you would really need to post a pic. Chances are slim that there is much you can do, as it usually faded from UV exposure and that can't be reversed...

[COLOR="Green"]There is the one method you mention where the wrap is wet-sanded down and then some sort of vinyl sheen is applied afterward. I have never tried it....seems a bit too brutal for me, but I have heard it works.

Question: what are you trying to achieve here ? If the whole kit is faded and it matches each other...do you just wanna make the color the same as what you see under the lugs ? or are you trying to match another drum to the faded kit ?

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i used to work for a indie drum company,and for some wraps there's a way to "inprove" the finish,not actually restore it from fading.basically it depends on the type of wrap it is.for the most part its a lost cause or else we all would of heard about a way to do it by now.if there is a way to do this,i hope someone will share with the rest of the class.

first,drum wrap like sparkles and glitters have 3 layers that are heated together into one: the bottom which is the base (usually white),the middle which is the actual glass or silver glitter material,and the top which is actually tinted and makes up the color we refer to (green,red,blue,etc... sparkles and glitters) the middle layer is not were the color comes from as most people think.

on these,the fading is in the top tinted layer and there's no way around that.to "improve" the finish,at my old job when we would lay down painted graphics on these types of wrap material we would fine sand the top layer,paint the graphics then laquer the top.then wet sand that so it would be nice and flat.almost looking like a laquer finish.

so if you have a glitter or sparkle,you would need to paint the wrap after sanding and before the laquer.this is what i mean by "improve" cause you can't take of the top layer of the wrap,paint it and glue it back down to the 2nd and 3rd layer.now,this procedure does not always work on all glitters and sparkles,mainly due to age.for a vintage drum i can say that we never did that for obvious reasons.

if you have a satin or say....a duco finish that's basically a repaint and a easy yet not original fix.if you have some sort of marble,swirl or oyster wrap,there's no way to fix the fading.

as it was described to me by a drum wrap maker,the wrap...lets just say blue marble,is made into a large block.then they cut thin sheets off of the top and work their way down.like cutting slices of cheese.that's why for some wraps they never look the same.because its made into a large block and the deeper you go in the block,the more the pattern changes.these wraps do no have a backing like a sparkle does.

on swirl type finishes,the color is IN the backing of the wrap.so if you took it off it would be stuck to the shell and the wrap ad it kinda looks and feels like the gray flakey material on lottery tickets.

not sure if this helps,but again,it depends on what you have and how much fading is on it that may be restored.post some pics.

Alright, here is a pic of a tom. It's basically the same thing for the rest of the drums:

[IMG]http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i117/Pike11/DSCF0340.jpg[/IMG]

You can see the color where the lugs go, and it's faded everywhere else. The whole kit is faded like this, but I would love to have that original color. Also, I haven't been able to find any wrap like this online either to re-wrap it. If someone has, I would love to know about it. Thanks again!

Pike, let's try this: before any sanding, or anything like that. Get an auto detailing brush, or something like that. Maybe a wool or cotton bonnet for your drill (if you use a drill, be very careful to use very light, almost no pressure to avoid heat build up on the wrap, it could cause it to warp). My detailer has several heads. I take the larger soft head and apply a generous coat of some spray cleaner, like 409, Simple Green, etc tp the wrap surface, taking care not to get the wood soaked, or let it run off everywhere. Spray on enough to get the first spot wet and begin a symmetrical pattern from edge to edge, using hardware holes as a guide, agian take care to not soak the wood (a little moisture will not harm them). Keep a damp towel close at hand. Also, keep plenty of charged, ready to go batteries. Go over the drum at least twice. What you seem to have is grunge build up along with only minor fade. You may well be able to bring that shine back. After you are done, you will need to "rinse" the wrap, using clean water on your towels, a couple of times over. Works many times. And if you need to go the extreme, use a cotton or wool bonnet and some Turtle Wax rubbing compound, and a comparable clean up, but I do not suggest doing this at all. It may have unintended results. There is a product called "Novus" that is a multi-step formulation, and many restoration guys here swear by it. It ain't cheap, but they say it works.

That is my favorite color wrap! I love it. These Drum Mate drums are the "budget" line from Star in the 60s. Are they 3 ply or 6 and 9 ply shells?

Novus 2 an 3. You can get it online or at the container store if you have one around. Apply and buf with a small orbital sander with a wool bonnet. I think i'm using a 5" setup. Sorry for the typos I'm using my iPad. The 3 take off some of the scratches and stuff and the 2 puts the shine on. Use a different pad for each product. Finally us a high grade wax with uv protector.

It will not totally return it to it's Original state but they will look really nice.

Hello Pike! Your wrap is called Peacock Pearl, as shown in my downloaded copy of the Star 1972 General Catalog, and was offered by what would become Tama. For everyone interested, all the catalogs can be viewed at this link, www.tamadrum.co.jp/anniversary/ The Drum Mate line was a lower priced set of drums. While others have provided information on how to possibly bring back the color, it has been my experience that, once faded, you just can't bring those colors back. A classic example would be Ludwig's Mod Orange. Originally supplied with beautiful purple highlights, UV exposure eventually turns those purples into a nice creamy color. I really believe that the same has happened to your wrap. By all means, try some of the suggestions offered up by others, but also keep in mind that if your finish is faded, which I believe it is, no amount of cleaning, rubbing or waxing will bring it back. It's still a cool finish and enjoy it for what it is. And, no, this finish is not available anywhere!

Thanks guys. I'll check out the Novus stuff when I get some time. Busy with work and stuff. The only obstacle I really have is that I have no power tools. Anyway I could do any of this buffing and stuff by hand? And thanks idrum4fun for letting me know the name of my wrap!

You might not be able to play them after doing it all by hand!