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drongo
Excellent Contributer
United Kingdom
235 Posts |
 Posted - 22/08/2012 : 08:38:10
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What are the best techniques for
- removing dents
- cleaning off dirty stick marks
- cleaning gaffa tape residue
- and generally cleaning up and restoring old worn drum heads to look like new?
Thank you. |
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martydrums
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
6144 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 08:49:44
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| Only method I am aware of is to buy new heads. |
Official Sugar Daddy of the forum's Sonor Delite appreciation society, as nominated by Jamoca - Honorary President Paul Brook
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drongo
Excellent Contributer
United Kingdom
235 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 08:52:46
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Thanks.
My question is about restoring old heads rather than buying new ones.
Anybody have tips on restoring old heads: removing dents, cleaning dirty stick marks, gaffa tape residue off old heads?
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Captain Bubble
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
14638 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 09:07:49
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You cannot really restore old heads, you can clean them with Swarfega, Vinegar, Peanut Butter (yup, thanks Jamoca!) or even Duraglit/Brasso wadding to remove tape gunge and marks. Dents are just there and by being there have changed the physical and tonal behaviour of the head (some like them like that).
A heat gun can reduce dents and restore the head to some sort of flatness, but this must be done VERY carefully indeed, starting at lowest heat and gradually building up the heat until the plastic starts softening. Keep the gun at a very consistent height and moving across the whole surface of the head at a very consistent rate. DO NOT RUSH IT! Always watch the head at a very shallow angle looking into the light so that you can see reflections of the light and thus the slightest movement of the plastic as it starts to soften and tighten up. The difference between this and melting a hole in the head is minimal so you have to be very careful. Get the whole head gradually up to temp over a couple of minutes, watch like a hawk for the first signs of movement and shrinkage.
This will probably not get rid of most dents completely and it will NOT restore the sound of the head to as it was when new: they are tired heads and you might be able to clean and flatten them a bit, but they will still be tired heads and need to be replaced. Tired heads have a nasty habit of breaking at exactly the worst time. |
Marcus de Mowbray
www.330studios.co.uk/marcus |
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delboydrums
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
300 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 10:24:26
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A scrub with white spirit cleans up marked old heads (including tape residue).
Nail varnish remover will remove real bad marks(and brand logos!) but be careful because it can damage some heads. |
XPK in WMP
Zildjians |
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mully
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
23896 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 11:04:55
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quote:
Originally posted by drongo
Thanks.
My question is about restoring old heads rather than buying new ones.
Anybody have tips on restoring old heads: removing dents, cleaning dirty stick marks, gaffa tape residue off old heads?
Coated heads, smooth white heads, clear heads....which?
Gaffa tape residue can be removed from smooth heads using cooking oil. No, really.
Dents...what the good Captain said, but honestly, it's a waste of time and chances are you'll do more damage than is already done. If the head is badly dented, then the head is dead. If you take the head off and it's like a shallow bowl in the middle, then the head is dead. Head packs can be picked up pretty cheaply. You'll never clean up and restore old worn drum heads to look (and more importantly, PLAY) like new.
Stephen |
MD Fount of All Wisdom for Life and Extraordinary Amusement Officer of the forum's Sonor Delite Appreciation Society.
"Jayz mully, you're like the Django of the internet!" - scottser on the Drumming Ireland forum |
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mcghee
New Contributer
United Kingdom
31 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 11:26:37
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| Duraglit/Brasso will clean off gaffa and stick msrks on clear heads! use pinstripes then when they turn cloudy carefully cut the top skin off and use the bottom skin as a reso diplomat and the top ring as an O ring. ;-) |
Lamb Madras, Pilaw Rice & a Keema Nan... Oh! and a 70's Walnut Gretsch, Alessis DM10, Sabian AAX Cymbals, Duallist pedals & Pearl 1000 Hardware. |
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FenTiger
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
5556 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 11:40:34
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| When I was young I was taught by a dance band drummer who cleaned his heads with Vim. He used them on his cymbals too! |
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Prog
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
21179 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 12:36:42
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| Trying to restoring used drum heads is like trying to restore used sandpaper. |
Funktion Junction, coming soon to a holiday park near you - http://www.funktionjunctionband.com |
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drongo
Excellent Contributer
United Kingdom
235 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 13:29:36
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Brilliant - thanks so much. Lots of tips.
Very often when buying second hand drums they come with old dirty heads that I always feel have lots of playing life left in them, but they need to be cleaned up to be stage-ready. |
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martydrums
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
6144 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 15:04:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Prog
Trying to restoring used drum heads is like trying to restore used sandpaper.
Truth! |
Official Sugar Daddy of the forum's Sonor Delite appreciation society, as nominated by Jamoca - Honorary President Paul Brook
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Captain Bubble
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
14638 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 15:25:54
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quote:
Originally posted by martydrums
quote:
Originally posted by Prog
Trying to restoring used drum heads is like trying to restore used sandpaper.
Truth!
Pedant Alert! Axminster sell blocks of sand paper restorer! Well, for Sanding Machine belts and discs. It de-clogs rather than restoring sharpness, but could not resist! |
Marcus de Mowbray
www.330studios.co.uk/marcus |
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jon kelly
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
474 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 20:22:36
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Best just change em mate.quote:
Originally posted by drongo
What are the best techniques for
- removing dents
- cleaning off dirty stick marks
- cleaning gaffa tape residue
- and generally cleaning up and restoring old worn drum heads to look like new?
Thank you.
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Sharklaar
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
1840 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 20:39:09
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I can understand removing gaffer tape residue and cleaning crap off heads, but surely if you've got a head full of dents, why would you want to restore it? It's never going to sound any good and you'll put it through sooner or later, probably at the most inappropriate moment imaginable.
I used to put loads of dents in my heads. Then as I was replacing yet another set of heads and running out of beer money *again* I thought, "hang on, how about I learn better technique...." and I haven't put a dent in a head for a couple of years since. |
http://www.blackhawkdown.org.uk |
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Prog
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
21179 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2012 : 20:53:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Captain Bubble
Pedant Alert! Axminster sell blocks of sand paper restorer! Well, for Sanding Machine belts and discs. It de-clogs rather than restoring sharpness, but could not resist!
Trust you! |
Funktion Junction, coming soon to a holiday park near you - http://www.funktionjunctionband.com |
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Captain Bubble
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
14638 Posts |
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martydrums
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
6144 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2012 : 09:02:50
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| I bet the restored sand paper does not sound anything like as good as new sandpaper though! |
Official Sugar Daddy of the forum's Sonor Delite appreciation society, as nominated by Jamoca - Honorary President Paul Brook
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mattkickkick
Excellent Contributer
193 Posts |
Posted - 27/08/2012 : 21:10:04
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| ive used cream cleaner on my coated heads before and they look a dream afterwards !!! |
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