Sanding A Dhol?

[dholi richie]

what's goin on my fellow dholis? i have a few questions about sanding a dhol. i have this nagi dhol with a pretty light layer of clear varnish on it and the rings, when pulled, are scratching the varnish so i would like to sand it and not only make it look better but let it breathe. if someone (preferably someone who has done this before) could please tell me which grit sand papers i should use for removal and finishing and how many coats of mustard oil should i use when finished (heard 5 layers on the outside and 3 on the inside in 2 hour intervals was ideal) also how long should i leave it in the sun to dry the oil? if any part of the process i stated is wrong, please write a detailed guide from start to finish or just on the part i messed up on. thanks for all the help.

[mandeep76]

Right - I have done a couple of dhols now. the 1st was a Jas dhol that has a dark varnish on it. This took ages to get of using a course sandpaper. Once the layer of varnish was off, I used 120 grain, then 240 grain, and a final rub with 600 grain (wet and dry). This gave a v smooth finish. The hardest part was sanding between the grooves, so I used varnish remover there.

I then applied 3 coats of linseed oil to the inside, and a natural finishing oil to the outside. Once the outside had dried, I used a natural colour beeswax to the outside. This sealed the wook, and gave a slight shine to it. Any questions, email me

[r.maan]

Dad brought me a dhol back from India, it was crap. the dhagga side was attached to the dhol with the metal things, not rope. i took it all apart to the bare shell. got an electric sander and sandeed for days in small round circle motions. got rope laced the dhol and put the thili side on. didnt bother to varnish it. looks great now, totally worth the time, and makes you feel good after its done. ill send u before and after...

[DjDhol-E]

ive done this twice now and both the dhols had a dark varnish on them....imma make this simple as possible....
1st) i used course peice of sandpaper and just sanded the dhol untill the shiny part of the varnish came off
2nd) i applied a varnish remover to the dhol and let it sit in for about 5 to 10 minutes (it makes life much easier)
3rd) i used a sharp scraper to scrap off the rest of the varnish untill i saw the actaul wood of the dhol
4th) i used a belt sander and just sanded the dhol untill i got a nice smooth layer
5th) i put rubbed mustard oil on outside and inside of the dhol and let it dry (applied it 2 times inside and out)

there are many different ways to sand a dhol but this is the way im used doing it...hope it helps