Anyone? I know this subject has more than likely been covered a million times, I just couldn't find any specific info.

As far as I am concerned, Cortex is very similar to Plastic laminate (Formica) but it is not the same. Formica is much thicker and will not bend around drums very good. I once bought a kit with Formica on it and it was easy to remove, most likely due to improper pressure it takes to adhere it to the drum shell using contact cement. It would be very difficult to bend it around a 12 or 13, in my opinion.

in the 90's i rewrapped my dbl bass ludwig kit that had red "formica" on it. it was complete hell getting that stuff off.

i was able to do it at my work and use their tools but i still had to use a torch and a putty knife to break off large pieces. i learned quickly to wear gloves because the stuff has no mercy.

the material is made to be used on counter tops and displays and designed to take a beating in retail. its very ridgid and can be hard to work with.

at my old job i would wrap drums in formica though i don't thnk they call it that anymore. it is brittle to work with as far as cutting to size and sometimes edging. so make sure to cut the depth atleast 1" oversize.

here's a pic of a shell wrapped in white. this is a first pass of edging and this is what happened. what you don't see because its white material are tiny hairline cracks below the breaking points. i don't want to detour you, its not impossible to get clean cuts. just make sure its all planned out before you start cutting.

the formica on my ludwig kit was alot thicker while the "modern" formica yet its still thick but workable. i presume there's different grades of the material depending on what the application is for, so in your case you might have to do some research to find the material that's the closests to what's on the rest of the kit.

by the way, as far as i know the material is only avail in large rolls, as in i think 100ft x 6 ft. enough to wrap a bass drum w/o needing a bottom piece. that's how we got it at my old job. but perhaps you might fine a shop that has a reminant piece big enough for what you need so you don't have to buy a roll.

here's a example of the modern material used. stripes are cut into the shell afterwards.

First off, Formica is a brand name for cabinet laminate, not drum wrap. As others have said above, it is much thicker than drum wrap. DO NOT USE FORMICA ON YOUR DRUMS! It will break when trying to apply it!

Basic black or white cortex is still available from both Jamminsam.com and Precision Drum Company. It is much thinner than "Formica" and is easy to work with. Check out those websites for more info on wraps. I've used both places in the past, but have a preference towards Precision's choices/methods for attaching the wrap.

As Ludwig-dude stated ..NO FORMICA ! Unless you want to destroy your drums, and possibly your hands in the process..Way thicker than regular drum wrap.. Just order your wrap from any drum wrap company like Jammin Sam (super easy to apply) or Precision Drum..They both have black cortex and other solid colors..You can also find that wrap on ebay as well if you're on a budget. Good luck with your restoration project !

Thanks for the info guys. I've heard a lot conflicting stuff, but I think I'll keep away from the Formica. I mean, it's just black, it can't look that mis-matched.

Hey d rum. I'm a scenic carpenter who also builds store display pieces occasionally. While I agree that countertop laminate is for the most part a bad idea to when wrapping drums. We also use a very thin laminate for projects when the design calls for a tight radius. Where as the standard stuff is about a 32nd of an inch thick. This stuff is more like a 64th. Don't quote me on those thicknesses exactly. You will not find this product at Home Depot but I'm sure it's available somewhere. If you decide to do this 3m super 77 spray adhesive on both surfaces and wait a few minutes to tack up. I do it in 2 parts to make sure my seam is perfect. Trimming excess laminate at the hearing edge is another story. I use a bottom bearing laminate bit. But with no surface for the bearing to ride you risk damaging the bearing edge freehanding something like that would be next to impossible. All in all probably more trouble than it's worth. Crazy tough surface though.

Thank you! very useful information!

First off, it was VERICAL GRADE Formica. It is used to wrap the sides or backs of cabinets. It is much thinner than counter top Formica and is intended for use on curved surfaces.