There is not much surface to play with as these shells are thin.

1/8" to 3/16" of bearing edge.

I used to do a 45 on both sides.

Sharp point on edge. Loud sound. It was Fine.

Now i do what Jerry did.

Just a round over. A little smoother sound. Mellower just a touch.

Very subtle change.

I do the edges by hand with a sanding block.

I make a guide/true mark on top of the bearing edge,

and keep it there, sanding up to it and around it.

This line shows me the center of the edge and the flat/true part of the edge.

The guide line is still there when the heads go on.

That line is about 1/64 of an inch at that point.

AND, it looks cool. Green line for green drums.

Red line for Red striped drums.

Thanks for the response. The Gretsch style round over Jerry used makes sense for drums with the built-in volume that FG produces. I imagine that double 45's would make them sound more modern and 'boingy.'

Loving watching this candy cane kit come together. :D

John

Do you draw the guide/true line by hand on the bearing edge surface? Or measure then draw. I guess when you have done enough you can make them freehand with a good eye. Either way VERY cool thread here and I follow daily too.

I haven't been hanging out here much lately, but I've been coming back to check on this one every day.

John

I need another 3' by 3' flattening/truing stone.

I only have one in that size that I am using for checking up against my pipe straight edge

I need another one to use for sanding/shaping.

In the process of getting a remnant from a stone guy.

The squaring/truing process starts with checking the squareness of the shell.

I have a pipe mounted through the stone that is set dead plumb.

I place the interior of the shell up against pipe then measure the gaps from stone to shell.

If there are large gaps, I mark lines on the shell showing where to cut it off to make it flat and square.

Then rough sand to the marks with a belt sander.

Then get the rest with a sanding block.

Final flattening done by hand spinning the shell on sandpaper attached to table top.

Then measure from table top to top of shell.

Mark level lines all around.

Check for plumb again and cut top of shell to the same measurement all around.

After shell is square and flat, I take a marker and color the top edge of shell.

Then to make edge profile, by hand I sand up to the center of edge.

I can always see my colored control line.

I sand right up to it.

If I sand it off, then I have gone too far and shell is not flat anymore.

That colored line in the center stays on the drum forever.

Thanks

Squared the shell. Flattened edges both sides.

Checked lug layout with my DF template.

YES once AGAIN. WAY OFF.

Re-alligned lug holes.

Plugged holes.

Filed open and re-drilled some holes.

Got lugs straight.

Filled any remaining voids.

I KNOW.......... you just want to see some pics of the finished drum...

Me too.

Workin on it.

That's a lot of work to put that drum right. Can't wait to see some pix. (Hint, hint.) :D

John

Well the holes are a real bear.

Not very successful eliminating them.

I will get better.........I hope.

Any way. Here is the BD done.

Sling T rods coming.

I think you did a excellent job! Can't be a easy trying to match the green/red spun glass pattern. I dig the Slingerland hardware on these. Don't think I've seen that on any Blaemire shells. Only Ludwig and Rogers. These are such cool drums!

I have an idea for the holes.

Patching with colored FG resin and colored monomer/polymer is not quite happening.

Next: artist brush, paint colors mixed then buried in lacquer.

OH and the 18x16 is next.

I always tend to do the largest and most difficult ones first.

Boy......I am itchy.............. and scratchy......