After pics:

Very nice! Looks great, just like mine, except with Sound King lugs. Those edges look factory to me. Tune it up a little and give it work out. It'll hold it, I keep mine in the mid to upper on those thin shells. I would let them down when not in use tho. Great work!

Thanks, John. I gave the interiors a good sanding with 220 grit. The wood grain isn't beautiful but it smoothed up nicely. The edges aren't factory. I should have taken some pics. Someone put a nice contour on them, a bit sharper on the outside of the edge but with a nice round inside edge going into the re-ring. And they're very smooth. I didn't have to mess with them at all.

The stainer I got from drumfactorydirect is the S-10 strainer. I picked it because I thought the design matched the lugs, the Slingerland shape. And the butt plate cost a whole $1.85. Probably a 13 dollar purchase at one of my local shops... After searching for more metric t-rods I gave up and decided to swap them out for standards. Thankfully the inserts fit right into the lug and gave me no grief.

So, one project down, about 4 to go, and one on the way.

Oh, and thanks for the tip on detuning the drum when not in use. This makes sense with the batter side, as it's usually tuned up a bit higher, but will I need to detune the snare side as well? I have it tuned up to about an 'A.' Doesn't seem too tight.

Only on the really thin shells do I do this because they tend to warp if left tuned up tight.

Jonnistix,

I didn't know that it's a good idea to de-tune when not in use. Would this mainly apply just to the thinner drums or would it be good practice to de-tune the thicker shells as well?

Cheers

Well, it can't hurt on any drum as it would seem to keep the head from stretching over time, but the thing about these MIJ thin shelled drums is, well, you might not really want to know....the shell is kinda weak. I have a couple that are really damaged from tension and over tensioning tends to pull the strainer into the shell. See, many of these never had snare beds, so getting the snares right took high tension on the wires, so the strainer and butt get pulled on, and then stay too tight for many years, and you end up with cracked shells, and many people don't even know they are cracked. You can't see the damage until you have the drum down to the wrap.

As a side note, I am getting ready to do another project snare. I have another unique drum. It is a 5 ply with rings, and has a factory roundover edge. I am going to veneer the exterior in BE maple. I'll post the before pix. 5 PLY...with rings? Cool liottle drum. I have not played it. It is going to be a custom rework.

That sounds like a nice project Jonni. Please post some pics before and after!! Good luck.

Cheers