A drum key is a small tool used to turn the square-headed tension rods that hold a drum head in place and control its tuning. Using a drum key by hand works well for occasional adjustments, but an attachable drill bit can be very handy for more frequent use. However, commercial drum key drill bits seemed a little pricey for such a simple tool, so I decided to try making one myself.

First, I found a cheap standard drum key I had lying around and cut both grips off with a hacksaw. I then filed the remaining piece smooth so it would fit neatly into a drill.

The result worked exactly as intended. The key fits into a drill chuck and makes removing or fitting all of the tension rods around a drum much faster.

After finishing the drill bit, I noticed that the two grips looked quite nice and shiny. Rather than throwing them away, I filed their edges smooth, drilled a hole through each one, and attached earring hooks with short lengths of chain to turn them into homemade earrings.

What started as a quick way to avoid buying a tool ended with both a useful drill attachment and a pair of earrings made almost entirely from the offcuts. I particularly like that every part of the original drum key found a purpose, and my girlfriend was happy with the gift.