Ludwig Trans badge project

[jccabinets]

Thank y

Maybe someone more knowledgeable than myself will be able to chime in, but the first photo (gold sparkle) is from a pre-serial badge 12"x 16" tenor drum. The second photo is from my black trans badge kit. Both toms and the snare have this type of muffler. I'm not entirely sure when Ludwig switched or if they used these mufflers both at the same time.

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Thank you for pointing this out. I looked at the muffler that came with the kit and it is like the one on your beautiful trans badge kit which makes sense to me. This muffler is supposed to go on the 16" floor tom, the 13 did not have one. Since I really don't use mufflers on toms and I did recover the 16 with new veneer I have the option to use the one I have on the snare drum. I just hate to drill this drum though, I will likely use the snare without it (and not drill the 16) for awhile and see how it goes. Push comes to shove I have a muffler I can use. Thanks again!

 

[jccabinets]

Well I am close to finishing this tom. That ugly patch you see is where I had mask off the date stamp and I left a few of the glue runs from the factory. Unfortunately I have sanded away all of the original finish on the rings but I plan to spray those when I spray the top coat with clear satin lacquer.
My question is what to do with the interior mahogany wood. Looking at the 16 it appears there was never a finish on it, however there was on the rings.
What would you do? Leave the inside raw wood, oil it for preservation or spray it with the clear lacquer?
Opinions welcome.

 

[jccabinets]

By the way that black ring on the edge is the poplar ply that soaked up the paint. The only way to get that out would be to recut the edges and I'm not going down that road. I have sanded right up to the edge that contacts the head, very carefully!!!

 

[SuperDodds]

Acetone. It will help dissolve and remove any remaining paint you have on the shell that you want to remove, and it will not hurt the wood. I'm in the middle of a similar project and it has worked wonders! It's easy to use and works quickly. If you want to try is out first, use a little nail polish remover -- that's the same. If you are happy with the results, you can buy a small can of acetone from Home Depot/Lowes or other equivalent store. Great stuff!

 

[jccabinets]

Acetone. It will help dissolve and remove any remaining paint you have on the shell that you want to remove, and it will not hurt the wood. I'm in the middle of a similar project and it has worked wonders! It's easy to use and works quickly. If you want to try is out first, use a little nail polish remover -- that's the same. If you are happy with the results, you can buy a small can of acetone from Home Depot/Lowes or other equivalent store. Great stuff!

Thanks I might try that. I have used paint stripper on the edge and it took off the top layer but that poplar is stained with the paint and it's pretty deep. I'm ok with it because once heads go on it will disappear.

 

[SuperDodds]

Thanks I might try that. I have used paint stripper on the edge and it took off the top layer but that poplar is stained with the paint and it's pretty deep. I'm ok with it because once heads go on it will disappear.

Yeah, I'm not sure how easy it would be to pull that paint out of the wood fibers on the edge, but the acetone is cheap, it's easy to work with, and it will help cut down on the time it takes to remove the paint or finish. It will dissolve the plastic finish of a covered drum, so be careful there. (Like, it would have removed the paint off the floor tom, but it may have made the finish worse in a different kind of way.)

In addition to the Novus products (#3 and #2 respectively), I have had good look with 3000 grit sandpaper (wet/dry) for sanding out deep scuffs/scratches for a covered drum. As with anything, use caution and go slowly so you don't make more work for yourself in trying to repair a mistake you may have made trying to get rid of scuffs/scratches, but it works well to help get rid of the scratch. From there, Novus #2 and then buffing with some carnauba wax really helps to bring the life back to those old finishes. Alternately, I have decided I prefer Meguiar's PlastX for clear plastics. This stuff is easy to use and it works GREAT!

Check it out here: https://www.meguiars.com/automotive...ar-plastic-cleaner-polish-g12310-10-oz-liquid

One more tip, for getting rust off chrome, check out this product -- it's great!

https://quick-glo.com/

The guy that makes it has several types, but the original formula is the most useful. Here's a video where he explains what it is and how it works. I stumbled upon this by accident, and I'm so glad I did. I can't say enough great things about the product and the results!

There are a few other videos out there for this product as well, but you get it...

- Doddsy in SATX

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

My 1960 Super Classic gold transition badge had the same small knob noted in Andlours' above photo of the gold snare....I'd lightly sand the interior and hit it with a clear oil just to seal. My SC gold snare had a raw mahogany interior but if I was restoring it (it was near collector grade so left alone) I'd do that....

 

[jccabinets]

My 1960 Super Classic gold transition badge had the same small knob noted in Andlours' above photo of the gold snare....I'd lightly sand the interior and hit it with a clear oil just to seal. My SC gold snare had a raw mahogany interior but if I was restoring it (it was near collector grade so left alone) I'd do that....

The ludwig book stated that the 1960 shells were lacquer finish inside. But the 16 looks like it was always raw. I think I'm going to oil them.

 

[jccabinets]

Got the snare today! Thanks to squidart im gonna have a killer drum set. What a great guy to deal with!
Ok, so getting close to firing up the spray gun.

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

The ludwig book stated that the 1960 shells were lacquer finish inside. But the 16 looks like it was always raw. I think I'm going to oil them.

I traded the 1960 snare, but I can get you a photo - pretty sure it was not lacquered inside.

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

 

[squidart]

Got the snare today! Thanks to squidart im gonna have a killer drum set. What a great guy to deal with!
Ok, so getting close to firing up the spray gun. View attachment 472269

More than happy to be your dealer...er...um...supplier.

 

[jccabinets]

View attachment 472291 View attachment 472292

Ya looks like no lacquer to me too, nice clean shell!

 

[jccabinets]

More than happy to be your dealer...er...um...supplier.

Ha ha I love your comments! Thanks again for selling me the snare drum I really love it. I think the short re-rings are cool, never seen any that small. Im not going to drill for a muffler at this point, I was thinking one of those Remo Controlled Sound Reverse Dot Coated Snare Heads. I have one on my Camco snare and I think it will do.

 

[jccabinets]

Think I have decided to get a quart of mahogany dye and traditional mahogany stain to play around with. Hoping to spray the shells in the next couple of weeks.

 

[pedro navahas]

I think black lacquer would be the wise choice.
You do a great job on all your restorations and I think you have the skills to do the black.
Just my two cents but bring it back to an original color.

 

[jccabinets]

I think black lacquer would be the wise choice.
You do a great job on all your restorations and I think you have the skills to do the black.
Just my two cents but bring it back to an original color.

Thank you for complementing my skills! One reason to shy away from the black lacquer is I had a problem with the veneer on the 16. A day after I did the veneer I discovered an air pocket. I tried to smooth it out and did somewhat but there is some unevenness to the shell, when I rub my hand over the shell I can feel some slight bumps. I no for sure that a glossy black will show those imperfections.
So my plan with the dye and the satin finish will be the best way to go at this point. I usually do try to stick with original finish but to be honest black is not my favorite anyway. I know what I am capable of and I really think the dark mahogany finish with the satin lacquer will be very classy.

 

[jccabinets]

I used my edge sander to take the paint off the hoops but went a little to far in this one spot. So I'm on the fence over weather I should sand it all the way so the inlay groove is gone (which is what I want) or fix my mistake by re cutting the Grove. I would only be removing about 1/32" if I take it down all the way. Thoughts please!

 

[jccabinets]

So the thickness would be 1/4" if I sand away the groove. Too thin?

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

In-lay! In-lay! In-lay! I just love inlays......