Pounder, I like your idea with the 18 incher, but I can't give up that easily on the BD. I want to clean it up, put on new heads and see how it sounds. I've wanted a 22" BD for a long time and this would just be a "player" piece for me. I'll post some pics when I get everything cleaned up.

JR - Thanks for the plug info. That would be a good route, if I were to refinish the entire drum.....I think. For playing purposes, I could just install some hardware (perhaps with soft washers to protect the wood) to plug the holes.

B

Would re-installing the tom mount in the repaired area pose a stability problem due to the repair?

If so, maybe flip her over.... use hoop mounted legs, maybe some carriage bolts to mellow the appearance of the leg mount area ?

Just speculating here.... a real bummer to even have to discuss this.

What are people thinking??.............DOH

I would try to cut a square/rectangular piece of 1/4" plywood (say, something around 4" X 6" or 5" X 7" approx.), drill it corresponding to the original holes and then mount it on the inside of the shell -kind of like a wooden "washer" and then assemble as you normally would do. That would beef up the stress point area. I think 1/4" plywood would be flexible enough to conform to the curve of the shell.

This way the badly chewed up areas are kind of sandwiched between the metal mount on the top of the shell and the plywood piece on the interior. You could even paint the plywood piece with an appropriate color to make it blend in better with the interior of the shell more.

I dunno...just a thought.:confused:

duh....I should really read through ALL the posts before I post. DOH!!!

:)

I did something like that to reinforce a bass drum shell where the spur had been completely punched through the hole -- see the attached pic.

But instead of using flat plywood, I'd recommend getting a piece of shell scrap in a size that matches your drum. That way, you'll have a strong piece of wood that's already curved to fit. I picked up a few pieces of shell scrap from Drum Foundry. (They'll include some scrap free with any order.)

That's exactly what I was picturing in my head. Excellent post! Thanks for sharing that!!

Lot's of ideas, info and suggestions. The BD leg repair looks robust. Nice work. We'll see how this plays out. Maybe I'll just get a stand for the toms, install the mount and go from there.

Thank you for your input, guys.

B

Square badge Gretsch is the worst era quality wise, and 18" floor tom conversions are very common. If I had a choice between a 18" converted Gretsch floor tom as a bass or a 22"--even a non-butchered one--it would be a no-brainer for me.. But I've got a friend who lives nearby who actually has a square badge walnut Gretsch set, who did convert an 18" floor tom, and he's got the 22" which is used regularly on Rock gigs, and that 18" bass is killer. So even if you do keep your bass drum, FWIW.. etc..

Would consider selling the 5x14 snare?

If so, please send me an email at: [email][email protected][/email]

Thanks,

Greg

Greg, I'm in the process of making the snare 100%, again. Previous owner ruined a lug (ran a wrong-threaded, way too long T-rod up into the nut and rounded out the stops in the lug) and it has the wrong snare wires. I just received a period-correct batter die-cast hoop for it. Heads are on the way and will see how it sounds, before I make a sales decision. I'll let you know.

Thanks for your interest.

B