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24 Oct 05 - 06:59 PM (#1590051) Subject: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibility? From: GUEST,Fullerton I was wandering round the supermarket the other day and I saw the Butternut Squashes. I've been buying and making lots of percussion instruments recently. (Bongos, agogo x 2, cuica, several cowbells, clave, bass clave, triangles, guiro. Plus lots of shakers) I'm in a latin phase you see. So I thought that the squashs would make a nice Maracas.... shaker ... thingys. I've got egg shakers and home made things in tins & film canisters but I need greater variety in my shakers. Maybe I could make a Cabasa..... from a watermelon?? Cabasas are sooooo expensive. And I'd rather make my own. Any one know how to dry a squash skin ...... or a watermelon or marrow... in such away as to make a nice resonant (and hygienic!) percussion instrument. Or maybe I should just cut out the middle man and grow some gourds!!! Thank you very much in anticipation of your help and interest. |
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24 Oct 05 - 07:36 PM (#1590075) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: RangerSteve Squashes don't dry, they just rot. Gourds are the way to go, but they dry best if you have forced air heat and can place them next to a vent, place them on some newspaper, so they don't ruin the floor if they do happen to rot, and turn them over regularly, so they dry evenly. If you don't have forced air heating, try hanging them from their stems in a warm dry place. Good luck. |
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24 Oct 05 - 08:03 PM (#1590100) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: Q (Frank Staplin) Maracas originally were made in Puerto Rico from the fruit of the higuera tree. Small rounded fruit is bored and pebbles or dried seeds added. Most now are made out of papier maché and other materials. Yep, gourds work. The Hawaiians made them from species of Lagenaria. Some hints on drying gourds are here: IPU More here: IPU I tried growing the seeds in my greenhouse, but got a good crop of spider mites instead. Very good air circulation, careful use of pesticides, and temperature control is needed in the greenhouse. Orchids are easy by comparison. |
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25 Oct 05 - 11:00 AM (#1590493) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: GUEST,leeneia A caution about gourds - I remember seeing in a magazine article or somewhere that the fibrous material inside is toxic. Check this out before proceeding. The article was about growing gourds for bird houses, so it may only be the big gourds that have this problem. Another, more efficient way to cut out the middleman would be to ask local churches if they sell the crafts of third-world people. In our Catholic church we call it "The Work of Human Hands Sale." I recently visited a Lutheran church in Nurnburg (sp) which was doing the same thing. Such sales often have folk instruments. You will save time and help a struggling family. |
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25 Oct 05 - 11:07 AM (#1590499) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: MMario The great pumpkin patch recommends leaving hardshell gourds out over the winter for the freeze thaw cycle in order to dry them out - the very outer skin does peel but it normally does anyway. as far as the innards being poisonous - I doubt it. bitter perhaps, and hard to chew - but I doubt if actually poisonous. |
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25 Oct 05 - 11:55 AM (#1590538) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: Dave Ruch The Iroquois Indians of North America used "birdhouse gourds" to make their gourd rattles. |
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25 Oct 05 - 01:57 PM (#1590653) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: GUEST,NH Dave As do people currently residing in the southern regions of the USA. They generally fasten them to the top of longish poles, for birdsw to use as nest sites, which causes folks from the north to ask how they trained the gourds to grow up those tall poles. Dave |
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25 Oct 05 - 03:07 PM (#1590706) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: Q (Frank Staplin) There are many species of gourds. Size is only one criteriom of a species. Many of the most useful grow in tropical and warm temperate regions where there is no or little freeze-up. The family includes squashes and zucchini, pumpkins, canteloupe and luffa, 'gourds,' etc., etc. Among those grown for decoration, ipu drums, bird houses, etc., I know of none that is poisonous, but the inner fluids of some can burn and damage the eyes, so be careful with fresh gourds. There are occasional allergies to cucumbers and other members of the family. Most of the hard shell gourds are genus Lagenaria, used for bottles and containers, musical instruments, etc. See "The Gourd Book," by C. B. Heiser, 1979 for uses. Carolyn Mordecai, 1978, "Gourd Craft," is the best book for the handcrafter, but there are others. See Amazon, etc. |
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25 Oct 05 - 03:13 PM (#1590712) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: MMario there's also another type of gourd - unrelated to the squash family - more closely related to the cashew - the flesh of which which IS toxic to some people - and caustic to most. |
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25 Oct 05 - 04:58 PM (#1590750) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: Q (Frank Staplin) The higuera, or calabash, is often called a 'gourd', although it comes from a tree unrelated to gourd and squash vines. Used for containers, maracas, etc. Apparently some other capsules, etc. are sometimes called 'gourds'. The shell of the cashew has a poisonous resin, and special treatment is used to secure the nuts. I know next to nothing about these plants. |
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08 Jan 13 - 02:16 PM (#3463219) Subject: RE: Tech: Butternut Squash? Maracas? Possibilitys? From: GUEST,D your gourd must be small. |