Re-skinning drum shells

[walt]

Hello fellow time keepers....

This is my first post, so please don't beat me up too badly if I don't follow the proper forum edicate. I'm sure my question has been asked and answered before, but here goes:

I have a six piece white 1974-ish Pearl drum kit that I'm interested in re-vamping. The shell finish (skin?) is badly yellowed and generally looks crappy. What is involved with removing the old shell finish & installing new? I've removed all the hardware etc...and tried to buff out the yellowed discoloring, but it's too far gone.

Any advice you have to offer is greatly appreciated!

Thanks....Walt

[AntiConformist]

skin - heads
finish - wrap (in this case)

I don't mean to be critiquing you, it would just get awfully confusing if everytime you read a post where someone said 'skin' you thought they were talking about wraps.

you can either have your kit professionally re-wrapped, or do it yourself. Visit http://www.sambarnard.net/, they have the best selection of wraps (if you choose to do it yourself) that I've seen.

[drumwerker]

I would not attempt the wrap yourself, only because the shells have an existing wrap. If they were brand new, unwrapped shells then you would probably have less risk. In removing the existing wrap, you may gouge or splinter the outside ply. Bring it to a professional that has done this before and let them evalute whether they would attempt this. At the very least, have them remove the wrap for you and this should be a pretty inexpensive cost (I'd estimate about $25-50 per drum depending on size). Getting a professional wrap is a wise investment. After all, you are going to want to enjoy the new look for years to come. If your amateur "wrap job" attempt goes badly, you will have a tough time unloading this set on anyone else.

[walt]

Thanks for your speedy replies fellas...

I'm not sure how I outta proceed. I can't believe my drums are worth the cost of having a pro do the work for me. Sure there is some sentimental value to me, and if they were re-wrapped I might expect to get a better price for them should I decide to sell. I'm fairly handy at this type of thing, but I'd hate to make matters worse if I get in over my head. I suspect my wraps are cemented on...I think that was the technology at the time. Does anyone have a suggestion how to remove the origninal wrap? I'm thinking that using a heat gun might work. What do you guys think?

Again...thanks for the advice.

Walt

[drumwerker]

I just asked Gene O about an old set I have that are 1977 Pearls.

Apparently there is only double-sided tape on the wrap overlap and a small amount of tape on the shell edges. He tells me Pearl uses heat guns to remove wraps, so you may be in good shape after all. Since your set is circa 1977, they probably adhered the wrap the same way on your drums.

There is a video on do a wrap job at Sam Barnard (http://sambarnard.net/drum_material.htm) - shows the whole process. Looks damn easier than in the old days when they contact cemented the wraps on and it came off in chunks - along with the shell.

Good luck and show pictures when you're done.

P.S. you might want to wrap over the bass drum and tom mount holes and go to Pearl OptiMounts for your toms on stands ;) Likewise, get the SRX claws and bass drum tensioners and get rid of the T-handles, and change the floor tom legs to the cool Air suspension feet the SRX's have. :)

According to Gene, the bd spurs unfortunately are not interchangeable. :(

[SKiezws]

Hey, man. heres what ya do:

1. Go to Wal-Mart
2: Buy come contact paper.
3: Go home and apply the contact paper to your drums.

By using this method, you do not harm your shell, yet are still able to remove the piss-yellow color. Plus...its really really cheap.

[weps]

I couldn't find a matching bass for some toms I got at an incredible deal, sessions in Natural Birch finish (circa 1996?). I got a new version Tama Rockstar bass, also for a great deal used cause it was blacked wrapped with HUGE bubbles in the wrap. I used a hair dryer and some metal scraper/putty knives. Just kept heating it up across the wrap and pulled it of slowly. It did take a couple splinters off the outer wood ply. I purchased, via the web, some natural birch veneer. I adhered it with contact cement. Do it slow and careful, any dirt spec underneath will show up in the veneer, it's pretty thin, make sure all the glue is off! Once it's veneered, you can stain it any color you want. Oh, and before I covered the drum, I took an old boom, cut a section from the handle and glued it in to fill in the large tom mount hole. So now it's a tom mountless bass ;>)

weps

[mully]

Rewrapping IS a job you can do for yourself, it just takes a little time and patience. I re-wrapped my kit a while ago, just for a change (I've since gone back to original lacquer), and I posted the full process somewhere, but I can't remember the URL! My article can also be found here :

http://makeashorterlink.com/?X3BB42043

I've removed the wrap from another kit since I posted that article. Again, patience, common sense, and a hairdryer worked fime for me - no damage to the shells. If you're using a hairdryer (and I wouldn't recommend any other sort of heat gun, but that's just my opinion), just don't hold it too close to the wrap, and don't try to rip the wrap off before the glue has softened well.

Stephen Mulholland
Northern Ireland

[walt]

Well...I think I'm gonna go for it. I figure what the heck....wraps aren't that expensive, and I'm not happy with the way my kit looks now.

I can't tell ya how much I appreciate your advice, info, & suggestions. This project may be just what I've needed to get me through the winter blues...

Thanks again... Walt

[fatboy46]

MD magazine recently had a series on building your own kit.. covering was well documented.. including tips on cutting the wrap, applying, getting the seamsin the right place.. etc..

[Walt]

Well, I'm back. As you can tell by the date on my original post...it's been a few years since I posted my re-wrap questions. At least now I know to use the proper terminology...Wrap = Shell exterior's finish, & Skin = Drum Head.

I'm finally, finally in the process of re-wrapping my Pearl kit. It's a bit tedious, but not nearly as difficult as I first suspected. And wow...what a difference those new wraps make! I'm taking it slow and doing it exactly as directed, and I am extremely pleased with the results. I contacted "Jammin' Sam Bernard" and they set me up with everything I needed. All and all I have around $180 into this project, but like I said...it's really worth it. One of these days I'll post a picture of my "new" kit. And before I tear off all the old wrap, I'll try to get some before and after pictures. It's amazing how crappy that old finish looks compared to the new.

Thanks again for your words of advice and encouragement. It may have taken me three years to get back to ya, but better late than never, eh??

Walt

[pearleliminator]

great thread yall i'm gettin alot of information that i needed from it

[pearleliminator]

hey fat boy, i got Jesus he is my reason for playin drums

[pearleliminator]

does anyone know how to get the glue off of the drum after you take the wrap off i tried to sand it off but it just won't come off


can anyone tell me how to start a thread i can't figure it out
:eek:

[pearleliminator]

this thread is boring