you don`t need it if you live in a country that has little to no cases of termites, A friend of mine told me that people used to masala on the dhol to keep the bugs away apparently there is something in one of the ingredients that kind of deters bugs, but the sound will depend on the quality of the wood

as soon as you get your dhol get some woodworm killer from your local diy store and splash it on generously inside and leave to dry.  this will solve any termit of woodworm problem.  People sand there dhols to get the natural colour of there dhol, to make it smooth and sometimes even a bit lighter(thats a bit silly though).  Sand your dhol to bring the natural colour out then apply mustard oil, this will enhance the colour and if youve got a taali dhol, it will prevent it from drying out.  Soundwise a lot of people prefer it with mustard oil it hardly makes a difference.  Dont put clear varnish unless it will actualy look good because otherwise it just looks rubbish and a bit tacky. Most people use mustard oil on the outside and ive heard when its realy hot they put a masal paste inside. Hope this helps

Quote from: Varun00 on January 19, 2012, 11:27:11 AM

Quote from: monisingh on January 19, 2012, 09:14:28 AM

you don`t need it if you live in a country that has little to no cases of termites, A friend of mine told me that people used to masala on the dhol to keep the bugs away apparently there is something in one of the ingredients that kind of deters bugs, but the sound will depend on the quality of the wood

just got a dhol from india, opened it up annnnddd termites.

yeah gotta watch out for that bro, did you check the barrel before buying ?

i did but it was unpolished and no masala, so i guess thats why. termites were the last thing i expected when i opened that damn case up

Damn, I just ordered an unvarnished dhol too now I'm scared lol. I haven't checked out the barrel but it's an ustad's personal dhol. Anyone know a safe method for getting rid of termites if they are on the dhol? I researched removing termites from tablas but they all say the safest way without damaging your wood is to freeze it in a plastic bag in your fridge. My dhols not gonna fit in my freezer lol

When i had termites and woodworm i went to B&Q and got some killer and just painted it in the barreal and left to dry.  But you can also
''One of the more common things to look out for (and this is something no-one thinks about) is "termites" or other wood pests. These are a real pain, as you have to look very carefully at the wood grain and examine the paws for any tiny holes. The only way to treat this is by getting an adult to lay the drum sideways then pour Petroleum Spirit or Methylated Spirit and roll the drum on its side so it goes into the wood all the way round. This will ensure to kill of any termites or wood-eating pests that maybe living in the wood. ''
http://www.halai.net/DoctorDhol/