mask it off 1/8 inch outside of the label and use a water based seal coat

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Jeez...your thread title is reprehensible ! ;)

You can also go buy some of that transparent stick-on paper/film (used for computer printers and copy machines, and just put it on there and burnish with a blunt edge...but the label really needs to be flat, no rippling.[/COLOR]

Thanks Cats!

Regarding water-based seal coat, any brand to recommend? My online searching seemed to only lead me to stuff for driveways - surely that's not what you mean BackBeatKeeper - Sounds like a good idea though - sort of what I was thinking.

SORRY JAYE for the scary title - Just an attention getter electricit - I shoulda said BLEACH ;)

I did some web searching, as well as VDF, and found no mention of drum label preservation - so I thought I'd rattle some interest.

Is a transparent sticky film considered OK for such a thing? It'd certainly & simply do the trick - Is it a tried & true technique by vintage Rogers drum-o-philes (and other paper label folk)?

My label is on quite nicely - a good stick at the factory. I haven't cleaned it at all yet - maybe a lightly damp cloth? Or just leave the funk of history intact - it's probably been accumulating for 40 years.

I have used Minwax products before, there 2 part wood filler is some of the best stuff out there, pricey, but good.

Try these for size: http://www.minwax.com/products/water_based_clear_protective_finishes/

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Well, they DO withstand the test of time, so....maybe leave as-is ? I dunno if a Rogers buff would get apoplexy about a coated label or not....[/COLOR]

I kinda liked the Minwax idea, but wondered about possible discoloration.

Me thinks I have a solution inspired by all of the above - sort of a "picture frame" approach using a nice piece of acetate, a bit bigger than the tag :

http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-clear-acetate-sheets/?wmcp=cj&wmcid=feeds&wmckw=55501-1101-1602&AID=10495307&PID=1609763&SID=tfc_-_11_1_090423_f357cbab71c6eed3e824950d682b6000

Then I can seal it off with duct tape around the edges.

You know I'm kidding, right?Mister T

Perhaps just some careful use of double-sided tape around the acetate perimeter - or maybe thin strips of clear packing tape.

That would work like the sticky film - but without the stickyYes Sir

And there it is ~ A classic Rogers tag, suitable for framing Walking

I do not mess with my paper tags.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]From the mouth of a true collector.

So, I dunno...maybe it would put off the value if you messed w/ it....[/COLOR]

I guess, in a fashion, that's at the crux of wanting to cover it in clear plastic (without touching it) - so that it's not messed with - mainly just a dust cover to keep the dirt & the buggies out. I have a Ludwig tag that the glue dried out and it fell right off.

- I guess I'm just being paranoid maybe....

I'd like to avoid any mishaps while working on the drum, too, it has a long way to go. Aside from the Ludwig mentioned above, the Rogers bass is the only other drum I have with a label - none on my Slingerlands, Champions or other Ludwigs do. - I think they're such cool labels - a bit of a work of art - a historical document. Group Hug