Note: This tutorial suggests a soaking time for conga skins of 2 - 4 hours, however we find that our medium conga skins (1.75 - 2.2 mm) require about 6 - 8 hours of soaking and our thick skins (about 2.2 - 3 mm) require 8 - 10 hours.

LP Music Video Tutorial (showing the mounting & re-heading process) "Drum Head Mounting Secrets": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW6sutqjel0 (shows mounting & re-heading for a conga and a cuica)

Tips, Tools & Info for Re-heading Congas, Bongos & Mechanically-tuned Hand Drums

Parts: Skin & flesh hoop (aka skin ring) - contact us for rings)

Tools: Flat-headed pliers (sometimes needle nose pliers can help too); utility knife with a fresh, shape blade; optional: strip of laminate, such as Formica or thin metal, or a spackle knife or other protective material (used to protect the side of your head when cutting away the excess skin - see Step 7 in first tutorial above).

Skins: There are various types of skins for various types of drums.

Flesh Hoops/Skin Ring: The skin ring gives structure to the head. The skin will be wrapped around the wire and the metal conga rim (aka counter hoop or crown) goes on top of the skin & wire. When tuning, the rim pulls down on the wire and head.

To get a skin ring you can either remove it from your old head or you can get a new one. We also carry skin rings; to order a skin ring(s), please contact us.

Soaking Time: The soaking time of the skin varies for the thickness of the skin. For very thin skins about .80 mm or less the soak time can be as little as 30 minuets. For 1 mm - 1.5 mm skins the soaking time is about 1 - 4 hours. For 1.75 - 2.2 mm skins the soaking time is about 6 - 8 hours. For 2.2 - 3 mm skins the soaking time is about 8 - 10 hours.

Water Temperate: We typically soak skins in warm to very warm water

Tip: Do NOT cut away the excess skin until your are satisfied. You can always redo the whole process if you don't cut your skin. But once it's cut it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to tuck and mount that skin on the same size drum.

Tip: When cutting away the excess skin, always remember & practice: Safety First

Tip: Tighten the lugs fully only after the head dries & not before. The skin will become tighter as it dries. If you fully tighten it before it dries, then the skin can rip as it tightens.

Tip: Although you don't want to tighten all the way while the skins is drying, you may need to adjust the tightness of the lugs while head is drying. if the head starts to sag it is good to tighten a little, but not all the way. If the head is becomes tight while it is drying, it is good to loosen the lugs to protect the head from getting too tight & ripping.

How long does the head take to dry? It depends how thick & moist the skin is as well as the temperature and humidity where the head is drying. Thin skins may be dry enough to play in about 24 hrs. Thick skins usually 2 - 4 days. Letting a fan blow on the newly mounted head will speed up drying time.

Tip: For bongo lugs (9" or smaller heads), tighten the lugs by going around the drum in a circular (clockwise or counterclockwise) direction.

Tip: For congas, some players prefer to tighten the lugs in a circular direction, but I generally tighten in a star pattern; the star pattern enables me to stretch the skin evenly across the drum head.

Tip: In the beginning of the process, before you loosen the lugs and take the rim off, examine it; examine how the rim sits on top of the skin and how the lugs pull the rim down; and how the skin is wrapped around the wire; and so on. As you dismantle your old head observe how everything relates and fits together. Writing and taking notes can be very helpful too.

Happy drumming!

LP & Hand-Drum Heads & Skins

Drum Tuning & Maintenance

Percussion