My pleasure John, thanks! If I sold this stuff to anyone it would be someone who really just didn't feel like bothering, because it's very easy to do. The second lb of glitter arrived yesterday so it's on to the rack tom...pics to come.

I'll try to get a better camera on the job too, as so far none of the pics I've posted come close to replicating how amazing this wrap looks...

Mitch

Looking real nice Mitch, I know what you mean about the cameras and getting a good pic. Even with a crappy cell phone pic I can tell that the wrap is really nice. Looking forward to seeing the whole kit.

Hardest part of sharing projects is getting a good pic. Have no advice. I'll take 30 pics and not use a one. Great job!

Is this wrap clear when finished? Or to maybe clarify:-) are both sides the same?

Thanks!

Creighton

Mitch floor tom looks great! Good call on not gluing the wrap down either. I wouldn't sweat a few wrinkles by the legs. Did you just tape the seam?

Creighton, ha same thing here....I'll take a bunch of pics and none are good. Funny. My new cell takes pretty nice ones now so I'm happy there. The magnifier option on it is cool it has a light and can take a pic too. Handy for extreme closeups.

Thanks again guys. Here are some more crappy pics lol. I tried, using "Gimp" picture editor, to get the colour close...meh, not really that close. Just think pewter, or ginger-aled silver sparkle. Which is nice as that's exactly what I wanted.

Glenn, I ended up gluing the seam down with latex contact cement. It works fine even on the very rough back, bonding it to the very smooth front. Only problem is, they only have the blue stuff up the street here, not the clear-drying stuff. I think for the 8X12 I will use a butt-join, under a lug, with maybe a strip of double-sided tape underneath.

The wrap is smooth and clear like glass on the front/top. On the back it's basically 80 grit sandpaper [pics]. Real glass glitter so if you ran your hand along the back with the emulsion fully dried, you would have many little cuts on your fingers. So I don't do that heh. As I say, once the emulsion is dry, I use a common plastic-bristle cleaning brush to lightly remove loose glitter.

This wrap has the handling-feel of the cloth-backed vinyl wrap, only a bit more rigid, but not as rigid as Delmar wrap. The word "chewy" comes to mind, if that helps. :) While the Dura Lar on its own feels like thick acetate, the addition of the polymer emulsion creates the more malleable feel.

I had another chance to check out Delmar silver sparkle on a Rogers tom at the jam space. Not just personal bias, I like mine better. Also there's a re-wrapped Ludwig 9X13 at the same jam space - BDP Delmar wrap, lots of wrinkles due to uneven shell topography.....so I'm in good company heh.

I'm considering the insertion of cardboard "shims" under the wrap in the most wrinkled areas. The idea being to fill the air gaps that cause the wrinkles. Will post results...

I'm inordinately proud of my fake Ludwig badge. I even put the little crimp in there...:)

Mitch

Okay, 8X12 completed. No tape or glue at the seam - since this is a center-lug drum of relatively shallow depth, nothing more is needed really. I will likely take a trip to the hardware store and pick up some tiny finishing nails to secure the corners [under the drum head].

Pics show wrap seam at shell seam, holes right on the edge, before attaching final casing. Pics also *dramatically fail* to show true colour of FT and RT together. We will be buying a nice digital camera soon. Can't wait...:)

Last pic shows boom section of Tama boom stand - I am using one of these as a FT leg. I would like to source two more old ones if anyone has these parts lying around. I need them with just the 4 knurled sections, probably "short" boom. I punch out the holding pin and remove the tilter and it's a nice chromed 1/2" leg. Again, if anyone has one or two...

Now for the big bass drum sections. The challenge will be spreading the emulsion evenly over the larger area[s]. I will find out if this one extra lb will complete the job or if I need another lb. I may "starve" the bottom section of glitter a bit to avoid having to order another lb. But the bottom line is that the German Glass Glitter is by far the most expensive part of this deal.

Again, the more common hex glitter is much cheaper, and with the thick emulsion layer [random suspension] should make for a very nice wrap indeed. The gold hex glitter is a little garish - I plan to test soaking it in acetone to tone it down to a more aged silver sparkle look [initial tests proved successful].

More to come, watch this space...:)

Mitch

Mitch I use Box/Hardware Store round steel stock for straight floor tom legs. Offhand forget the size but 3.8" maybe? Can check tomorrow. cut to length, round over tops, polish and add rubber ISO feet and there ya go. Cheap n easy. BTW nice job on those badges too!

Thanks Glenn. The rack tom actually came with a real badge, bass drum too. Just needed a "marker" for the FT heh... I have 1/2" roundstock in two brackets [Gretsch Techware?] but those chromey Tama boom arms are nicer...plus being the kind of part you see lying around from time to time...:)

Bonus 12" tom pic -

Bass drum completed today. I put some "ivory" coloured paper under the wrap on this one. Just masking-taped it to itself on the shell. 12" will get the same treatment. Leaving the floor tom as is for now.

If I spray paint the back of this wrap, as I have made it, it would highlight inconsistencies in the application of emulsion and glitter. If you could figure a way to achieve a dead-flat application of emulsion, and a perfectly even distribution of a single layer of glitter, you could paint the back. I'll leave that for future explorers...

As it stands, uneven the way I did it, a light cream colourd paper behind the wrap provides a subtle, diffuse lightening effect.

Overall success-wise, the wrinkles are displeasing for sure, but that wouldn't be an issue on true cylindrical shells, especially glued down. The kit looks pretty sweet, different if not better than the Rustic Mahogany...which I can return to in about an hour and a half - no glue on the shells, a couple dabs of contact cement for the badges - it'll come off real quick!

Initial pic of finished kit, sorry for the messy background, more to come...

Mitch

That glass glitter sure pops!! Amazing job on this journey Mitch!