Detailed assembly instructions for a cajon

Detailed assembly
instructions for a cajon
CBA 1 medium
CBA 2 large
Content
History of the cajon
2
parts provided
materials required
3
INSTRUCTIONS IN YOUR
NATIVE LANGUAGE:
5 - 10
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PIN NEDERLANDS: cba1nederlan
4
assembly instructions
most important playing techniques
11
first exercises on the cajon
11
textbooks and DVDs
12
Recommendations:
In cooperation with Andreas Bausch, a handicraft teacher at Gottfried
von Spitzenberg School in Kuchen, and his competent pupils.
© 2013
, Gingen/Fils
Version 11/13
History of t he cajon
The Cajon
The cajon (pronounced: ka-hón) originated in Latin America. The word means box or drawer, which explains
the shape and construction of the instrument.
Origins
During the colonial period, the slaves in Peru had to use old wooden boxes for music-making instead of
their own rhythm instruments which had been banned. Boxes of all kinds (fishboxes, crates for storing and
transporting sugar cane and tobacco, etc.) were used and served as a substitute for drums for a long time.
The rhythm was played simply by striking the box with the hands. Since that time, cajon-playing has become increasingly widespread in Peru and Cuba.
Development
In the early 1970s the instrument also became popular in Europe. Its international breakthrough was due to
its use as the central rhythm instrument in flamenco music.
The instrument is steadily being introduced into new fields. In addition to numerous musical styles, the cajon is also used today for therapeutic purposes.
Its use in schools, music colleges and clubs is increasing significantly.
This success can be explained by two factors:
it is easily playable by hand and it is only moderately loud.
All the basic rhythms can be produced on the cajon by means of its typical separation of bass and snare
sounds. Depending on the skill and proficiency of the learner, the
range of rhythms can be expanded to include even delicate ghost notes.
The following construction guidelines are for the model
CBA 1 medium with a seat height of 44 cm, as well as for CBA 2 large
with a seat height of 49 cm.
Where there are variations in the procedure, these are
indicated separately!!
2
Parts ProViDeD
2x sides, 10 mm birch
a+ b
1x base and 1x top
c+d
1x playing surface, 3mm birch 
1x back panel, 5 mm birch f (indicated with the word RÜCKWAND)
2x screws 4x20 g
4x screws 3x20 h
1x wooden strip for top
i
2x wooden strip for sides 
1x triangular strip
k
CBA 1 1x snare segment l
CBA 2
2x screws Pan Head 3x10
m
4x rubber feet and 4x screws 4x20

1x trinangular strips
2x snare segments
k
l
2x screws Pan Head 3x10
m
1x construction manual
a
c
d
b

i
f
g

k
m
{
l

3
h
{
tools reQuireD
1. wood glue
2. 3x tension belts
Alternatively: 4x screw clamps (60 cm span)
3. 4 – 6 gluing clamps / clamps
4. 4x woodem protective strips, approx. 3x3 cm (or larger), 30cm long
5. hand drill orcordless power screwdriver or upright drilling machine
6. 1-2 pressing boards (for playing surface and back panel
Size: 520 x 310 mm and at least 20 mm thick (better 30-50mm)
7. 3 mm wood drill + 10 mm hand-held core drill
8. hand-held core drill
9. coarse and fine sandpaper (60–80 and 120–150 grain)
10. 1x large, hard sanding block
Alternatively: sanding sheet approx. 70 x 40 cm with 60–80 grain
(poss. used, from carpenter)
11. fret saw
12. offset fine-tooth saw or hand-held surface milling cutter for flush milling
13. triangle, carpenter’s square, pencil and compasses
14. broad adhesive tape
15. paint, varnish or wax
The cajon can be assembled in eight steps:
1. Gluing the body (frame) together
2. Inner parts of the cajon
3. Shaping the back panel
4. Sanding the body
5. Gluing the striking surface and rear panel (to the body)
6. Sawing off projecting ends
7. Screwing the striking surface into place
8. Finishing
The following preparations should be made beforehand.
- Lay out the tools as listed
- Sort the component parts
All the times stated are approximate guidelines and apply to an adult without any prior
knowledge of handicrafts.
...... AND NOW LET’S START
4
Assembly Instruction
1. Gluing the body (frame) together
(working time: approx. 30 – 45 min / drying time: at least 120
min.)
Leim
Glue the side panels a + b to the base c and the top d
with tongue-and-groove joints (using the better-looking structure for the top).
A
TOP
To obtain the necessary pressure, use tensioning belts (fig. A) or
screw clamps (60 cm long, fig. B). Here, it is advisable to have
another person as an assistant. Ensure that the joints fit precisely.
Use a set square or triangle to make sure the panels are at right
angles.
Wooden strips should be used for protection and better
pressure distribution (fig. B).
Pressing time: approx. 2 hours – observe glue manufacturer’s
instructions!
B
2. Inner parts of the cajon
(working time: approx. 15 – 20 min / drying time: approx. 60 min.)
First, glue the wooden strip for top i flush with the front of the
top (later the seat). Then the side strips are also glued flush with
the two side panels.
(Pressing time: at least 1 hour at normal room temperature).
IMPORTANT: The more accurately you work here, the less
sanding you will have to do later.
Gluing instructions for the top (15mm thick) and side
strips (10mm thick):
5
wooden strip for top:
15 mm
wooden strip for side:
10 mm
Glue
Now secure the snare segment l on the hypotenuse of the triangular strip k by means of the 3x10 pan-head
screws m provided.
IMPORTANT: FOR THE CBA 2 COMPLETE THESE STEPS WITH BOTH SNARE SEGMENTS.
IMPORTANT: Attach it with the solder side visible (from the front).
solder side
Centre the screws in relation to
lenngth and breadth!
Assembly of the snare segment/s is descripted in step 4.
3. Working on the rear panel
(marked with a stamp)
(Working time: approx. 45 min.)
Saw out the sound hole and sand off the
rough edges f.
le is:
– the basic ru
gh pitch!
IMPORTANT
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–
le
pitch!
ho
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d
hi
d more
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un
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with their hand
ng
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y
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e when choosi
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or
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oose a heart
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the sound ho
sound hole?
shape for your
IMPORTANT PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU MARK THE SOUND HOLE ON THE REAR PANEL (5mm THICK AND MARKED WITH A STAMP) AND NOT ON THE PLAYING SURFACES (3mm THICK).
RÜ
CK
WA
N
D
We recommend that you use a round shape (110 – 130 mm Ø) for the sound hole and position it in the centre!
Use a fretsaw to cut out the sound hole. To begin with, drill a hole approx. 10mm in diameter.
Now sand the edge of the sound hole.
6
4. Sanding the body and attaching the snare segment/s
(working time: approx. 10 – 30 min / drying time: at least 60 min.)
a.
b.
In order to achieve a good neat join between the striking surface and the body and the back panel and
the body, it is necessary to surface-grind the body at the joining edges.
To do this, please use coarse sandpaper (80 – 100 grain) wrapped around a large, hard (and plane)
sanding block (a).
Alternatively, a large sanding sheet (approx. 100 x 50 cm) can be glued to a plane board and the body
then sanded evenly on this sanding board (b) (professional variant).
TOP
4.1 The next step involves gluing the triangular strip k with
the snare segment l to the middle of the top strip i from
the inside.
This requires for CBA1 two gluing clamps - for CBA2 four
gluing clamps.
Drying time: approx. 60 minutes.
Positioning of the snare
segment for the
9
11
12
Positioning of the snare
CBA 2
segment for the
CBA 1
approx. 6 mm space
between the snare segments
in the middle
97 mm
97 mm
interior view
interior view
7
RÜ
CK
WA
N
D
5. Gluing the striking surface and rear panel (to the body)
(working time: approx. 20 min / drying time: approx. 120 min.)
Have the following tools and equipment ready before you begin:
4 screw clamps or lashing straps, 2 die plates (min. 20mm thick, max. 1-2 cm
bigger than the playing surface and rear panel) and wide adhesive tape.
Begin by gluing the rear panel by applying glue to the body. The rear panel
should be completely covered in glue! Position the rear panel so that the excess length of all sides is approximately equal.
IMPORTANT: The „REAR PANEL“ stamp faces inwards.
In order to prevent the rear panel sliding out of place when attaching the screw
clamps/ lashing belts, secure the panels using wide adhesive tape as well.
When gluing the playing surfaces, take care to only glue the lower section
(shaded dark); the upper section will be screwed into place later. Draw a line
at a distance of 160mm (CBA1)/ 185mm (CBA2) from the upper surface. The
glue should be evenly applied to the body under this line without leaving any
gaps. As before, secure the playing surfaces with duct tape.
CBA 2
CBA 1
alternatively
Whiletheglueisstillwet,checkagainthatthe
rearpanelandplayingsurfacesarecorrectly
positioned(i.e.thatexcesslengthsareuniform).
The pressing or gluing time is at least 2 hours,
and it is better to allow the glue to dry overnight.
8
6. Saw off/ cut/ sand down excess lengths
(working time: approx. 45 min.)
The excess lengths on the playing surfaces and the rear panel can
be sawed off or sanded down.
We recommend using adhesive tape to protect the parts of the
instrument body close to which sawing is done. This will prevent
the body from being scratched by the saw.
It is also advisable to tape the striking surface and back panel
above the saw line in order to prevent the surface from tearing and
leaving rough edges (which can happen especially with blunt saws).
For this sawing operation we recommend an offset
fine-tooth saw or a “Japanese” saw.
If you have a hand-held surface milling cutter you can carry out this
operation more professionally using a flush milling or circular milling
device.
7. Screwing the striking surface into place
(working time: approx. 30 min.)
Mark and drill the bore holes for the 6 screws g + h according to the drawing.
For this you should use a 3-mm wood drill.
The maximum drilling depth of 8 mm must not be exceeded.
30mm
75mm
30mm
30mm
205mm
170mm
{
{
30mm
75mm
17mm
13mm
13mm
CBA 2
CBA 1
9
17mm
The bore holes must be countersunk, so that the screwheads
are flush with the striking surface and do not protrude once
they have been screwed in.
IMPORTANT: Do not drill any deeper!!!!!!!
The striking surface can now be secured using the screws. Use the 3x20 screws h for the 4 upper bore
holes and the 4x20 screws g for the 2 middle bore holes.
8. Finishing
(working time: approx. 120 min.)
In order to have a better grip on the seating surface, it is better not to sand it smooth. A roughened seating surface guarantees that player doesn‘t slip off the Cajon while playing (the player sits on the Cajon
with it tilted slightly backwards).
The Cajon is first sanded all round with 100-200 grain sandpaper
and then carefully sanded with 150-180 grain sandpaper.
Make sure that all the edges are rounded off.
Beim Schleifen dieser Kanten
auf sorgfältige Abrundungen
achten!!!!!!!
IMPORTANT: CAREFULLY round off the upper rims of the playing surfaces, otherwise you may injure yourself while playing!
Now you can choose to varnish, glaze or wax the Cajon. All three coatings are effective against scratches and water splashes. Wax and oil are the easiest to apply and the most ecological options. When
you apply the desired protection, simply adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Normal application should not affect the sound. We recommend that you consult a paint and lacquer
specialist when choosing paint.
Don’t worry if the varnish/wax/glaze dries in the screw heads or in the grain of the playing surfaces. If
you want to play it safe, take extra care when working on these surfaces (around the screws or on the
upper third of the playing surfaces).
It’s important that you play the Cajon (after it is completely dry) for a short time, as this loosens the thin
layer of varnish which may be „hidden“ in the grain.
Once the cajon has dried completely, the rubber feet can be attached using the 4x20 screws (14).
10
The right way to sit on the cajon:
RIGHT!
1. Sit on the middle of the cajon
2. Tilt the cajon gently backwards
3. Keep your back straight.
WRONG!
1. Sit too far back or forwards
2. Bend your back
The basic rule is: play on the
upper third of the striking surface!
The most important playing techniques on the cajon:
Bass tone:
Strike the surface with the flat of your hand flat and
your thumb closed. Your hand should fully strike the
centre of the upper half of the striking surface.
Open/Snare:
Strike the surface with your fingers outstretched and
closed together, whereby only the upper edge of the
striking surface should be struck. Your fingers should
remain in contact with the striking surface until the
next strike. A sound variation can be
produced by allowing your fingers to bounce off the
surface directly after striking it.
Finger Tip:
Gently tapping the surface with your finger
tips – keeping your fingers stretched out and
executing the movement from your wrist.
One-bar pop/rock grooves in 4/4 time:
Repeat this rhythm twice in total, playing each rhythm
3 times in succession. Rest for one bar and then continue to
play with the groove. Most songs consist of sequences of
4 or 8 bars. These form a unit in the song progression, such
as intro, verse, middle section, solo, etc.
Excerpt from the textbook “Eine
Anleitung zum Selbststudium – Cajon”
(English: “Instructions for self-study –
cajon”).
With kind permission of Martin Röttger
The Hamburg-based musician
Martin Röttger is in great demand
as a cajon-player throughout Europe.
He works as a freelance teacher for the
Dante Agostini School and the State Music
Council in Hamburg, among other institutions.
11
Folgende Lehrbücher und DVDs sind im Fachhandel erhältlich:
Textbooks
DVD
Rhythm Course for cajon
Matthias Philipzen
LC 30 German, 48 Seiten, inkl. CD
LC 31 English, 48 pages, incl. CD
www.matthias-philipzen.de
Lehrkurs für Cajon
Conny Sommer
DVD 10 German/English, 120 minutes, PAL
DVD 12 German/English, 120 minutes, NTSC
www.conny-cajon.com
Cajon - A box full of rhythm
Matthias Philipzen
LC 35 German, 82 Seiten, inkl. 2 CDs
LC 36 English, 82 pages, incl. 2CDs
www.matthias-philipzen.de
Cajon – das kleine Drumset
Matthias Philipzen
DVD 14 German/English, 120 minutes, PAL
www.matthias-philipzen.de
Instrucional book for cajon
Conny Sommer
LC 43 German, 132 Seiten, inkl. CD
LC 42 English, 104 pages, incl. CD
www.conny-cajon.com
Heck Stick / Side Kick & Shaker mit Cajon
Matthias Philipzen
DVD 18 German/English, 96 minutes, DVD 9
www.matthias-philipzen.de
Cajokick Styles for Cajon & Guitar
Martin Röttger & Farhad Heet
LC 63 German/English
www.martinroettger.de
Cajon Styles mit Heck Stick & Side Kick
Martin Röttger
LC 67 German, inkl. DVD
LC 68 English, inkl. DVD
LC 69 French, inkl. DVD
www.martinroettger.de
Cajon - Progressive Etüden
Torsten Pfeffer
LC 75 German/Englisch, 117 pages
www.pfeffer-percussion.de
Fragen und Anregu
an: info@cajonbau ngen
satz.de
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Für die tatkräftige Unterstützung und Beratung danken wir Frau Sandra-Isabel Knobloch, Herrn Martin
Röttger sowie Herrn Andreas Bausch, Techniklehrer der Gottfried v. Spitzenberg-Schule in Kuchen.
Schlagwerk GmbH
Brückenstraße 10
73333 Gingen/Fils
www.schlagwerk.com
Protected utility model No. DE 20 2007 010 655.6
Print products “Anleitung zum Bau einer Cajon” are completely or
partly subject to patent protection
Imitations and/or copies will result in prosecution.
Errors and omissions excepted.
Copyright © by Schlagwerk Percussion e.K. /Gerhard Priel (Gingen/Fils).
All texts and images in these instructions are subject to copyright ©.
Alle rights reserved.
Version: 11-2013