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The second soak is not nearly as long as the first soak. The drum head is already formed, and the goal is not to soak the whole skin, just the top. This way, stretching occurs only across the head, not along the mimi.
The most important thing is to make sure the head is soaked evenly, so during the second soak, keep track of the different areas of the head to make sure they are wet evenly.
- Using a level table, lay the formed skins face down on a wet towel.
- Place wet towels and 1/4" - 1/2" of water on the inside "bowls" of the formed skins. The wet towels inside the head keep the center from bowing up and not staying in the water.
- Use warm water to speed up the process.
- Let the skins soak like this for 2-3 hours, until they have a spongy feel. The time will be different depending on the skin, temperature, humidity, etc.
- Monitor the skins to make sure there is always moisture: the towels should be wet and spread across drum head, and there should be 1/2" of water. Don't put in too much water, because you don't want to wet the sides too much.
- When the head looks and feels ready, it is time to do the second stretch.
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Introduction
Process