On drums...

It's been some time since I've been here, but I'd like to share some work I have done on a SClassix I've been playing for some time (22, 10,12,14,16). From the moment I bought it I never liked the white oyster wrap and one night at a gig some stupid a..hole dropped a big lightstand on my 10" tom and it got a nasty scratch. I was happy I didn't bring the Tiger SQ2 that night but although I didn't like the finish, I searched the internet to get a new piece of wrap. Fooling around on the internet I came across a site which sold all kind of veneers and to my surprise I found a set of beautiful maserbirke (scandi) leaves, enough to get the whole set veneered. My favourite Sonor veneer!!
So I got enthousiastic and bought it for 28 € (!)
Here some pictures.

the set before:


a leaf of the veneer:


the naked drums:


The 10 and 12 veneered


The set veneered:


some details:






Being busy veneering I became perhaps a bit over-enthousiastic and began to look at my other drums to see which one I didn't like, since I had some veneer left. My eye fell on this 14x6.5 vintage beech SQ2 snare, like the one Benny Greb played before he got his signature model:

.

this is what I made of it. I like it better this way...







Together with his maple brother:


(By now I fixed the eyelet for the airvent and as you can see put on the dual glide snaresystem)

The only thing I still like to do on the set is to replace the rubbers on the lugs to make a real SQ2 of it, but that is only optical, it already feels like a SQ2, as it always has... The rubbers cost 0,35 € a piece, so that will be another 25€ (about 30 USD) and again a lot of work. The only difference with a SQ2 will be the TAR, but I don't hear any difference between the SClassix/Delite tomhangsystem compared to the SQ2. The Steve Smith kit also has it and I like it.
What do you think?

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SQ2Tigerwood, Steve Smith kit, SClassix scandi,Teardrop rosewood, Swinger blue ripple,snares: D505, D554, Steve Smith snares, SQ2 13x6.5 scandi, Benny Greb signature, Artist cottonwood, Lite

That looks fantastic! Congrats on a great job. Adhesive backed, contact cement, or what process?

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Gregory

Thanks Greg!! I put PVAc (polyvinylacetate) type woodglue on the shell and the veneer , let it dry about one hour. When it is completely dry the veneer is ironed, yes, with a normal iron you (or your wife) irons your shirts with, set to the highest temperature right on the shell. The glue is thermoplastic, so both layers melt together and are inseperable after that. Its the same principle the sonorshells are glued together in the factory in the heated presses.
The glue I used was a professional version I got from my brother in law who is a carpenter and makes very nice furniture. He demonstrated this trick to me.
The nice thing about ironing is that when you look the next day and you see a spot the veneer is not "seated", you take the the iron and do the spot again. After that you have to sand the veneer. I used gradations 80 till 320. After that I didn't laquer the set because I had some bad experiences with the teardrop I veneered some years ago with rosewood. I have no ways to spray it so I had to do it with a brush and how carefull you might be, the brushstrokes will always be visible and that's a pity. So I did some research on the internet and found out that a lot of guitarbuilders use hardwax oil. So I did it too and it looks good (satin). The stuff is normally used on wooden floors. Much easier to repair when the set is damaged or dirty.
Hope you understand the story above...

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SQ2Tigerwood, Steve Smith kit, SClassix scandi,Teardrop rosewood, Swinger blue ripple,snares: D505, D554, Steve Smith snares, SQ2 13x6.5 scandi, Benny Greb signature, Artist cottonwood, Lite

Sure do, Rob. In the old days, the iron was called a veneering hammer. Hide glue was used in the same way you describe. Very nice!

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Gregory

WOW - that's a fantastic job You did there, Rob

Congratulations!!!

I'm without any other words regarding this!!!

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Wow, VERY nicely done Rob! That scandi looks stunning.....much better than the original finish in my opinion!

I agree with Gunnar. Did you use any oxidation on the wood, or did the finish have a darkening effect?

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Gregory

Thanks for all the nice comments. The finish didn't have a darkening effect. I even think and expected that the set should have been a little bit darker after the finish. It looks a bit too new now. On the other hand, when I visited the factory last year the same thing came to my mind when I saw brandnew scandi shells. It will darken in time. The scandi veneer I used to do the snare was a bit darker compared to the other leaves and was more similar to the Greb snare.
What do you think? Is this still a SClassix or should I call it a SC2?

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SQ2Tigerwood, Steve Smith kit, SClassix scandi,Teardrop rosewood, Swinger blue ripple,snares: D505, D554, Steve Smith snares, SQ2 13x6.5 scandi, Benny Greb signature, Artist cottonwood, Lite

Those are gorgeous!

- D.

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SQ2Tigerwood, Steve Smith kit, SClassix scandi,Teardrop rosewood, Swinger blue ripple,snares: D505, D554, Steve Smith snares, SQ2 13x6.5 scandi, Benny Greb signature, Artist cottonwood, Lite