Soak the head in warm water with a few drops of Dawn Dish Soap added to the mix. You can use a scrubby to clean the head then allow it to soak for about 10 minutes. It'll be wet and floppy after the soak.

Prep the bearing edge on the drum with wax and 00-00 steel wool. That will seal the end-grain and water won't ruin the edge. Wipe the head down, place it on the drum in the exact position you want it and tension it down -slightly, finger tight- do not crank it tight. Allow it to dry in the new position. When dry, the head will have seated itself to the bearing edge perfectly. It should tune up great for you. Oh, and get ready... the drum pops and makes a bunch of weird snapping sounds as the head dries. Kinda like listening to popcorn cook. The more it dries, the more sounds it makes. :p

John

I used calf heads for a couple of years (am back to plastics now). I would not recommend soaking the complete head, since that could make the head start slipping off the flesh-hoop, which would necessitate a retuck.

Also, I would not recommend adding anything to water that will be used for soaking a calf skin drum head.

Finally, if I wanted to reuse a vintage, second hand head and reseat it on a another drum than the original one, I would carefully, with a mildly wet sponge or something similar, moisten the head until soft to within say an inch of the flesh-hoop, taking care not to go too near the flesh-hoop and risking the head coming off it. Then, seat the head on the drum, put the hoop (rim) on and follow the general procedure for seating a freshly tucked head.

The other option would be a complete soak until the head comes away from the flesh-hoop, and then retuck it for the new drum.

/Magnus

Using a calf head once it has been stretched out is not worth it and furthermore if it very old . The resonance of the skin is very much gone and sound from the skin has no vibrancy in it best to replace with new head cheaper in the long run. Also re wetting a skin after it was placed on another drum may not fit correct and slip off hoops if not put correctly.

I have done both of this. I removed and refitted a vintage, second hand calf head. It was a little difficult fitting it to the flesh-hoop, but sounded great.

Removing and retucking a calf head is a standard procedure and can be done several times.

/Magnus

Magunsi I don't recommend' a skin when it dries out and has been stretched out its texture is lost, looses sound and it becomes flat. Therefore I recommend to replace it once you start to re tuck a used skin sooner or later it will crack due to it texture is gone. I use lots of calf heads and this one reason i always tell people to UN tune there drum after use so skin do not stretch out

Hi cuquito,

To detune a calf head after playing is recommended, I agree. However, there is no reason to assume that jwseden's head is beyond retucking. The 2nd hand, probably 1950s head I retucked sounded at least as good as the new heads I had tucked myself (Irish Kalfos). Due to its age it had lost some of its natural glue, though, making it rather difficult - but not impossible - to retuck.

I know of many calf skin players (over at Cymbalholic) who use old heads, even retuck them. I see no reason why a retuck or refit shouldn't be possible in the case at hand here.

Here is a link to a zip file with 4 articles on tucking and dismounting calf heads, and sizing flesh hoops. The first article is from Drum magazine. The other three are culled from threads on Cymbalholic by member the sheriff. These articles contain everything - almost - that you need to know about calf heads.

Best,

Magnus

Magnus

I don't say it can't be re tucked what I am saying once a skin reaches its potential to re tuck is not worth it. They dry up and crack and to give you an Idea of what I mean take a look at this photo these skins they are 64 years old, but if you see on the edges it shows already drying out and it's cracking in numerous places . Once a skin show this and mind you these skins have not been played, these heads are UN used and in a state of brand new best is to replace. So imagine if they were played the tension and ware and tier the damage would have been greater and heads would be even more damages.

thanks everyone for the info. i don't have much invested in the head, so i may just try a few of these different suggestions to see what works.

Forum member Magnus_N answers correctly. Never use detergent - it will age and crack the skin. Presuming that the two drums in question are of identical diameter and that the head in question is clean, all that is required is to reseat the head is to lay it on the shell and dampen the skin, going around the circumference (avoiding the outer bearing edge areas) with a moist sponge or soft cloth dampened with water. I always use cold water when working with skins. The skin will quickly absorb the moisture, slacken, and soften, at which point it will re-conform to the shape of the newer bearing edge and shell. I also agree with Magnus_N as to the reusability of old skins. Providing that they are still supple, they can be soaked off of flesh hoops and retucked for continued use until the time that they become too dry and brittle; at which time they will crack or tear. I've worked with and used quite successfully skins from the 1930's and 1940's - it's the quality of the skin and its condition which should be the determinant in deciding whether or not to use it.