Looks good,

I would have paid $200 for all the cymbals alone...

Clean these up & reskin...& you'l have yrself a decent $500 kit with good cymbals.

Yeaaa. A good score? Few and far between in my life. Just look at my stock picks. I love to buy high and sell low. Yep that's my motto. Laughing H

JCCABINETS- I have a box with the Tom rims and all of the hardware. Well, all the hardware is up for debate until I really go through the mystery box and do some counting. He threw in some used heads and plenty of beat up sticks and even a kick drum head with, what looks like minor use and another kick pedal.

My next step should be:?

A) clean the outside of the drums with a damp cloth with mild cleaner of some sort?

B) remove and disassemble all of the hardware for cleaning and waxing including all threads? Just how far should I disassemble?

C) when I go to re-assemble should I put on new heads as a matter of course?

D) if new heads then what kind should I purchase to retain the nice deep tone that it currently has? What about bottom heads? Needed? Or no.

E) should all of the hardware, including the bottom rims, be installed? Got any guess why they were removed in the first place

MY NEXT STEP SHOULD BE:? Lots of forum participation here!

6 questions. Answer 1 or answer 6 (plus side questions) or just read and move on. Remember, it's your life! Enjoy it as you see fit.

Clapping Happy2

THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYBODY WHO HAS READ THIS AND THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO ANSWER!

You got it. Answers are in your text.

Thank you Multijd!

Cool1

Check your bearing edges (where the head makes contact with the drum shell) to make sure they are not chipped or dented.

Another big welcome to the forum, and thanks for sharing. You got some good advice from Multijd. At a minimum, you're going to want new heads on that set and also clean and lube all moving parts so that they function properly. Visual appeal may be secondary to you if you're just using these for recording, but taking the time to soak rusty chrome pieces in a solution of Dawn detergent overnight will yield surprising results (still don't know why Dawn has this property). There are many other commercial rust removers and cleaners available at any hardware store, but again, if the set is not going to be on stage somewhere, just use the household products you already have to make it's appearance presentable.

Your drums were Ludwig's entry-level model (think Fender Squire), but that in no way implies you can't get a great sound out of them. Let us know how it goes. Oh... and great cymbals!

Mike

Cymbals alone are worth that much.. Good deal you got there..The drums are the bonus. As for cleaning them up, when i do restoration, I've used (very gently) SOS pads for tom rims.. For lugs, tension rods, t-rods, washers, and all other metal parts, etc, i use mineral water mixed in with red wine or white vinegar left to soak overnight. The next day you'll see all the dirt, grime, rust, calcium and lime deposits all at the bottom of your container, and your metal parts shiney and new. Afterwards, a nice thorough cleansing with regular dish soap, sponge, and rinse with warm water. Place all parts on a cloth or towel, and blow dry to get in every crevasse and space where q-tips can't reach. Finally, a good wipe down with a dry, soft and clean cloth, and you're done.

One thing to make sure is that your lug screw inserts (where the screws go in and attach the lug to the shell) aren't chipped or cracked.. The Rocker /Standard lugs are infamous for snapping and cracking once moisture or any other corrosion sets in, so be very careful when cleaning them and dry quickly ! Jig-a-loo synthetic silicone based lubricant for all parts to move like new is what you'll need as well. You'll have a very clean and very nice sounding drum kit..

This thread is just proof of the quality of this forum. The high level of contributors and answer folk here blend knowledge with kindness and a nice welcome feeling. Thank you. Cool1

I have learned so much within an economy of reply words. Great percentage of knowledge to friendliness.

I have worked with the restoration of guitars (very small plated filthy hardware) and restoring vintage Harley Davidson's (GREASE AND OIL-lots of small plated parts) Here are two ways I have found to clean stuff.

For the smallest of parts, to what will fit in comfortably, I use a vibratory cleaner. Anyone who reloads cartridges will have one of these. A large plastic bowl, with a lid, sits on top of a stand with a motor inside and a off center connection to the bowl. You place parts inside of the bowl. Fill it up with walnut shells. (ground) Add some cleaner product. Turn it on and walk away, use a timer if you prefer. The next day everything will be polished great including every small nook and cranny.

The next one I have to try: WARNING: NO EXPERIENCE HERE!

You take Simple Green and mix 25% SG to 75% water. Carefully HEAT the mixture till it gets to 125 degrees F. Soak pieces in the mixture or shower them and oil and grease are supposed to just fall off. It has to retain the same temperature to work. Ill try it.

1) The cymbals. Brass, right? I know that that question to most of the readers here brings a moan of, "Oh no, not that question again!" Dumb is as dumb is.

2) Should I wash the cymbals first with a plastic bristle scrub brush?

3) I have a commercial buffing wheel. Buff with the cymbals grooves not across? What buffing compound? Rouge or stronger?

D' Drummer Every day I get stronger! Thank you.

Some guys do not recommend cleaning cymbals, they like the patina. I like the patina also but to a certain degree. Very dirty/grungy cymbals should be cleaned in my opinion. They do make specific products for cymbals that I assume are safe but I dont see why any good product that works on brass shouldnt do the trick. You could always try dish soap and water using a soft brush, working in circles just to get rid of the grime, then maybe some of the patina will be saved.

The majority of decent cymbals are bronze. Brass is usually found in entry level cymbals. Bronze is copper and tin. Brass is copper and zinc. Both have differing mixes and also other metals added. Nickel silver (copper, nickel and zinc) was also used for some time in entry to mid level cymbals. I think nobody uses nickel silver anymore.

Cleaning: jccabinets said it well.

I think most of the products used for cleaning cymbals and brass/bronze are slightly acidic. It 'bites' into the copper and removes the top layer of oxidized material. You will find people on youtube cleaning their cymbals with ketchup because of the acid content. Unless a cymbal has goo on it I pass on cleaning.