Hmm, has anyone tried the hot sweaty hand treatment? Might be all that's needed...:)

Mitch

Thank you Tommy so much for this information. This drum being a gift from my daughter is very special to me and now I am confident that I can make this drum look very nice due to trust and respect I get from you. Yes, I do remember seeing that drum in Chicago, I would never have guessed that you had simply wiped it with lacquer thinner and sprayed a clear coat on it, simply amazing!

THANKS Jeff! ... course I know you know there's a little more to it then "... simply wiped it with lacquer thinner and sprayed clear coat on it ..." I only WISH it was that easy! Well, actually it is ... but only in the procedure STEPS themselves. Each STEP was time consuming with care added into the equation. You just don't want to mess up an otherwise perfect drum! ... and many would tell you DON'T DO IT!!! I decided I would give it a try, and was very impressed with the results! But, I have also chatted with guys that suffered total failure and were sorry they ever attempted it. I honestly think it comes down to one's confidence going in. As a final thought, I will mention that I started with a TEST panel on the BACK of the drum, figuring if it didn't work, I could probably polish it back to match the rest, and leave it as is. Well, the opposite happened, and I was able to do the whole shell. See what you think!, and that might be the best course first ... TEST on the back. GOOD LUCK!

Tommyp

You pay extra for that....

jason

Tommy P I had no idea the depths you've ventured. Amazing stuff thanks for all the details. Aged wrap color is always a interesting topic. Lots of good tips and advice here.

I was going to take a clean shop rag and thinner and "test" a small area to see if any yellow gets on the rag, if not I might stop right there. Any chance your drums yellowing was mostly cigarette smoke?

Jeff good luck with the snare. Hope it goes well.

Creighton I forgot about your progress on the marcher. I have the same drum and about the same degree of yellow. When I did the painted drum wrap test I had a good chemical at work old wraps could soak in for hours without harm. It's water miscible too so I can add a % of water without negative chemical reaction. I'm going to try this with a magic eraser and see what happens. If it fails I'm trying your version.

Well, I tried some thinner on a clean rag like I was saying and it did not seem to do anything. The rag remains clean white. This was a totally soaked rag, rubbing a 2" x 2" or so spot just above the butt for about a minute.

Jeff!

No, it wasn't just yellowed from nicotine .. because .. the 1st order of business is to clean/remove the "dirt" soiling, etc. from the shell with your favorite method. THAT will take off most the residual crap and will be easy to see on your rag/paper towel. As to WHY you're not seeing anything on your rag soaked with lacquer thinner, the word would be ... yet! As I have made mention many times, it doesn't happen FAST, and it takes a goodly amount of pressure/elbow grease to get through that 1st layer. A rag that has a little "texture" works better here rather than a soft old t-shirt, and for the reasons just mentioned. You will know WHEN things start to happen as the rag/cloth will start to drag on the shell... a fine indicator that things are starting, and to keep that rag wet! Again... SLOW GOING! I did my little 3x13 over the course of 4/5 days as you can only go so far before you're arm starts to get sore. Is it worth it? Only you can decide!

Tommyp

My :2Cents:You know a good old fashion wet sanding will do the same thing! Just saying than the new wipe on gloss poly does a great job of sealing