They're done!!! That was a LOT of work-- it seemed like possibly more than this kit was worth during the process. But seeing (and hearing) the finished product, it was totally worth it. Plus, I learned a lot (especially how not to do a few things). They actually sound great. This may be vintage drum blasphemy, but the rack tom fit in great with my WFL kit. Obviously they don't sound as good as vintage American drums, but I'd say they sound 80% as good with 25% of the price tag.
Here is an outline of what had to be done to this kit:
[LIST=1]
[*]Disassemble
[*]Remove non-original wierd black wrap
[*]Strip paint/glue from shells
[*]Sand
[*]Rework bearing edges
[*]Plug assorted unnecessary holes
[*]2 coats of primer
[*]4 coats of paint (sanding between)
[*]4-5 coats of glitter (not fun or recommended)
[*]4 coats of polyacrylic (sanding between)
[*]Polish with paste wax
[*]Clean/polish hardware
[*]Repaint bass drum hoops
[*]Paint resonant bass drum head
[*]Reassemble
[/LIST]
It seems like less work written down, but I spent a pretty large portion of the last two weeks of my free time on it.