I'm planning on re-wrapping my Ludwig kit, seeing as it's already been re-wrapped and the wraps under those don't match anyway. Thing is, we have a powder coating plant in our work and we can do some quite nifty special lacquered textured finishes. I was just wondering if anyone had tried this sort of thing on thin aluminium to wrap a drum, or if there was any reason not to try it?!
Here's a link to the powder range I was looking at:
Would the coating be flexible enough to handle the bend/radius if applied to a flat surface then attached to a curved surface? Probably less important on the big drums maybe more so on the smaller drums?
Regardless, it's an interesting idea.
We can roll them before powder coating, so that they are the same shape and size as required, just with a bit of extra length at the sides to hold the material up for coating which can be trimmed off afterwards to suit the drum depth.
I've never actually handled a bit of Delmar or whatever wrap to know how pliable it is versus the thinnest aluminium.
Basically I think we could do it easily enough, it's more a matter of will it negatively affect the sound of the drums. I've got it in my head that the sound of the drums comes mainly from the inside area of the drum, the heads and the bearing edges?
i think if you made sure the aluminum was glued securely(therefore permanently, so make sure you like the idea first!) it would transfer energy at least as good as the wood. i wouldnt think it would take anything away.. are they 3-ply or 6? also, those colors are SWEET!
dude that barium would look awesome! i assume it would be extremely durable also
I think I would practice on an old shell of little worth first.
It's a 3 ply kit I believe.
Kevins - I thought of buying a 'disposable' drum to practice on. Did you mean to see if it affects the sound, or just to do a trial run at applying it? I was thinking I could do a trial run just applying a bit to one of the big wooden cable drum things in the factory actually. We make all manner of bespoke signs, many of which are curved to accurate shapes etc so I don't see the fit and curve of it being an issue.
if you did on on a firewood drum shell, i would be curious to see if it actually increased the resonance and response..
The only problem with aluminum is that it's very soft and dents easily.
Do you mean denting from general knock aboutness, things banging into it, falling on it etc, or from the perspective of the fixings and lugs maybe putting a dent in it when tightened?
The kit is going to be set up fairly permanently in a home studio from now on (out to pasture!).
I could do a test for the other thing on a bit of ally.
So, I take it nobody here has tried this before then?!
