[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Griff

Rich, I think you need to talk to somebody at a drum shop. I'd guess the wood is some kind of hardwood from the tropics, like a mahogany. If it were mine, I'd probably rub cut linseed oil into it to keep it from drying out and cracking but its not mine so I'd hate to have you mess it up. I don't know how goat skin would react to contact with the oil. My bodran came with a polyeuthene finish and I haven't altered it.

Thanks for trying. I searched on 'goat skin' and 'linseed' and found this:

Great drum for someone looking for a professional Mali djembe and that doesn't want to pay the price for a Kangaba. Made from from lengue, dugura, or djala wood, these djembes are rebuilt by us as with all of our drums. Comes with top of the line 5mm rope, new cloth, custom fit hoops, new Mali goat skin, and the shell is oiled several times with linseed oil.

I also found an Ashiko maker which lists Danish Oil, Linseed Oil, and Polyurethane as drum body finishes, although it is not specific if these are individual choices or in combination. I'm going to sand it, clean the inside with wood soap, rub on warm linseed oil, let it soak in for a few days, and finish the outer shell with Polyurethane. I do not want to mess with the inside of the drum besides cleaning it since it might affect the tone.