AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before someone makes the dubious mistake of refuting Mr. F's advice, please make sure you know exactly what you are talking about. He is, afterall, a custom drum builder...(see his work in the links in his signature...) I agree with both styles, however, and I am also known as the bottom feeder of our site, since I love old MIJ drums...but I also use a completely different and irreversible method of refinishing otherwise junk shells. To my credit, those shells turn out to be highly sought after in my market. I currently have orders for 6 complete kits of "CoffeeHouse Re-Creations" jungle and coffeehouse kits.

Given my understanding of these different types of shells, I agree that thinner shells should be glued and left to be what they are, forever, unless the glue dries out and allows the wrap to release 30-40 years from now, at which time I will be pushing daisies...Thicker shells, as my dear friend Mr RogerSling points out, do well with almost any method of adhesion between wrap/finish and wood, for as long as we care to know in our existence.

So, use the appropriate method as you see fit, but if you are a re-seller, do it the right way.

I find that there is nothing wrong with the glue method. It works well, and has for years. Also, it is more permanent. It helps prevent the wrap from "growing wings" if the wrap does crack. I'm not saying the wrap won't crack, as it can given the right conditions. What I am saying is that with the tape method, the bond point is only at two places. At the start of the wrap where its taped to the shell, and at the overlap seam. Ludwig went to this method when they moved the factory to Monroe, copying what the imports were doing in order to keep the costs down. This is the only reason why ANY manufacturer went to the tape method.....profit $$$. When the wrap cracks.....the wrap "grows wings"! See the attached photo......that's reason enough for me to go with the glue method. BTW, Ludwig has since gone back to the glue method....sometime in the late 1990's I believe.....

Agreeing with most you say.. BUT i've seen several pro glued drums crack in the wrap too... acually never saw a PRO tape wrapped shell crack?.. only the earlier 90's kits with their inferior tape.

So saying that cracking is mainly a tape issue is NOT my experience.

I use tape (3m 9088 if anyone is interested :-).. fully taped though, not just the ends) on almost all my builds (I build and restore and customize all kinds of drums for pro drummers, as well as being a pro drummer myself).

The only place I use glue (and in that case always water soluble contact cement) is on 3 ply shells (and maybe 5 ply Rogers). All others get the tape... and it works perfectly.. actually it works better "on the road" as the tape I use holds up a lot better when exposed to HOT stage lighting than glue.. anyone else experienced that?.

Just love tape though.. much faster, easier and with smoother results.. but I'm agreeing on the fact that the old 3 ply shells (especially Ludwig) do tend to have so many inconsistencies that glue works a little better with them.

peace..

Mallet Player2

NOTE: it's a mess though when routing the taped shell.. the tape really sticks to the router bits.. so you have to clean it thoroughly after each shell is routed!

Improperly executed glue jobs are just as bad, no..... actually WORSE than tape jobs.

Three things will kill a glue job: stale adhesive, adhesive voids or overly-thin coats, and not allowing it to cure. Stale adhesive can cause debonding, and not allowing complete cure will create a weak bond, a well as bubbles under the wrap from adhesive that is still outgassing.

Just for the record, I use two coats of adhesive on the pearl, and three on the shell (the first one gets absorbed almost immediately on a fresh shell), allowing complete cure in between each coat. Yes, it uses more adhesive and takes time, but again, I do NOT like reworking anything.

As far as cracking is concerned: there are some things you just cannot help. Nitrate-based wraps all eventually shrink and develop cracks at the surface, where the plastic is exposed and NOT glued down. Keep in mind that plastics are really NOT solids, but super-cooled liquids, and they are constant in dimensional flux. So, while the bottom of the plastic might be stabilized against the shell, the top is not, and the resulting unequal forces cause stress cracks.

I have a floor tom to wrap. its not very valuable and Im felling lazy. Im gonna use the tape. If it was valuable and I wasnt lazy, I'd use the glue. Scroll up and see pics of taped wrap all cracked and falling off. Show ua a glued wrap in such bad shape. I think most of you tapers dont know how to glue on wrap without screwing it up. Soap Box

Ok, guys.....you didn't read my post thoroughly.....I didn't say that a glue job won't crack. What I did say was that if it did crack (which it can) that you wouldn't have huge flaps of the wrap sticking out like wings that inevitably happens on a tape job because it's only taped at the seam.

Which is uglier to the eye? Big cracks that lay flat on the shell because its glued there, or big flappy wings of wrap that stick out everywhere because it isn't?

That's the point I was trying to make that I think so me of you may have missed....

Also, if you are using the glue method...use the 3M Fastbond water-based contact cement. No worries about chemical out-gassing then and it's easy to work with. Just let it dry the proper amount of time it states on the label, line up the wrap and voila! Glue job done......and it's easier to clean up after as well.....

hi, i'm going to buy some of the 3M 30nf to adhere new wrap to my kit (1971 ludwig super classic 22/16/13) and was just wondering how much i would need? it can be bought here (uk) in 1 litre tins (1 quart = 1.3 litres). would one tin be enough, or ?!?

That should be plenty!

Tape holds just as well as glue when done correctly. use strips of tape every three inches around the wrap.

With tape, if you screw up locating the wrap on the shell, you can back out and start again. Glue? Youre dead in the water.

The 3m tape made today is super super strong, this isnt like 1975.

Theres no reason to use messy glue today.