If you make a 20" hoop for a 20" drum, it wont slide over, it will butt up !i

You silly - you know what I am doing - as the "20 inch hoop" will be precisely sized for its function. That is why I am starting with the 22. Wish life was so simple such that a slice off a 22 would just work at that size.

Any thoughts on whether I will be able to pull it off - how well it will work?

Are you gonna scarf lap or butt joint, I suggest half lap ?

You do know you wont be able to lay it flat and route for inlay...Right ?

Interesting... I do wonder if it will shrink down to round. What kind of seam are you going to use? OddBall do they route the strips for hoops before bending them?

When doing the half lap, minus the size of the lap from the length to get the final inside diameter.

I had not thought it through that far yet (what kind of cut to do). I was envisioning just a diagonal slice right through - but now that you are mentioning the different cuts - wondering what type would be strongest and most suited for maximum resonance. Perhaps I should explain that last thing there. It is my understanding that hoops actually resonate and that they serve as an extension of the shell. Perhaps I am wrong there but the part of an extension of the shell makes sense to me.

Yes, understand that I will not be able to lay flat to cut an inlay. Hoping it can be done either while on the shell before the slice-off, or after the fact after the shell has been re-glued/assembled. Surely I would like an inlay as I am a big fan of them, though have some hoops that I may just leave solid depending on how they look once I install them.

In regards to being in round - I would think it would naturally do so - but I have been wrong about many thing before - why stop now!

All I know is that I might as well try - as I have some shells that I have kept for just that reason - and to practice cutting edges. I actually have not done too much wood-working and plan on doing this stuff with my uncle over the summer. He is very deft at wood-working with quite a well equipped mill. (Yes he can take a tree and make boards out of it)

I have some drums with very good edges on them - cut by a friend of mine who had never done them before. I took a sample to him and he duplicated the edgework with great precision and attention to detail. I am sure my uncle can do the same - but the whole idea is to get myself doing that stuff - hence the spare shells.