Would be surprised if any repairs suggested here would damage the sound of the drum any more than it's current condition.

Your call, Can say have not noticed any issues with mending same type of damage on mine. Hope all goes well.

Creighton

Sometimes you get right to the nitty-gritty without wasting any time! :D

I agree with you on what it would take to repair the badly damaged outer ply. I would move on and look for a better example. After you add the ton of glue and filler it would take to save it, it would never sound the same again.

A Dragon Wing Begonia would look nice in there!

Just my two cents...

John

Well,

I don't think a "ton" of glue is required. As to the sound, outer ply was glued before things went downhill. Voids would only happen if the middle ply was effected. Can't tell by the photos. Wood filler properly applied would be the same as the middle ply. Provided no huge area's missing same. Taking it to the extreme poplar could fill the inner ply gaps.

Yes one could source a better example but I applaud your desire to mend this one. More than willing to help with any questions.

Creighton

Hello again everyone, I posted a reply a few days ago but it seems to have disappeared for some reason. I don't remember exactly what I said... Oh well.

Anyways, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to assemble and play the drum today to see how it sounds in its current state. (I took a few crummy pictures too, I promise I'll take better ones once the drum is "fixed"!) Since my last post, I have successfully fixed the reinforcement ring and the worst of the shell damage. This is my first attempt at this sort of repair, so let's hope it holds! Cool Dude

Surprisingly, it sounds pretty darn good! I was expecting a "wet towel" sort of sound. I'm sure it doesn't have the sound it once did before someone left it laying in water, but it sounds good to me! flowers2

I guess now I'll just glue down the rest of the damage, and find some sort of clear to spray on it... I'm excited to finish this project now! Excited

Speaking of which, does anyone know of any way to clean the exterior of the drum without removing a bunch of paint? Or am I just going to have to leave it dirty and spray clear over it?

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate everyone's ideas. This is a very nice forum. Group Hug

Great news!!

Try and clean before any clear coat. How much paint looks close to falling off? Clear coat over loose paint and dirt will not go well. I would clean and just use several coats of paste wax.

Access to a recording studio by any chance? Here would be a perfect before/after test.

Creighton

A rat rot floor tom,...what a great idea.

I`m glad it`s working out better than I thought it would for you. If guys like you and us don`t save them, who will, and away they go only to be seen in pictures.

The paint is very flaky. Pretty much every time I touch the drum a bit more falls off... Would paste wax be better for protecting the remaining paint than a clear spray of some sort? I'm sure rubbing it on would knock more paint off, but I'm alright with that if it helps in the long run. I'd really like to preserve the original finish (or what's left of it, rather).

My whole basement is essentially a studio Cool Dude but sadly, I've already taken the drum apart again. I doubt any additional work I'm going to do to the drum will change the sound drastically, though. I'll make a recording of it once it's finished if people are interested!

Whatever you use will darken the natural timber... So I would use clear Lacquer as opposed to a wax which will penetrate deeper & be harder to remove later... In the event you change your mind, the lacquer should hold it together for longer too...

Cheers

John

Good call on the lacquer John. Not a Ludwig expert. Was original paint lacquer? After all the hard work would hate to see the paint being saved bubble from the clear coat. Hence the wax suggestion.

Creighton

Yes sorry Creighton... Bad habit... I meant just a spray pack clear.. It's a mineral based enamel, not a lacquer as such... Have not known that to cause a problem..

Personally I'd be stripping it all off & respraying or even wrapping the whole drum... But that's me...

Cheers

John