Hi all!
New to the forums here, although I'm a long time casual reader of vintagedrumforum and drumforum. Basically I'm trying to gather as much information as possible on correct technique for redoing bearing edges on late-60's Ludwig and Slingerland kits before I attempt to do this. (Don't worry: I will NOT be touching these until I've had adequate practice on some cheaper drums...)
Any drummer friend who I bring this topic up to usually says, "Oh, just ship it to a professional." I get that… but being a decent woodworker with plenty of tools, and a reasonably astute guy, I'd prefer to learn how to do it myself.
All that being said- Anyone have any suggestions on how to achieve a good roundover? Just looking for any additional tips of dealing with the nuances of drums from this era, rerings, etc. I fully understand the risks inherent in experimenting with this type of work and plan to test my technique on a few cheap drums first, then a spare "nice" tom which is the second 12 x 8 that came with my 60s Slingerland kit (who plays two of the same sized toms?!). Two of my interests are woodworking and drumming, so it makes a whole lot of sense to me to merge the two... It'd be nice to end up with some good results!
Down to the process itself:
It sounds like I would probably be leaving the inner bevel alone for the most part. I noticed JR Frondelli says he does not really touch the inner cut, as this just serves as a take-off point, and messing with rerings is risky because of possible destabilization (this makes sense to me). Anyone else have thoughts on this?
In essence, it seems the approach I will use is:
1) After addressing any obvious defects (with the plies, rering separation, etc), take the drum to the sanding table for leveling. (SIDE NOTE: Does anyone suggest a particular grit of sandpaper for this process? Or have any particular recommendations for a surface plate? I wonder if something like this is adequate or, on the other hand, excessive: https://www.grizzly.com/products/24-x-24-x-3-Granite-Surface-Plate-No-Ledge/G9656
2) After the sanding table and checking for level, cut the roundovers with a 1/8" roundover bit. (Just double checking, but we are ONLY cutting the outside edge here, correct?).
3) ??? - At this point, once the roundover is cut, I am a little less clear... It sounds like a combination of sanding table, check level, mill smooth file, sanding table, check level, some hand sanding...probably, I would assume, a lot of careful examination with a bevel gauge and careful inspection by eye to ensure things are uniform around the entire circumference of the shell.
I understand there are probably many approaches to acheiving a good result with this work, and that I have chosen but one. I just want to ensure this is a reasonable approach to start with. I am basically trying to acheive the sound that was originally intended for these drums When they were made. I love that warm, punchy 60's sound, just the right amount of sustain... All suggestions/feedback are welcome. Looking foward to getting to work, Thanks all! :)
