DIY Wire Drum

Whether you found a surplus of wire in your garage or want to coil wire, you can make a wire drum. Unlike coffee cans or water bottles, coiled metal wire gives the walls of your drum aesthetic appeal. You do not need to be Superman to coil wire. Quarter-inch aluminum or copper wire can be bent around an object using only pliers. Coil the wire around a cylinder to get a true cylinder shape.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Cylindrical object
• 1/4-inch aluminum wire
• Two pliers
• Tin snips
• Metal file
• Goat skin
• Fabric shears
• 1/16-inch aluminum sheet
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Measure the diameter of a cylindrical object, such as a coffee can, with a tape measure. For example, say the cylindrical object has an 8-inch-diameter.

2. Coil quarter-inch aluminum wire around the cylindrical object. Place one end of the wire at the base. Hold the end of the wire in one hand using pliers. Coil the wire around the base to make a horizontal row, using another set of pliers. When you get to the starting point, lift the wire slightly to make a row above the first row. The edges of the rows should touch. Continue until you make a coiled-wire cylinder with a 10-inch height.

3. Cut the wire, using tin snips. Sand the end of the wire, using a metal file. Cut wire is extremely sharp and the end must be smoothed. Remove the cylindrical shape from the inside of the coiled wire.

4. Cut a circle with a diameter one inch larger than the diameter of the coiled-wire cylinder, using goat skin and fabric shears. For example, cut a 9-inch-diameter goat skin circle if you used an 8-inch cylinder. Fabric shears are sharp and cut the goat skin without damaging the skin.

5. Cut 1/16-inch-thick aluminum sheet to 1-by-8-inch dimensions, using tin snips. Bend the aluminum sheet around the cylindrical object to make a circle, using pliers. Sand the cut end of the aluminum sheet, using a metal file.

6. Wet the goat skin circle in a bucket. Place the wet goat skin on the top edge of the coiled wire cylinder. Place the top band over the edges of the goat skin. A one-inch border of goat skin hangs along the outside of the top band. Let the goat skin dry for four hours. The goat skin shrinks, creating a tight drum surface.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear protective gloves and goggles when cutting metal.