Lincoln-based Gatton Drums is run by Craig Cockrell, a drummer of 15 years and craftsman within the family-owned company Cathedral Interiors for the past decade. Craig’s first production drums – made from start to finish by him alone – feature neither wood nor metal shells; instead they are made from a synthetic material called Corian.

Build

Devised by DuPont in 1967, Corian consists of one part acrylic resin and two parts natural minerals. It’s a versatile and environmentally-friendly material that is commonly used in interior and exterior design – the chances are there is something made out of Corian in your home.

The idea of creating Corian drums first occurred to Craig while attending a course on working with Corian. Here he learned that Corian’s efficient acoustic reflection finds it often used to make the surrounds for loudspeakers.

Our own research found a handful of companies in America manufacturing Corian snares. Whether or not any of them have reached the UK is difficult to gauge, and, taking into account exchange rates, Stateside examples would retail at around four figures in Sterling, way in excess of this home grown pair.

The fact that so few examples of Corian drums exist is perhaps not surprising as, despite its adaptability, creating the sort of precise cylinders that will make good drums is tricky and requires a high degree of skill. Craig works with sheets of Corian that are 6mm thick and heats them to 160