Cut-down 1960's WFL Marching Snare

[billnvick]

Originally Posted by barjack

LOL, nice choice of descriptive terms,


I recut both edges and made new snarebeds in a wider more gradual profile. It doesn't HAVE to be done if you're careful when cutting, leveling, and regluing... but the outer edge where the shell was cut down will be straight and should at least be rounded over with a file and sandpaper. I'm generally of the belief that the contour of the outer edge is far more important to tuning and tone than the angle or contour of the inner edge; thus I always recut because I like to do a reasonably deep rounded outer bevel that I sand and then clearcoat.

But yes, if you're careful, you can keep the edge mostly AS-IS.

I agree with you on the importance of the outer edge. I tried to hand-dress the edge and I think it might have been OK but have taken the shell down to our HS wood-shop teacher this morning and he's going to set up the router table with the proper bit and touch it up. I'm 99.99% sure it's going to come out OK especially after he touches it up. (Let me tell you, it's sure handy being the user support tech for a school district.) I'll get it back this afternoon. I've got the wrap and hardware ready to go, but think I've got to order heads and snare wire so it may be next week sometime before I get pics posted.

BTW -- I got the idea to do this from an article out of an old issue of Not So Modern Drummer magazine. My mind is drawing a blank (like it does sometimes) right now, but if I remember correctly the article was written by Jack Lawton...

Again, your drum looks great! Please share more of your "cut down" creations!

[Drumjinx]

Very cool looking drum.
I did the same thing with a Ludwig 10X14 marcher.
Sounded great and fit in nicely with my kit.

[billnvick]

Drumjinx,
That looks really good... and the clamps in the first picture sure look familiar.
I'm going to be changing buildings here pretty soon, so I'll be able to pick up my shell from the wood-shop. I'll try and get pics up today or tomorrow.
Again, your drum looks great, too! And as I said, I love to see others like this!
bill

[barjack]

Originally Posted by Drumjinx

Very cool looking drum.
I did the same thing with a Ludwig 10X14 marcher.
Sounded great and fit in nicely with my kit.

Awesome, looks quite similar to my conversion steps! Did you use a steamer to remove the re-ring from the shell scrap or just pull it out with a chisel?

[barjack]

To those who asked, here are a few more of my cut-down projects. In my opinuion, the best shells to work with are 1960's Ludwig maple/poplar/mahogany marching shells with single point eyelets. They can be cut down into 8x14" drums and the eyelet holes become the top (or bottom) lug hole for a perfectly centered 2 3/8" Ludwig Imperial or Bowtie lug. A close second are Rogers concert toms, 13 14 or 15" in diameter. Pulling the re-ring out of a rogers shell is easy as they weren't glued in with a terrible amount of precision anyway, and using a concert tom means that you have a virgin shell once you cut off the top and move the re-ring down.

The photos below are of two different Ludwig marching shells cut down and turned into propper snares and a Rogers 15" concert tom during the re-ring installation process and once again after gluing down wrap and edging.

[barjack]

And a couple more. The leftmost image is the first wood hoop cut-down I ever did, and I think it remains the best... the perfect storm of good condition mahogany shell, perfect wood hoops, and easy to clean-up hardware. The black snare was my experimentation with that Minwax stain/clearoat-in-one. Came out kinda satin, but still cool.

[Drumjinx]

Originally Posted by barjack

Awesome, looks quite similar to my conversion steps! Did you use a steamer to remove the re-ring from the shell scrap or just pull it out with a chisel?

I did indeed use a steamer. Works great and the hoop fit back in like it had always been there.

[billnvick]

Man, I just pulled mine out with a chisel. Will definately give the steam a try.

Barjack -- thanks!

I've got more cut-downs in the works. Last summer I bought out a local music store of over 30 years of percussion trade-ins, mostly school marching equipment. I've made my investment back several times over already, but still have a large amount of 10x14s, 12x14s, 12x15s, and 12x16s left. Plenty to experiment on... without having to worry about spending money or wasting it!

[Kona]

barjack that drum looks beautiful - nice job!
The other drums here look great too.

Thanks for posting this - good to see that nice WFL take on a new life.

I cut down a 30's gretsch 9x13 tom that had a tacked reso head. The drums finish was toast and both ends of the drum (reso and batter) were split in several places all around the shell. I cut it down to about 7" and made a nice tom out of it....replacing the tacked reso with a lugged head. It is a really nice sounding drum. I may make a snare drum out of it some day.

I have a 1949 Gretsch 10x14 marching/parade drum that I may do something like what you did with your drum some day. The wood hoops on my drum are absolutley killer.

[Drummer84]

this snare has got to be one of the coolest looking snares ive seen in a long time. now i need to make one. haha thanks for posting it.