Re: Drum Kit Restoration Thread

92
This is not my main kit if that's what you think it was. This is a freebie w/ the Vista kit I posted about in the TMOOI/JMP thread. This one being a 12" concert tom.

But yeah, it is absolutely cracked completely through and at an angle no less. I'm going to try Weld-on #16 on this instead of the thin stuff. My only aspirations for this project is A.) just for the experience and B.) to have an experiment platform that I can practice on before drilling the 10" and 14" toms for bottom heads since they already have clean bearing edges cut.

Even if I can't get it to adhere and hold, I can still practice drilling on it and not feel terrible if I fuck up. Weld-on #16 has a little longer working time than the #4 I used to repair pressure cracks. Planning to hold it in place with ratchet straps. I've seen a youtube video of a fella doing a similar repair with electrical tape but it was on a tiny octoban-sized tom.

Kidding about onlyfans aside, I may do a video on it. IDK.

Re: Drum Kit Restoration Thread

93
ok, 2nd attempt. This time with fresh Weld-on #16.
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While thicker than #4, it's still much thinner than I expected given the squeezy tube. Was hoping for rubber cement-consistency but it's much closer to being a 50/50 blend of water and warm maple syrup. So yeah if you use this shit, transfer it to a better applicator option than straight from the tube. I did a test run w/ the tape to make sure it would hold tightly in place, but didn't think to test the solvent. Lesson learned.

Says 80% strength in 24 hrs. Will take the tape off then and see what I have.

Also, that's blue electrical tape and not blue painter's tape or masking tape. Electrical tape has a stretchy quality that makes it good for holding pressure like a band clamp or large rubber band. IDK if I'd feel comfortable doing this on fine woodworking, but this is going to be fine. I may sand/buff/polish it for practice, IDK.

Re: Drum Kit Restoration Thread

94
ok, yeah the weld seems fine. For first time and considering the severity, I'm going to give myself a B+. It's ugly AF, I know, but seems solid. Won't touch it again for at least a week anyway as I won't have my drill press set up till then anyway.
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Weld-on is interesting stuff. My understanding is that joining acrylic w/ Weld-on is actually like a real weld vs glue. This apparently will NOT break along this crack ever again, assuming I got good coverage and surface areas touching. You can even see where the this break went right across the original seam like there was no seam at all. If this were plywood or something, you'd usually see some sort of separation/delamination.

I can feel the tiniest of lippage which I'm not stoked about but again, considering the following...

A.) just for practice
B.) going to continue to be practice as far as drilling it out for bottom heads
C.) I already have a non-split vista in this diameter/depth
D.) hoops and heads will actually help the structural integrity quite a bit

I think I'll call this a win. Hitting pause on getting the 10" and 14" Vistas set up w/ bottom heads for now as I might be getting involved w/ a new music project and maybe I'll use that as an excuse to get going on the revival of an old Camco Tuxedo kit I have put off for a decade.

Re: Drum Kit Restoration Thread

95
Not the most exciting drum restoration story, but I recently found some period correct floor tom leg brackets for my 60s Gretsch 14x14 drum. The threads for the 5/16-24 wing screws had long since stripped and they were bored out to use modern metric thumbscrews. The replacements look nice and work well but I’m going to need to take care not to overtighten.

Interestingly, I put a 5/16-24 helicoil in one of the stripped brackets and it works really well, so I guess I have some spares.
he/him/his

www.bostontypewriterorchestra.com

Re: Drum Kit Restoration Thread

98
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ok, here's the Camco Oaklawn-era Tuxedo kit. 20" kick, 12" tom, snare. Unfortunately the "Tuxedo Outfit" as it was originally listed on page four did not include the floor tom which I've lamented elsewhere. Whatever. Who needs it. I sure don't. Humpf.

You may ask yourself "why are there two snares there?" Good question. Two separate Craigslist deals many years ago, many years apart. Both ridiculously underpriced. Originally planned to flip this but I have a feeling once I invest the sweat equity it's going to be harder to part with.

The first snare has been...not-so-well refurbished. It's clean but the previous owner dicked up and put triple-flange hoops on it and drilled for a Pearl sensitone snare throw off. As far as I know, these are basically copies of and zero improvement on the Ludwig P85 which I have ranted and raved about for decades now. The one on my Pearl snare came stock w/ this stupid thing on it and it stinks just as much. I mean fair play, the original Camco "beer tap" strainers are oft-maligned and fragile so it's kinda unavoidable.

Going to clean the one up that came with the entire kit and see how that comes out, but for the sake of functionality + the fact that the earlier purchase has already been modified, I'll probably just stick w/ the one that's already been cleaned up.

The only things I really need here are tension rods, a bass drum hoop, and some new heads all around. I'm going to strip it down and really give it the nice clean it too.

Re: Drum Kit Restoration Thread

100
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Hardware stripped off, going in the simple green bath as recommended by FM DFTR back in the day. Microfiber should clean it, then I'll hit it w/ the chrome polish.

Only working w/ the kick & tom right now & leaving the dirty snare for a later day. It looks like I've got more of the parts I need already which will help the expense, but still just getting one bass drum hoop, two kick heads and some tension rods is going to cost me more than I paid for the whole kit. These are things one needs to think about when you're getting a "good deal" on a garage sale/craigslist find. What's the old saying? No such thing as a thousand dollar car because it'll cost 3k to get it running? Still, if I decide to sell this one off eventually, I'll still be way ahead, probably have $300 spent total including breakables like heads which one should expect to have to replace anyway.

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