AH, very good ideas...i will try all of that. i have also been wishing for one of those designer "light tables" with the glass to see if the hoops / bearing edges are flat. i don't have a drum dial, i will see if there is a harbor freight around me. i did some extreme cleaning over the weekend on the drum & cleaned out the threads big-time, so that should help w/ consistent tensioning. i also have new rods, washers (steel & ABS) to replace the factory ones. a bunch of the bottom ones were rusty; tops & threads (hmmm related to bottom head issues ?). i have everything but the aftermarket hoops, so look to clean up the Stick Saver hoops & test fit everything this week...looking for wrinkles, weirdness, etc.
my detailed cleaning this weekend per my drum maker buddy:
(1) did "3 in 1" oil w/ q-tips on all the threads. many were dirty as HELL & i was glad i cleaned them. really spent some time & did all 12 with "wet" q-tips & then went back & absorbed any left over oil w/ 1/2 damp q-tips. by the end, the q-tips were coming out relatively clean & the threads seems shiny, lubed & protected. will use this again when i prep the new rods. actually pretty impressed by this product & checked out its long history.
(2) did a quick clean w/ water, dish soap & a sponge...didn't want to get the drum too wet & just got rid of some of the old grime & then dried it off.
(3) used NON-abrasive Flintz metal polish on the chrome...could not find Guardsman despite the fact that Ace Hardware seemed to have everything good. a lot of work, but glad i did it.
(4) then hit the drum & bearing edges w/ Mothers (carnuba) car wax...the old-school kind in a paste tin. by the time, i was done, the drum was *blinding* like a mirror ! slick & smelled like a Hawaiian vacation.
overall the drum looks very good...has a lot of character & i will get some new pictures up. lots of interesting scratches, small dents & a little bit of chrome pitting (very mild in a few spots, but not deep enough to see any brass).