Recently I purchased an unfinished Slingerland 2-to-1 shell. Made for only one year - 1979 - this snare model sported 12 lugs on top and 6 on the bottom. It was offered with a wood or brass shell.

The seller was liquidating some Slingerland gear bought years ago by Fred Gretsch. He identified this 6.5" shell as brass. It was drilled for lugs but did not have holes for a strainer, butt, or vent.

When I received the shell two things were apparent. 30 years without clearcoat or a case had not been kind to the exterior. And the shell was not brass...it was copper. A material never catalogued or advertised for the 2-to-1 drum. My best guess is that this was a prototype that was never finished. Cool.

Here's what I've learned so far:[LIST]

[*]A buffer, compound, and time produce magic.

[*]Cup washers are amazingly hard to buy by themselves.

[*]Half an inch out-of-round is no problem if the shell is soft copper.

[*]Even at its lowest setting, a Dewalt power screwdriver can strip a Slingie lug if you aren't careful.[/LIST]As received:

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3343/3603644251_5a124dcbf6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3603644255_e5139548aa.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3603644275_8791f4d91c.jpg[/IMG]

Buffed, first assembly.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3603644281_21a7200d19.jpg[/IMG]

There's still a ways to go on the refurb: a clear coat on the shell, a 12-hole sticksaver rim, and I need to figure out how to mount a strainer and butt without drilling new holes in the shell. But it is showing signs of progress.