This has been a very entertaining thread. I know the chrome looks bad but give it a chance, several times I have been shocked at how well that stuff cleans up. And when you get the drums all done and look at them as a whole kit, you dont really notice the imperfections.

Agree with Jeff try to save as much hardware as possible. I'd ditch the 13" or cut it down to a "concert timbale" type thing.

Once you get the maple on the inside, you still have to cover that vertical grain on the outside........why not put the maple ply on the outside? Then you can stain or paint and it will look awesome. I think the improvement in appearance will outstrip the improvement in sound you get putting the maple on the inside, but I could be wrong.

Sorry for all the advice :) Cool project!

Mitch

I think you paid about right what they are worth. However, with your patience, elbow grease, etc. they will turn out to be great drums. Yes, I just said Great - because the more you put into it, the more Great they will seem to you....

at the same time, the biggest reason is that you CAN and WILL get a great sound out of these drums. Read up on here and you will discover that there are many MIJ enthusiasts (myself included) promoting these and sharing their great success. It is a very highly controversial topic on here. Some go so far as to claim that they would put there MIJ up against Any American kit from the same era. Yes, they can sound that good.

Edges, heads, tuning.....these three will make it truly come to life.

I will follow this thread closely.

Be encouraged and inspired.....worth it in the end.

John

Thanks a lot guys! I do truly appreciate the support!

I've currently got a company that will make up some custom drum badges to replace the originals...I'll post the design sometime soon...

As far as putting a ply or a veneer over the outside...I don't really possess the tools needed for a job like that...and I have two kits with natural finishes...I get SO tired of the scratches...though, they are beautiful...don't get me wrong...but this will probably look better in the black glass glitter wrap I've picked out....from precision drum. I want to do something similar (the originals were blue sparkle) to pay homage but flashier...besides...you've all seen what happens when I re-finish drums with stain! :o

[IMG]http://www.precisiondrum.com/Black-Glitter.gif[/IMG]

To apply the veneer to the inside, I plan to use some rigging... which, goes as follows...(and let me know if this is a bad idea!)

I plan to apply the glue evenly all over the ply and all over (but not as heavily) on the inside of the freshly sanded drum. Then, I'm going to wrap the exterior of the shell with two ratchet-style cargo straps cranked to just enough tension to keep the strap from lifting...(think tight but not squeezing!)

Then I will insert a large exercise ball (like a 24-28 inch) deflated into the drum shell and place the shell dead center over the ball.

I'll inflate the ball to enough pressure (I'm basically using it as a large bladder) to apply even and constant preassure while the shell dries for a couple of days (I plan on at least 48 hours...)

That's my game plan guys! Let me know if it sounds solid!

What I have learned from hanging around here is the best thing for the interior would be to strip off the black paint, get them to the point that you were with the veneer in mind. Only skip the veneer and spray some lacquer on the inside. I did this to a Stewart kit and it sounded great. The whole strap and ball thing sounds like a disaster to me. There have been cases where guys have applied veneer to the inside of shells and it looks great but they don't need to look great, they need to sound great. If you really want to veneer the inside then use a contact cement or get veneer that has a PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) backing and peel and stick it in there and forget about clamping fixtures. But I just would not do it at all, save the money for a nice wrap. When I did my Ludwig Zebrawood kit I was going to paint the inside of the shells with white lacquer paint. Some guys recommended leaving them bare, so I did. I am glad I did because they sound fantastic. Just my two cents, nothing else. If you do the ball and strap thing please post pictures, I gotta see this!

How can you resist the ginger glitter? :)

I've done some touring in the past with Ludwig and Gretsch kits. When I got back into it the 60's imports seemed too cool to resist at the price. Now I'm hooked! The shells you have should sound great IMHO, no inner ply or rings needed.

Just consider that ginger glitter...

Well, it's pretty! That much is certain!

So, I've been thinking about it...I'm going to get the edges re-done after I add the rings...

My thought process is thus:

Install veneer, take shell, sand the edge (old bearing edge) flat, then install the rings...

THEN ship it to Precision Drum Co for new edges...

Sound about right?

NEXT question... what type of edges sound best? What would be most appropriate?

Thanks guys!

Well,

Started sanding today...I think re-rings will be an awesome investment for this kit. The 12 & bass drum feel pretty sturdy, but the floor tom (because of it's length to width ratio) isn't as solid feeling. Re-rings will really beef these drums up.

Also, I think a good bit of sanding the edges flat will be in order as well...I'm noticing a lot more nicks/dents where the front edge of the bass drum was left exposed during the time in which these have been in storage...I'm going to have to sand the shells down about 3/16" to really get these to where I'd like them...

I'll post some pictures soon...really getting down to the bare wood again...it's good to see it working out so far! :)

If you are still planning on installing glass glitter; it is thicker than sparkle, harder to cut, and takes a bit more time.

The thickness can also effect how the head sits. Lots of workarounds, but worth considering.

I like your project!

Hey,

Luckily for me, Precision drum co sells the wrap pre-cut...all I have to do is manage to get the wrap on straight and sealed!

Though, if I could find the spare money, I could just have them put it on for me after they cut the new bearing edges...