Congrats on the new kit, Doug. My favorite Ludwig wraps are on the Standards. You might get some better answers if you post pics of the problems. Sometimes doing nothing is best.

Also, I've soaked rusty bolts, screws, washers, etc in vinegar and it's worked very well. I put them in a capped container filled with vinegar; I'd shake the container once in awhile to speed the process of removing the rust. I've never had to replace screws/washers due to rust.

The strata wraps are thinner than standard drum wrap and also the material tends to get pretty brittle with age so I'd be very careful about what I tried for refurbing it. I think wet sanding would be a last resort. Maybe try rubbing compound or Novus 2 or 3 first.

Thanks Mo! I'll give that vinegar a go.

Maybe try rubbing compound or Novus 2 or 3 first.

K.O. is this stuff available at an auto part's store or elsewhere?

Thanks fellas.

-Doug

Glad you picked up the set. I posted it and wanted to get it but the wife would have killed me. Novus is available on Amazon. I have cleaned about 10 snares with the little 3-pack of the 1-3 levels so you should be good with that. I swear by it. I would also use a Carerra wax them afterwards. I agree on the vinegar approach to remove the rust. CLR also works fantastic and is really fast. I would then use Mothers Mag Polish on them then some car wax to keep them protected. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and replace them. I agree with the gurus. Sanding is the very last resort.

For the interiors, I have seen apost here on the forum about the proper paints to use to refinish the interiors, maybe one of the gurus can help there.

I also use the Mothers on the lugs and tension rods followed by a wax. They typically come out fantastic ! Good luck and post some pics when your done.

I use vinegar and mineral spirits to remove rust.. It works faster and you can leave it on longer than plain vinegar..

If the reso coat is the speckled greyish-brown interior called Ludcoat, don't worry about it..Although you have water damage, that stuff is pretty strong and can be cleaned with just about any household cleaner. Magic eraser sponge, some warm water, and dish soap should do be fine.

Yes, post pictures of the bass drum's damaged bearing edge.

For nicks and gouges, I would not use the standard wood filler made by Elmer's or whoever. While it might be okay for the surface of shells, I just don't believe that it has enough strength to last on a bearing edge.

What I use is KwikWood stick epoxy. Mix up a ball of it and put pieces in the gouges, then sand smooth until the filled areas match the undamaged areas. If you've done any filling of nicks and gouges in wood before, you should be able to handle this yourself.

A full restoration of bearing edges on a vintage kit is not a job for a newbie. I did my Slingerlands, but I practiced on many a Taiwanese lauan drum first.

The reso side on a bass drum is probably the least critical bearing edge on a drum kit, due to the lower head tension, so it will likely be fine if you just fill it and sand it smooth.

If there is any ply separation due to the moisture, you should reglue that before doing anything else to the edge, and we can give advice as to how to proceed with that. It's not hard at all.

I, too, love the Ludwig Standard wraps, and the lugs as well. I have a Rocker II snare that is one of my faves, and I plan to take the hideous scratched up chrome mylar wrap off and replace it with blue oyster.

Again, thanks for all the replies so far. Just ordered some Novus, so we'll see how that goes. I'll report back with pictures soon.

-Doug

I'll second CLR for all the metal parts. Soak them overnight, wash in hot water and dry. Then wax with a hard carnauba wax. I like one grand blitz wax. Avoid silicone containing anything while working with wood.

Soak all the screws, washers, lugs and tension rods. Avoid steel wool too.

Here are some pics of the bass drum, the drum that needs the most work.