I have been told that the difference in the expansion and contraction characteristics of the hoops vs. the inlays strips is what causes vintage inlay strips to consistently have cracked about an inch above the staples.

Two of my three sets of vintage Slingerland hoops, a 20" and 22" did both show cracks in the inlay in the exact same place.. about an inch above the staples...(yes, very anticdotal evidence to support a theory) But still I'm wondering if a flexible adhesive like silicon might be a better solution for perserving inlay strips intact for the next 40 years of service.

Just a thought..

I did the same thing John G. did.Carefully mask the inlays (two times) and I was able to sand and paint with no damage to the inlays and never molesting the original instalation.

TRDutch