So I did some research on here and decided to restore the tom and floor tom shells. I will do the BD later. I took it all apart, removed all the non-chrome parts and cleaned off the rust with vinegar. Then I cleaned all the chrome parts with Chrome cleaner. I used some car wax on the shells to make them shine a little more. After that I put three coats of tung oil on the shells. Here are some pictures of the inside of the shells.

Before:

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/IMG_1239.jpg[/IMG]

After:

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/IMG_1245.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/IMG_1246.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/IMG_1247.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/IMG_1248.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/IMG_1257.jpg[/IMG]

also the tom shell ply is way thinner than the floor tom. Seems like it's 3 ply, then the floor is 9 ply. Why is that?

if you want the wrap to shine a lot more get some Novus polish. I use Novus No.2. It removes much of the fine scratching and does an incredible job. I then finish with the wax.

That said, you look like you're doing a good job and it's going to look great. These kits can sound great too.

Not sure why the different shell thicknesses but someone here will have a credible theory, I'm sure.

Thanks! I will try out Novus. What is the best way to remove rust from a chrome snare hoop? I've got a ludwig supraphonic I'm trying to restore.

Those drums are beautiful - especially considering the price!

To clean up a rusty hoop - my vote is Dawn/H2O - soak in it for about 48 hours and simply brush off the dirt and rust with a toothbrush - then finish it off with Turtle Wax Rust Remover/Chrome Polisher (same product- really inexpensive stuff) - and use microfibre clothes and NEVER use steel wool.

Enjoy that kit!

John

Mikey, Jonni, Calf, Ralf, Osakabop (sorry if I left any of you out!) - what kind of wood is this?

The bell has not dismissed us yet!

John

That can't be splintery luan! My guess is, very early Pearl before they took cost cutting measures to price their kits below the major US drum makers. It's very interesting that the mounted tom is 3-ply and with out re-rings. Plus the floor tom has more plies than the mounted tom. It is thicker, but is it thick enough to be 9-ply? I wonder if the shells were sourced from a different shell manufacturer as part of a trial run of drums? The kit looks matched, so it's really strange that the wood looks non-typical for stencil drums and the number of plies differ between drums.

One things for sure, that kit is going to look and sound great. The tung oil really makes the insides of the shells look great.

Thanks,

- Tim

Hi John,

Being a bit of a timber "geek" im pretty sure that's Birch.

Here is a link to an image of a brand new Birch drum inner I just found in a Google search

http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/631364666/birch_drum_shell.jpg

But before you get all over excited and start seeing dollar signs..... ive just re-finished and re-wrapped a MIJ stencil kit and mine had a single interior veneer ply of birch on a very "tight" lauan base.

Its entirely possible yours would be the same.

I finally got this thing semi-restored. It sounds amazing, and I found out that they are in fact birch shells. Does anyone have any idea of the worth of this kit?

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/DSC_4120.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/DSC_4121.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/DSC_4122.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x469/gaedemartino/DSC_4125.jpg[/IMG]

You had asked about worth - yes, it's worth is this: worth keeping. MIJ kits are quite tricky in assessing. Many times it is determined by "whatever someone is willing to give". Typically speaking, only a range can be given. Where many times these kits can be scored for as little as $100 (or even 80!) once they are restored they can fetch up to about 400. If they are a fellow forum member, I think it would be best to expect about 200-300, but 400 to someone else. Opinions vary, but these numbers are realistic after my reading several threads on this.

Like I said though, unless you decide that you would rather have some other kit made of different wood, config, color, etc.......keep these. It is a bit rare to find an MIJ like this, especially since it is not a stencil and it is not luan.

John