MIMF

I saw a cylindrical shaped object with head and a stick (a dowel). The stick goes through a tight fitting hole in the head. The player pushes and pulls the stick and the head vibrates making a sound each time the stick is pushed in or pulled out. What is it. What are good materials to use for the head and the dowel? I gotta make one.

Have you got a picture or video? I can't say I've ever seen one.

Heads are usually goat hide or similar. Search drum head skin, or try https://www.drumfactorydirect.com/. You might also look at Mid-East Manufacturing's web site. They make a lot of odd percussion instruments.

A mistakes of my memory. The stick isn't pushed back and forth. The stick is attached to the head and is gripped with a damp cloth. The cloth is pulled semi tightly on the stick back and forth. The instrument is called a cuica or a kweeka.

I know an organization addressing people with special needs and I want to build a few musical instruments for them ranging from simple noise makers to others that can actually make proper tones and pitches. I'm going to start another new post specifically for this.

Without seeing a picture, I think you are referring to a Brazilian “cuica” pronounced koo EE ka. If I’m not mistaken, the stick is attached to the skin / head by way of a cord that wraps around the stick over the skin.

A quick search for cuica will bring much info.

Cheers
Ed

Better yet, just put "How to make a cuica" into YouTube. There are a whole bunch of videos on it.

This page has some nice closeups of how the stick is attached. The stick, normally bamboo, has a lump on the end. You would soak the head in water until it becomes very pliable, drape the skin over the head over the stick, then tie a string securing the skin around the head of the stick, then you would put the head on your frame as usual. Remo makes friction sticks specifically for this purpose.