Get a 3-foot-long piece of driftwood with a wide enough girth, not less than 1 ½ feet. This is a cut, dry log that is not in use such as cedar, cherry log or birch. Buy an animal skin from a specialty shop or African traders, preferably a goat skin. Keep it moist and covered. This way the skin remains free from foul smell.
Place the log lengthwise between the head and tail stoke of a lathe machine and tighten it in place. Shape the log into a cylinder, letting the drum diameter measure 1 ½ feet. The waist, which is the middle of the cylinder, measures 1 7/8 feet at the flue, which is the lower end of the cylinder.
Remove it from the lathe and clamp it again such that you can access the interior length easily. Hollow out the cylinder using an electric drill fitted with a paddle bit. Chip out the rest of the remaining wood, aligning its shape with the exterior using a chisel; ensure you do not break into the exterior of the drum.
Make the cylinder as thin as possible but retain its firmness. If you chip out too much wood, the cylinder might end up being weak. Sand the exterior until it is smooth enough.
Apply four coats of tung oil evenly all over the surface and rub with a soft cotton cloth each time you apply a coat. Let the tung oil dry for two days before you put on the top cover. This method also helps the cylinder keep its natural color.
Stretch the moist skin over the wooden cylinder and hold it over the side of the cylinder using a metallic tuning ring. Trim the overlapping edges making one-inch-wide, evenly spaced projections. Punch holes at the tip of each projection and slip a skin lace through, stretch it and lace it over another woven metallic ring slipped from the bottom and stuck around the lower waist of the drum. Repeat this around the drum, stretching the skin to make it tight and even at the top.
Dry the skin naturally for some time in a shade. This might take a few days to accomplish. Let the bottom end of the drum remain open. Do not leave the drum in the sun for a long time.