Oh yes, it has been done quite a lot of times....

All you really will have to do is:

- Make a snarebed, the shallow (2 mm is a good standard figure) indentation or dip that is located on the bottom bearing edge of the snare drum shell and centered under both the snare release and the butt plate, between two lugs.

If you don´t know what shape, search google and you will get lots of suggestions.

- Get a strainer, a butt-end and some snares in a width fitting to the tom of your choice - and mount them. Buy a new bottom hoop - or make holes for the string to the snares to pass through. Don´t forget also to buy a snare side head - this will be a lot thinner than the one already fitted to the tom.

If you also want to cut down the depth of the tom, you will have some more points to consider in order to get a professional-looking result. The vent hole must either be removed, meaning a large part of the shell to be cut off - or hidden in some way.

I, and a lot of other people, has done it to a 14x8" Premier tom.

Here is a pic of mine:

[img]http://www.gratisimage.dk/thumb-ECF2_4EA2D8D4.jpg[/img]

Other people use 13x9/10/11 or 12x8/9/10 toms as donors, often cutting them to a little under half depth, thereby eliminating the vent hole and creating a nice solution while keeping the original finish.

Here is a thread on our danish forum - in danish of course, but the pics tells the story just fine, I think.

http://www.trommeslageren.dk/forum/index.php?showtopic=65588

Good luck!

Jon

I wouldn't advise doing it. Especially if it is a thin luan shell without re-rings. These shells don't want to be cranked up that far. And if you cut some snare beds it will never sound good as a tom unless you recut the edges again. My advice would be to sell the non matching tom. I'm sure someone out there will need it.

But for this set (and the other ones I've seen) the toms don't seem to be constructed any differently from the snare, so why would cranking it tight be a big deal? (I mean, other than the fact that with really thin shells you shouldn't crank them super-tight as a rule.)

And about snare beds...fair enough, I guess that would be a permanent alteration there.

Frankly, though, I would be ok with that for these, haha - I doubt anyone will want to buy them. (I frankly, I don't know if I want to be bothered trying to sell them anyways...)

Well, my answer was more general than directly regarding your Stewart kit.

There IS work involved, and you WILL have to spend some money, som I would probably advise you to start with better shells.

THEN you can make a snare from a tom!

Regards

Jon

Sure why not. it's a great ideal , i'm doing one as we speak with a 12"x 8"

ludwig accent cs custom tom . i will send out for the snare bed's.

i will re-wrap it in green sparkle finish , and what ever snare throw off that grabs me at the time. i will change the lugs add a new die cast air vent , and die cast hoop's and pure sound wires.

one thing for sure it would be cheaper just to go buy one but that would be no fun . remember it's your shell your money have fun with it.

There we go!

OK, that's more the attitude I take towards these things, for sure.

: )

I did the tom snare conversion. I felt hesitant about it at first, but I did it anyway. I could have cut it in half and made 2 snares with a re-wrap and hole filling. But I like naked shells. Also I had this size tom in my kit already.

They are fun and make deep tone. Less lugs more funky/swampy.

However, since they are so tall, it makes it hard to use them on a gig.

You need a really low/cut off snare stand. I sit low and the kit is low.

I think 6 1/2 " is my limit now.

Lets see pics of the shells to be used. Inside shots please.

Any drum build is FUN.

SA GreenMan

Here's my Kent Popper 13x9 with brass lacquer rims and tube lugs....

Started with a Kent shell from my buddy Backbeatkeeper and went from there.

Had a blast building it, and sounds great too !!

If the Kevin's Kent & Jon's Premier don't inspire you to proceed.. nothing will..

Beautiful project outcomes, both of them, go for it..

Cheers