on my cajon-making ventures: I have picked out some more acoustically sound materials for my next cajon after talking to some people, reading some articles and searching.....

It turns out the 1/4" plywood I used on my first cajon was too thin for the body of the drum and too thick for the playing surfaces. I plan to use 1/8" model aircraft grade birch for the playing surfaces on the next one. It is strong, and it will vibrate more freely than the 1/4" oak I used on the first one. The pitch may come up a bit, but the sustain will be better.

For the body, I want this one to be able to take my 210 pound butt on it all the time (not that the other one couldn't, but I worry). Therefore, I am going to model it after the Fat Congas Bajo Cajon and make it 3/4" wood for the top, bottom, front and back.

I'll let y'all know how it comes out!

Zach