I recently acquired (for free, yet) a badly pitted Mid-late 60's Supra (serial #231214) from a high school that was going to throw it out.(!) I posted a question here some weeks ago re. stripping the chrome and painting the aluminum and got many responses. I ended up taking it to a local plating company who stripped it down to the aluminum...chrome,nickel and copper in that order ($65). I decided to just refinish the aluminum to give it that air-craft aluminum look. When I got the shell back from the plater, I had to wet sand the deep pits with wet 180, then wet 220, wet 400 and wet 600. Then, I used 3 grades of steel wool dipped in water..extra coarse, medium and 0000 super fine. I used Flitz with the 0000, wiped clean with a soft rag and did the whole shell 1 more time with Flitz and a really soft rag. I now have a great sounding, cool looking (IMHO) very serviceable snare drum. Boy, is my sanding,polishing arm tired!! The pics show...the badly pitted drum, the stripped drum, the polished drum ready for assembly and the finished piece.
Pitted Supra Saved!!
I'm involved in a similar project. A supra shell with major pitting. I replaced the shell on the original drum with a world max and fitted it with die casts. Now I have had the supra shell sand blasted, and am about to take it to a guy who does powder coating. The imperial lugs are to be replaced with tube lugs from a black beauty and will use the original hoops. Still need to buy a strainer. Your drum looks great!
Cool! That came out looking very nice! Sort of what an Acrolite would have looked like had it had Imperial lugs and 10 of them too! LOL!
Did you clear coat the shell to protect all your hard work?
I'm not sure how clear-coat will adhere to aluminum, so I didn't.
That's some major elbow grease to bring that drum back. Nice job!
Man! You did $500 worth of work on a $200 drum! -j/k!
"Nietzsche is dead." -God
I'd recommend finding a powder coating shop and have it clear powder coated, rather than sprayed with a clear coat. Powder coating is more durable.
Nice work!!
[COLOR="DarkRed"]Drumguy...in retrospect, were there any steps which you took on the unplated shell which you think might have been redundant ?
Also, I dunno, it's aluminum now, right ? Why clear-coat it at all. Just some regular upkeep should keep it OK, no ?
I believe Flitz provides some sort of coating, too...if I am not mistaken....[/COLOR]
You could now go back to the plater and have them anodize it clear.
49 - WFL Ray McKinley - 26, 13, 16
58 - Slingerland Duco
58 - Slingerland Krupa Deluxe
70 - Ludwig Champagne Sparkle - 20, 12, 14
70 - Ludwig Champagne Sparkle - 22 (need), 13, 16
And some others..
Redundant? I suppose using coarse/medium/super fine steel wool AFTER I 600'd it would be considered redundant. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment OR, like every other restore I've done, wanted to "make it last". The sanding part took ALOT longer than the steel wool part.
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