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Successfully Removing a Grommet for Reuse

Posts: 1142 Threads: 134

I'm not sure if others have tried this before, but I was able to successfully remove a badge grommet to be re-used.

It's a pretty simple idea. Last night I was removing a Gretsch SSB#1 from my bass drum. I had removed the mounted tom and floor tom badge grommets by taking a precision flat blade screwdriver and prying up the grommet "ears", but one or two of them actually broke off, which made them useless to re-install.

As I was just getting ready to follow the same method for my bass drum badge, I noticed a piece of dowel rod on my workbench. It was about the same diameter as the grommet, so I carefully inserted it into the grommet hole from the inside of the shell. Then I carefully bent the "ears" up enough to use the dowel rod to push the grommet through the hole in the shell. I didn't brake off any of the ears. The dowel rod actually helped, because I didn't bend the grommet "ears" too much to the point of breaking any off.

We'll see if I am 100% successful when I attempt to re-install the grommet. I made one of the grommet installation tools (tapered head machine bolt, nylon washer, flat washer, nut). So if I take it slow, I should be able to re-used the original grommet.

Hope this helps someone.

- Tim

Posted on 12 years ago
#1
Posts: 2241 Threads: 379

Thanks, Tim. All helpful hints are gratefully appreciated!

Brian

Just a drummer who loves all things about vintage drums! Nothing more, nothing less.
Posted on 12 years ago
#2
Posts: 1142 Threads: 134

It worked. I was able to successfully re-install the grommet. The badge sits flush with the shell and is tight. I just took my time. I left the grommet on dowel rod and sort of rocked it back and forth as I pushed it back through the hole in the shell. I removed the dowel rod, used the grommet installation tool to re-crimp the ears and the used a screwdriver and hammer to tighten the ears against the shell. Since the wrap added some thickness to the shell, the ears were a little bit shorter, but they still hold the badge. Looks as close to factory as it can be.

Hope someone else can try this to see if it's a reliable process. If so, let us know.

-Tim

Posted on 12 years ago
#3
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