Hey Mark - you build this or buy it? I have seen these pics before - beautiful! Also, shall I continue with the plan to install a set screw or do you know where to get bearings? One problem is that I do not know what has worn - the outside of the bearing or the inside of the casing. I see you have the original beater there. One more thing - does you beater meet square with your head or does the top edge of the beater land on the head? This could involve the depth of the hoop, yes, but I would think there are standards for hoop depth, no? Swapping beaters might be a good idea, and perhaps a pad on the head. John
Hi John!
Let's see if I can answer your questions.
Yes, it is a beautiful pedal! I purchased it on eBay. The workmanship is first-rate!
Unfortunately, I don't know where to get bearings for this. I see another poster put a link for bearings. I do know that Slingerland used both open and closed caged bearings. I prefer the closed, to help keep dirt out. I've had TK pedals where the bearing was a bit loose in the frame. I really think it's a matter of sloppy machining!
About the beater, no, it does not hit squarely with the drum head. Like you surmised, the top edge of the beater hits first. Personally, I don't find anything wrong with this. You could use a Tama Iron Cobra beater, which lets you adjust the angle. They work great to get a full and flat contact with the BD batter head!
Hope my info helped a bit!
Mark