Hi everybody,

My latest project is a Pearl fiberglass kit, which I got for a great price. Sizes are 22" and 24" kick drums, 16" and 18" floor toms, and a 10x14" rack tom. Snare is a heavy COS model. Drums were originally wrapped with black, which was destroyed after 30 years of knocking around.

As many of you know, the wrap is ridiculously easy to remove from these drums (one piece of tape holding all the wrap on), so it was a quick job to get them all bare - and once I did, I loved the look! They're translucent, so they look cool when they're under lights. I've decided I am going to leave them natural for the time being, as I love the way they sound and don't want to impede the natural resonance.

My question: there are extra holes in a couple of the shells. What is a good filler material for fiberglass? I would like to get something that will not be completely opaque and hopefully blend in easily with the fiberglass look. Any suggestions?

Clear Fiberglass resin with Acrylic paint as tint.
Experiment till you get the color close.

I was hoping you would be one of the ones to pipe in

Is that something easy to find at a local hardware store?

A quick google search answered that question. I guess my only other question is once I've filled the holes, is it safe to sand with just a basic disposable mask?

Originally Posted by DrumOgre

A quick google search answered that question. I guess my only other question is once I've filled the holes, is it safe to sand with just a basic disposable mask?

Home Depots only sell a greenish brown resin.
It's dark and won't tint light, like your flesh tone shells.
Best to go to a Resin supplier and get the clear Resin.
Acrylic paints work well for tinting.
Fiberglass resin tints are expensive and you don't really know what colors you need.
Go to Michaels Art Store and get some Yellow, Pink, Tan etc.
They are really cheap like 4 oz containers.
Mix and match till you get it close.
Mix the colors in with the resin.
Get little dixie cups to mix in.
And a bunch of popsicle sticks.
REMEMBER:
An exact color match is almost impossible.
That's just FG resin for you.
Don't forget the Catalyst.
TO PREP HOLES:
Take a round file and sand the hole edges clean.
Get the black out of there.
Apply Acetone to inside of holes with a small paint brush to clean and prep.
Place blue tape on the inside of shell to keep the resin in.
Place blue tape around area to be filled to keep excess to a minimum.
Fill the holes and wait for it to dry.
Drying time can take a few hours or overnight depending on weather and how much catalyst was used. Be patient.
Sand the filled areas off. There should be very little dust for small holes.
Respirator is fine. Do it outside.

Thanks for all the good info!

I started with a similar goal. Love those fiberglass shells. But I did not have any luck at all in matching the color and translucent characteristics of the shell. Maybe you can cover the holes with chrome plated covers? like what Rogers used to offer. Good luck.

Well, for those interested - I tried a couple of test holes with tinted fiberglass resin and it works great to fill the holes, but is still very noticeable and doesn't blend in with the original fiberglass.

So I've decided instead of leaving them bare to rewrap the shells using aluminum roof flashing, as has been discussed/seen on this forum before. I am halfway through wrapping, and it's coming along great! Here's a photo of the 14" and 18" toms with their new skin.

For anyone thinking of trying this REALLY CHEAP method of rewrapping, I highly recommend it - especially on late 70s/early 80s drums, because it just looks right!