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Step 1
Find between 5 and 10 different-sized hubcaps from a junkyard or automotive shop. Clean the hubcaps thoroughly and remove any rust or debris. Anything caked on the surface will change the sound quality.
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Step 2
Experiment with sound and surface. Hubcaps laid flat on a surface like a table will produce a different sound from hubcaps laid flat on a resonant surface, such as an upside down bucket. Prop your hubcaps up so that the center doesn't touch anything, or suspend your hubcaps from the top and bottom to create an exotic drumset. Place one or two on buckets and suspend three to create a range of sounds.
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Step 3
Test the different sounds each hubcap produces before altering the hubcap. Hit the hubcap with a drumstick near the center, away from the center, on the rim and anywhere that the metal has a different shape. Pick which sounds you like so that you know what not to change.
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Step 4
Hammer out thinner areas on the hubcap if you want to change the pitch or sound. If this is your first time working with metal percussion pieces, use one or two hubcaps just to experiment with working the metal. Alter the metal until you hear a sound you like or use a tuner to actually pitch the hubcap.
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Step 5
Create several different pitches on the same hubcap and make sure they are easily distinguishable. Prepare two pitched or tuned hubcaps for more pleasant sounds and at least one unaltered hubcap so you can throw in that typical chaotic sound for effect.
