I'm coming to the final stages of re-creating my first drumset so I have begun collecting my original cymbals, which were Vader brand. These are virtually impossible to find (mine were not SoundVader or NuVader) but in research, I found that the Tama brand cymbals are the exact same metal content, stamping, hammering, etc. They were most definitely just a rebranded generic cymbal.

I have now collected the Tama cymbals, de-branded, and cleaned/polished them back to new. Today, I ran my first test on re-branding them back to Vader using an old broken cymbal. I messed up on the last little piece of the "R" but it's just a test anyway.

My process:

* Re-created and vectorized the Vader logo.

* Used a vinyl plotter to cut out the negative stencil.

* Ensured a very tight seal of the vinyl to the cymbal with special attention to

the grooves.

* Sprayed paint in multiple, very thin, dusting layers with the can as far away

as possible.

*Removed the stencil vinyl while the paint is still tacky.

Any extra tips or tricks before I get to the real ones are appreciated! I've been making a video of the entire re-creation/restoration including the cymbals, which I will post when it's all done, but here are a few photos of today's results.