Converting marching bass drum

[rusticdrummer]

Hi all - yesterday I picked up a 26" Ludwig marching bass drum that looked to be in rough shape. I removed the steel wrap and was happy to find a beautiful shell underneath. The hoops are in good shape, too, so I'm thinking about converting it into a bass drum for a player's kit.

My first question: any thoughts on removing the adhesive where the wrap was attached without harming the wood?

Second question: would anyone like to share their converted marching bass drums for inspiration? I'm thinking about doing this in a Vintage Natural finish...

Thanks!

Tom

[rusticdrummer]

Original and adhesive strip...

[ARCHxANGEL]

3M makes a good adhesive remover that I always use. Let it sit a few minutes and you can scrape that right off. I have a 24" Slingerland that I just added Spurs onto. I'll have to grab it out for a photo. I left mine with Red Sparkle though as I wanted it to match my toms. But I think a Vintage Natural finish would look great.

[human71]

I used Goof Off to get rid of the cement adhesive that was used on my 6 ply early 80's Ludwig floor tom and it worked nicely..You rub some on to the adhesive spots and let it set as directed..I also preheated the adhesive with a heat gun to soften it up a little.. It comes off like, for lack of a better term, little rubber "boogers" very much like removing carpenter's glue off your hands..
I didn't even use any materials, just my hands.. Good luck with your project !

[rusticdrummer]

Thanks very much to both of you. I'll give these methods a try.

I'm excited for this little project. The original bass drum hoops have stainless steel inlay strips, and I'm researching replacing them with decorative wooden inlay. There are some cool options, but I can't find any strips greater than 36 inches in length. If my math is correct (2 π r), I'll need around 82 inches. Anybody experienced in this sort of thing???

Thanks,

Tom

[TheElectricCompany]

I think you'll end up needing more than 82 inches. The diameter of the hoop will be about an inch greater than the diameter of the shell. I would say you need at least 84 inches.

[bartw]

Great drum.
I have some experience on the route you're going.
First of all my advice would be to erase any of your current ideas for a finish at this moment. Don't finish the drum at all! Why? Because you'd better wait for the moment you're in posession of the drums that you will complete the kit with. Who knows, maybe you'll find wallnut finished toms, or red sparkle ones, etc. Or mahogony shells instead of maple ones. All these factors will influence your ideas and wishes. Same story for the inlay of course.
Second: Don't extra drill it. Use clamp on bass drum spurs. It'll sound (even) better.
Third: There's no problem with too short inlays. Just locate the seems in such a way that they will hide under a claw!

Good luck.

Here's a players kit made from German beech orphan shells 26/12/16. The bass drum was a marcher.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132978...7666028453081/

A kit made from 3 marchers: 26/14/16. Beverley.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132978...7654053780934/

A jazz-kit made from 4 marchers.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132978...57655653351058

A kit made from metal marchers:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132978...57655834446008

[rusticdrummer]

Great thoughts, and fantastic pictures. Thanks very much for sharing these! I'll post more when I make some progress...

[maxcolumbus]

I'm currently completing a project like this. I scored a 26X14 for a steal on TheBay.
It's an 80's era drum. Had a few holes in to from harness mounts and whatnot so the virgin
dilemma was off the table. I tried playing it for a while before deciding to drill for curved spurs. The clamp on spurs we're solid enough, but I felt like they were creating a bit of a dead spot by clamping the hoop to the edge of the resonant heard. They we're by no means over tightened.
So, I went for the 1/2 inch curved spurs installation. I find it actually sounds better and is a lot more gig friendly.
Anyhow, this is a great thread, thanks for having me.
I will post some completed pics soon.
As of today, this is before new hoops from Precision with SS inlay and a pending rewrap.

Sounds amazing!

[vintagemore2000]

Great save. enjoy your kit !!