The refurbished shell looked great from a short distance
and matched my unaltered set of Ludwig BDP drums nicely. However,
when the light hit the shell just right, I noticed that the wrap
was covered with a network of very fine cracks. This crazing only
affected surfaces that had been varnished. The lug footprints were
not affected, which suggests that the old varnish, not the stripper,
caused the hair-like cracks. I tried rub them out--first with a
buffer and polishing compound, then with very fine (600 and 1500
grit) wet/dry sandpaper. The wrap was more resilient than I expected,
and these efforts did reduce the problem some. However, the cracks
were too deep to remove completely, and continuing tended to darken
the wrap (see sidebar). So, I stopped and gave the shell one last
rubdown with the 3M plastic polish.
I completed the restoration by waxing the wrap, polishing the hardware,
repairing a couple rub-spots on the resonant bearing edge, painting
the interior surfaces "Resocoat" white, and reassembling.
Though not 100% original, the finished drum looked great and matched
my other Ludwig BDP drums nicely.
Before attempting a similar restoration project, I suggest careful
experimentation. The varnish on my drums was incredibly tough and
thick. The offending paint or varnish on your drums, may be a different
type of product, or a thinner application, and therefore easier
to remove. Mine was a severe case that required extreme measures.
Also, remember that some yellowing is a natural condition of older
drum finishes. The amount of yellowing will vary depending on how
the drums were stored over the years. In other words, don't assault
natural yellowing with chemicals--you could ruin a valuable vintage
drum!
As described above, restorations that involve removal of paint,
varnish or other coatings can be a long and arduous process. I was
tempted to just strip this varnished-slathered tom and try to recover
my cost by selling the hardware on eBay. But, I'm glad I persevered.
It was a fun challenge that continues to pay off every time I play,
or just admire this beautiful vintage instrument.
---------------
Ken Morrison is a writer, photographer, graphic designer and vintage
drum enthusiast based in Anacortes, WA.
END
|
| Project
tom as it looked following stripping and polishing process.
The varnish on this drum was very thick, and it took a lot
of patience to get it off without damaging the BDP wrap.
Resulting tone and sheen are similar to original condition,
but not exact. The chemicals made it slightly darker in
places and in the right light, a network of fine cracks
is visible. This crazing was likely caused by the varnish,
as it did not occur where wrap was protected by lugs. |
| Finished
project tom (right, resonant side up) now matches unaltered,
13-in. by 9-in. mid-'60s Ludwig BDP tom (left). Note that
interior of project tom has been repainted to match original
Ludwig "Resocoat" white, and pink paint
has been removed from lug-mounting hardware. Though not
"collector'sgrade," restoration has yielded a
nice vintage player's drum that matches other '60s vintage
BDP toms nicely. |
|
