I was just wondering about this myself. ;)

For example, the 50's Gretsch Renown snares could be ordered as stained Mahogany. Does that mean the 3 ply shells were covered with a 4th ply of Mahogany veneer making then actually 4 ply shells. I have a 50's Gretsch snare and looks like 3 very thin ply sections (light/dark/light) and then a thicker Mahogany (dark stained) on the outside.

Thanks for posting this question, tnsquint.

-Tim

Scott - I'd have to measure to be sure, but... it seems to me the best way to accomplish the larger outside diameter of a stained or painted shell would be to use -thicker plies- to construct any shells destined for paint or stain.

I do not know... but that's my 'best guess' as to how it is accomplished. It's all in the lay-up! And yes, there -had to be- more than one shell mold being used. Two different outside diameters, calls for two different molds. Maybe it's as simple as that, all lay-ups were the same, only the molds they used varied.

John

I just cannot imagine it would have been cost effective to have a second set of molds for all those shells as well as the associated square footage required for that. That does fly in the face of painted shells being cheaper to produce if you had to work in the ROI of extra molds and floor space.

I don't know entirely understand how molds work but is it possible the interior diameter was somewhat adjustable?

I agree with Purdie, and I have read this before, Thicker and higher quality outer ply..

I believe that the "P" and "M" stamp was to ensure no accidental wrapping took place down the production line.

Cheers

I am betting on a thicker, higher grade outer ply, and the molds could only assert pressure to the thickness of the plys. In other words, the molds could only push in so far until the thickness of the shell held against it.

That would make -all- the shells the same outside diameter. That's not the case. The shells that are meant to be painted have a larger outside diameter than ones meant to be wrapped. My money is on two molds, one slightly larger than the other, but using the same lay-up for all shells. Just makes sense...

This is a great question by the way!

Hold it... wait a minute man, didn't Ludwig put the wrap on the sheets -before- bending them into shells? If so, that explains everything! The wrap is already there when bent, but the bare shells will have the same outside diameter as a wrapped shell by putting them both through the same mold!!!! Take the wrap off of the shell and you'll have a shell that is smaller - by the thickness of the wrap.

Mystery solved!

John

Yup, the wrap went on before the shell was bent so a wrapped shell and an unwrapped shell destined for paint would both end up with the same outside diameter (including the wrap on the wrapped shells) since they were molded to the inside of a mold. So when you add a layer of wrap to a painted shell it's the same as adding another layer of wrap on top of a wrapped drum.

So you are saying that the molds apply pressure from the center out. That actually makes sense mechanically and would be easier to construct. For whatever reason I assumed molds pressed from the outside in.

So......Slingerland put the wrap on first, before forming the shell, too?