> Wonder if they sell that counter top sealer in Champagne Sparkle color?
Wayne - I was a printer for 22 years so mixing color is not a chore for me, but it's not that hard to do. The Kampel seam sealers come in different colors. Using white as your base, I'd add tiny touches of red and a dark brown until I got as close to that 'coppery' background color that you see in champaign sparkle. (To mix the color 'copper' you need; white, red, dk. brown.)
Get as close to the background color as you can. Then add some sparkles that you can buy at any craft store. Not too many either. Just a few sparkles will help to complete the blend. How close you can get to the background color will determine how 'invisible' the repair turns out.
Also, the wider the split, the harder it's going to be to hide it completely. Thinner, shorter splits like the ones I had to deal with seem to be the easiest to hide. I was very lucky, I was working with black on black. It's a very forgiving color to work with, easy to hide dookies. Color is something else. If you don't get it just right, it can end up looking as bad/glaring as the original split you were trying to hide. As far as application, just use a fresh -polished- putty knife with a clean, un-chipped edge. Put a small bead of sealer across the edge and press firmly against the shell when applying. Wait a couple of minutes for it to set-up, then wipe any excess away with the Kampel cleaning solvent on a soft rag. If you nailed the background color, it'll look as good as mine came out. You won't be able to see a thing from more than 12" away.
I hope you attempt it. You'll get a great sense of accomplishment if you pull it off. Each time you attempt one of these repairs, you'll get better and better at it. Just like drums... practice makes perfect.
John
PS - I've been known to **** off more than one or two 'purists' with some of the alterations I've made to certain drums over the years. I always had a good reason for doing it, but that doesn't matter to the purists.
