Recover old gretsch BD... what removes old glue?

[olddrums]

I have the old wrap off, but there is lots of the old adhesive still on the drum. What can I use to remove it? Sanding doesn't seem to have much effect since the original adhesive is a little tacky and slightly rubbery..

FYI, this is an early gretsch, silver interior, no tag, BUT not the fabric wrapped era.

[olddrums]

Maybe a pic would be helpful...

[mlvibes]

I use Citrus Strip, which is non-toxic and available at Home Depot. It needs to be left on for at least an hour...the glue turns into a gel that can be rubbed off with a rag.

http://www.constantines.com/ProductImages/finishing/newimages/citrus.JPG

Thanks,
Bill

[Jaye]

Holy Crap - consider yourself fortunate that it wasn't an early 50's roundbadge shell (stay tuned for my youtube vid entitled "The Flaming Gretsch" Eye Ball) Acetone plus scraper's pretty good also :2Cents:

[olddrums]

It is a round badge, but not early with the whole fabric thing. The 13" tom, however, was. That was a Project!! I got most everything off, except there are still patches of old glue that will NOT come off. Acetone, stripper, alchohol.. nothing.

I am not sure what kind of glue it is, but it was NEVER meant to come off, that's for sure!

[MastroSnare]

Old glue can turn into something it never was intended to be! I've seen it turn into almost cement. At that point, solvents seem to have little effect. It sounds like that's where you're at.

The only thing I've found that works for that is sanding... of course being real careful. I'm kind of a 3M sandpaper fanatic, the other brands seem to be of a lower quality.

[Kona]

I used a furniture stripper - gel in a can - on a Gretsch RB recently. It worked well. I let it sit for a few minutes. It got kind of mucky and most of it wiped right off.

I did try a little sanding at first but that was going nowhere fast. The stripper is corrosive - sort of like Naval Gel. Don't get it in your coffee.....

[mlvibes]

It is a round badge, but not early with the whole fabric thing. The 13" tom, however, was. That was a Project!! I got most everything off, except there are still patches of old glue that will NOT come off. Acetone, stripper, alchohol.. nothing.

I am not sure what kind of glue it is, but it was NEVER meant to come off, that's for sure!


That was hide glue. You're not going to believe what makes it come off...warm water!!! Seriously, get the glue wet and it strips off with a scraper, like peeling a carrot.

And I guarantee the citrus strip will work on the 6 ply era glue, no matter how hard it has become. And it can be used indoors since there are no toxic fumes...though it will smell like oranges!

-Bill

[Kona]

I gotta get some of that!




And I guarantee the citrus strip will work on the 6 ply era glue, no matter how hard it has become. And it can be used indoors since there are no toxic fumes...though it will smell like oranges!

-Bill

[olddrums]

I thought it might me hide glue! Yeah, the cirtus stuff worked great on the other glue.

need water...