Only Admins can see this message.
Data Transition still in progress. Some functionality may be limited until the process is complete.
Processing Attachment, Gallery - 183.37370%

1939 WFL 7x14 WMP Twin Sensitive Hollywood Swing Model Last viewed: 22 hours ago

Loading...

Hi all,

Here's another weird one to enter the collection.

1939 WFL 7x14 WMP Twin Sensitive Hollywood Swing Model

This model usually comes with 8 of the infamous "Zephyr" streamlined tension casings. This particular drum has a lug design that I have never seen on any WFL drum from the 1930s-40s (or any era) and, the 16 lugs are staggered (8 top and 8 bottom) on this shell. The lug design looks pretty basic i.e. a pressed metal shell casing, an insert and a spring. There is no real way to keep the spring secure inside the rounded lug design so the first lug to come off of the shell allowed the loose spring to fly across the room. Reassembling the lugs back onto the shell was also a drag but I succeeded after I got a little assembly groove going. Notice how WFL had to modify the lug directly above the twin strainers as compared to the rest of the lugs. The twin strainer lever design on this drum is also something that I have never seen. The two levers are very oversized as compared to the smaller/thinner twin strainer levers on all of my other WFL drums and any others that I have seen. Both levers came to me broken so I took them to my miracle worker machinist, Abe Abello so he could rebuild them for me. The photo tells the story; these levers are made of crap pot metal and literally disintegrated when any pressure was applied to them. Any restorative welding or repair was out of the question. I am astounded that this company would use a crappy metal like this on parts that would be in constant use...the bean counters at WFL won that round. All that could be done was to fabricate a new pair of levers and reattach them to the main twin strainer mechanisms. I commend Abe on his work, I think that he did a great job. All of the nickel plated hardware was in very good shape so a basic cleaning and polishing was all that was needed.

The shell is not the standard WFL 3-ply mahogany shell with reinforcement rings as the catalog states. This shell is 3-ply but the inside of the shell has a maple veneer, so we have, starting from the outside, the WMP wrap, a thin mahogany veneer, a thick mahogany piece and the maple interior veneer with maple reinforcement rings. The WMP was a tad "ivoried" but my usual regimen of plastic cleaner/polish knocked off a few layers of schmutz and brought back some life to the WMP finish .

Original WFL heads top and bottom and both sets of original wires rounded out this cleaning/restoration.

Feel free to weigh in on any of the above as I'd love to hear from you if you have anything to add.

Enjoy.

Posted on 14 years ago
#1
Loading...

That is just SWEET Mike. And the customization marches on.....They really did a lot of custom work back in the day. What you would say the possibilty of getting any of this type work done today? Are they still custom building and machining and making one-off stuff for top dogs today, or do the big boys just go to the boutiques to get goodies?

"Ignorance may be overcome through education. Stupidity, however, is a lifelong endeavor." So, educate me, I don't likes bein' ignant...
"I enjoy restoring 60s Japanese "stencil" drums...I can actually afford them..."I rescue the worst of the old valueless drums for disadvantaged Children and gladly accept donations of parts, pieces and orphans, No cockroaches, please...
http://www.youtube.com/user/karstenboy
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee...16613138379603
Posted on 14 years ago
#2
Posts: 6288 Threads: 375
Loading...

Dammit Mike, I just spent the better part of yesterday polishing ten Zephyr lugs, and only got them to look like this.................

And now you go and post that????? Geez !!......:):)

Another beautiful one.... congrats !!

1 attachment
Kevin
Posted on 14 years ago
#3
Loading...

From Mike Curotto

Hi all,Here's another weird one to enter the collection. 1939 WFL 7x14 WMP Twin Sensitive Hollywood Swing ModelThis model usually comes with 8 of the infamous "Zephyr" streamlined tension casings. This particular drum has a lug design that I have never seen on any WFL drum from the 1930s-40s (or any era) and, the 16 lugs are staggered (8 top and 8 bottom) on this shell. The lug design looks pretty basic i.e. a pressed metal shell casing, an insert and a spring. There is no real way to keep the spring secure inside the rounded lug design so the first lug to come off of the shell allowed the loose spring to fly across the room. Reassembling the lugs back onto the shell was also a drag but I succeeded after I got a little assembly groove going. [COLOR="DarkRed"]Notice how WFL had to modify the lug directly above the twin strainers as compared to the rest of the lugs.[/COLOR] The twin strainer lever design on this drum is also something that I have never seen. The two levers are very oversized as compared to the smaller/thinner twin strainer levers on all of my other WFL drums and any others that I have seen. Both levers came to me broken so I took them to my miracle worker machinist, Abe Abello so he could rebuild them for me. The photo tells the story; these levers are made of crap pot metal and literally disintegrated when any pressure was applied to them. Any restorative welding or repair was out of the question. I am astounded that this company would use a crappy metal like this on parts that would be in constant use...the bean counters at WFL won that round. All that could be done was to fabricate a new pair of levers and reattach them to the main twin strainer mechanisms. I commend Abe on his work, I think that he did a great job. All of the nickel plated hardware was in very good shape so a basic cleaning and polishing was all that was needed. The shell is not the standard WFL 3-ply mahogany shell with reinforcement rings as the catalog states. This shell is 3-ply but the inside of the shell has a maple veneer, so we have, starting from the outside, the WMP wrap, a thin mahogany veneer, a thick mahogany piece and the maple interior veneer with maple reinforcement rings. The WMP was a tad "ivoried" but my usual regimen of plastic cleaner/polish knocked off a few layers of schmutz and brought back some life to the WMP finish . Original WFL heads top and bottom and both sets of original wires rounded out this cleaning/restoration. Feel free to weigh in on any of the above as I'd love to hear from you if you have anything to add. Enjoy.

Mike, very nice drum. How is that lug attached. the one above the Twin strainers?

Posted on 14 years ago
#4
Posts: 3972 Threads: 180
Loading...

that wood ply layup is mind numbing. two nice plies of african mahogany would give it a wonderful woody warmth, and that maple inner ply would round it out and give it the resonance it would ordinarily be lacking. dang. whoever put this one together knew what he/she was doing. no doubt.

Posted on 14 years ago
#5
Loading...

From mcjnic

that wood ply layup is mind numbing. two nice plies of african mahogany would give it a wonderful woody warmth, and that maple inner ply would round it out and give it the resonance it would ordinarily be lacking. dang. whoever put this one together knew what he/she was doing. no doubt.

+++1 here also. Thank you again, mike!!

Your drummers not much good is he!? What you need is someone that's as good as me. ! John Henry Bonham !!
Posted on 14 years ago
#6
Loading...

From FatherTime

Mike, very nice drum. How is that lug attached. the one above the Twin strainers?

The lug above the twin strainers is attached from the outside (top) and on the inside (bottom)...

Mike Curotto

Posted on 14 years ago
#7
Loading...

I don't know if anybody else noticed,but someone has been trying to sell one of those lugs on Ebay.By the way...what does a twin strainer accomplish?

Posted on 14 years ago
#8
Posts: 3972 Threads: 180
Loading...

Read the writeup on the Dave weckl snare. This is one of the magic beans from which his snare grew.

Posted on 14 years ago
#9
Loading...

From teverson-sr

I don't know if anybody else noticed,but someone has been trying to sell one of those lugs on Ebay.By the way...what does a twin strainer accomplish?

Gut or silk-wound on one side, regular metal wires on the other side...You can have both sides on, one side on, or just the other side on...

Mike Curotto

Posted on 14 years ago
#10
  • Share
  • Report
Action Another action Something else here