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Hello all,

I am trying to have a rolling timpani platform built for our percussion ensemble. Actually, a boy scout has taken on building a set of platforms for all our instruments as his Eagle Scout project. It's the timpani that have raised some design questions though.

I was wondering what other schools have a rolling timpani platform. If you are in the SF Bay Area, perhaps we can come and take a look at it? If you are out of the area, maybe you could just tell us the design dimesions, etc.

Also, if you have seen a school in competition with one, it would be great if you could pass on the name so I can contact them.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Paul Lorigan
Horner Junior High
Fremont, Ca

The biggest problem is getting the platform through the door. If the platform is big enough for the timpani set as you would play them, the platform is too wide for the door.

Two suggestions.

1) The Jarvis one is really cool, but the problem is ground clearance. You'll have trouble getting over that curb that is around most fields. And it folds in half.

2) The coolest solution I've found to the timpani thing is the new Wenger cart. It's pretty cool. Check it out. I haven't seen it in person. But with the way it folds, you can definitely get it through a door. Check it out http://www.wengercorp.com/wgrprod.pgm?product=000001139. Watch the commercial on the site. It shows a little bit of how it sets up.

BttrDrummerThanU wrote: 2) The coolest solution I've found to the timpani thing is the new Wenger cart. It's pretty cool. Check it out. I haven't seen it in person. But with the way it folds, you can definitely get it through a door. Check it out http://www.wengercorp.com/wgrprod.pgm?product=000001139. Watch the commercial on the site. It shows a little bit of how it sets up.

Dude, you've been holding out on me!! I think you should order one so you can see it in person...

For fall, as was mentioned above... its important to have wheels large enough to overcome the curbs or track rails that surround most fields. A cart is a must-have thing when it comes to outdoor timpani... grass, mud, and sand from the track are EXTREMELY bad for the drums, and will eventually get stuck and freeze the pedals. Most timpani pedals have some sort of lubricant that tend to absorb sand and dirt, so its very important to keep the underside of the drums clean.

Honestly, for indoor I personally prefer not using a timpani cart period. Sure it's easier to move, but the typical timpani cart that is quality for the fall (made for being towed by golf carts, can go over curbs etc) is usually a huge ungainly beast for the indoor activity. You will run into awkward situations with doorways and even the occasional hallway at different venues, and when you do finally get it on the floor, your timpanist towers 2 feet above everyone else on the floor so you have to ditch him/her off to the side so that they don't cover the performers on the floor.

If you can spare the personnel to help move the drums, I'd say just putting the timpani on the floor is better for indoors.

bartok2112 wrote:Hello all,

I am trying to have a rolling timpani platform built for our percussion ensemble. Actually, a boy scout has taken on building a set of platforms for all our instruments as his Eagle Scout project. It's the timpani that have raised some design questions though.

I was wondering what other schools have a rolling timpani platform. If you are in the SF Bay Area, perhaps we can come and take a look at it? If you are out of the area, maybe you could just tell us the design dimesions, etc.

Also, if you have seen a school in competition with one, it would be great if you could pass on the name so I can contact them.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Paul Lorigan
Horner Junior High
Fremont, Ca

One of the equipment crew dads built us a GREAT timpani cart last year for the winter season that we use this fall for marching band. It is basically two platforms, each one wide enough to fit through the standard gym/school double doors, that 'lock' into each other to form one large platform. It has handles built on each platform for easy pushing (at least as easy as it gets).
PM me your e-mail, and I'll try to get some pictures of it next week to give you a better idea of how it works. From what the dad told me it was fairly easy to make and WAY cheaper than buying one.
Of course, you have to be mechanically inclined to build it (which I'm not), or find a few parents to build it for you.

Why did we give up the horses? They could fit through a tall wide door, very portable, sometimes fast and certainly better company on a cold night than a steel or wood platform, no matter how big the tires

Something I saw in a front ensemble recently, and I still havent been able to find online, were larger wheels that attach to the bottom of the timps. They were attach with what appeared to be a U-bolt set up around the existing wheel mounts and one near the pedal also. The only drawback that I saw was the pedal was now higher off the ground and the timp were taller.

You could do something like this then create a way to train them together so one person could move them. However, now that I have seen the new Wenger cart linked here, I may look into that instead though.

Also check out 2 Cool Percussion's timpani cart too, http://2coolpercussion.com/timpani-cart/
Call 423-462-2059
or email 2coolpercussion@gmail.com