Just noticed a lacquer thread right below mine. Have to check that out. Any help on matching the color would be great. thanks

http://www.reranch.com/colors.htm

Scroll down to copper tone metallic.

Also, I have read that at least some of the copper mist and cadillac green drums were painted wraps, not painted bare wood. You could scuff sand, use a plastic primer and then shoot copper onto your wrap rather than stripping.

All you need to know paint-wise is; -Use a good Primer!- if you use a brush, sand the shells smooth in-between coats. Sand off all of the brush marks. It's always better to do 5 or 6 light coats, than to try to do it with one or two heavy coats of paint. The best way of course is to use a fine-mist sprayer and apply as many as five or more (light) coats, sanding with 00-00 steel wool in-between coats. Two hits of a good clear-coat will take care of protecting and sealing the paint job.

Sounds like a cool restoration project, Please post photos and progress reports along the way. I love peeking over someone's shoulder while they're working!

John

Like purdie said,...and,...hang the drum upright when painting it.

Tape off the bearing edges carefully. I protect the inside with newspaper.

Little trick: Apply the tape so that it is parallel to the bearing edge, (Standing straight up.) Then roll the tape over the edge so that it forms a lip around the circumference. Turn the drum over and press sheets of newspaper onto the sticky side of the tape all around the rim. When you turn it over, the paper will protect the inside from over-spray and it'll be neat and easy to work with and to handle/move around. (see photo)

[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/duco1.jpg[/IMG]

*It's an old photo. The comment is about the paint-job, not the masking on the drum.

John

Wow, a lot of useful info here. Ive talked with a painter friend, and have decided to pay him to do the job right. He has the sprayer, and area to do this job. As opposed to me goin at it with a spray can. The wrap thats on it now is a satin textured wrap, the method FloydZking mentioned would or would not work for this, being as its textured? Suppose you could sand anything down smooth right FloydZ? My friend was asking me if they would have used water based? oil based? acrylic based paints? He ruled one out, I think water based, as not being good for wood. Would there be a way to find the color code? Ive seen 3 different types of copper mist. 1 on a gretsch guitar was darker and metallic, I was under the impression gretsch would use the same paint for guitars as the drums? The early models were paint, not a wrap, correct? Would a paint store be able to match a picture I printed off the internet on a high grade printing paper? Thats about it for now. Thanks, this really, really, helps out for getting started.

Ok FloydZking, that link you posted about the color fender uses on that guitar is a good starting point. Now I wonder if fender would share that code with me. Thanks

John, Your lug holes are plugged in that pic so the paint doesnt go through to the inside. Is that just tape on the inside covering that, or actual plugs so it doesnt hit bare plys between the outside and in? Thanks again P.S. I like that turn table spinning the rum for you. Is that what that is? good idea