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Photo of an old painted beater drum
Remove all lugs, hardware, & eyelets. Although eyelets may seem troublesome to remove, we describe several different methods to increase your chances for success.
- Next, remove the old finish. This can be accomplished by working a flat-blade screwdriver between the shell and the old finish and prying up to break the old finish. After it is broken all the way across, try to peel the finish off the drum; sometimes a putty knife is very helpful (see below note). Some finishes may not come off easy (sometimes the case with older USA made drums– especially “Rogers”). If the finish is very difficult to remove, or large pieces of wood are coming off with the material, you will need to use some heat to soften the old adhesive and remove the material. The best way to remove a difficult finish is with a heat gun or a small propane torch (available at discount hardware stores for usually under $20). Heat a small section of the material, then work it off with a putty knife (approximately 3″ wide). Be very careful when doing this because some of the older finishes are very flammable. Some finishes will catch on fire immediately (especially the case with some older USA made drums). Be prepared and have a very wet cloth handy, so if it does ignite, the beginning small flame can be put out quickly.
If the material does not burn, it will melt or become soft. When the material is soft, use a putty knife to scrape/pry the heated material off the shell. Remember, just heat a small section, pry off the old material with a putty knife, then repeat heating another section. Most drums made in Asia (Japan, China, etc.) are only glued at the seam, and heat will not be needed to remove finishes from these drums. It is best to try to remove the finish from the drum(s) first (US made) to see if a heat gun is even needed.
- The next step is to prepare the shell for the new drum material. If the old material was glued on, inspect the shell to determine if the old contact cement needs to be removed. It may not be necessary to remove all the old glue/contact cement from the shell if the appearance of the glue is even and hard (like varnish on furniture). Most of the time, very little of the old contact cement will need to be removed, but if the appearance of the shell is rough due to glue (or a heavy buildup), most of it will have to be removed. And if the glue has a wet appearance or feel; it is best to remove all of it also. Old glue can be removed with paint and glue remover products found in most hardware stores.
If a glue stripper/remover is used, clean residue off (as recommended– see below) and allow shell(s) to sit bare 1-3 days, so any remaining chemicals have a chance to leave the wood.
Photo of bare drum shell
We believe it is best to sand on your shell(s) as little as possible. The more you sand, the more roundness is sanded off the shell– possibly creating areas that the material will not lay flat. Never use an electric sander to remove old glue– use glue remover products to remove old glue. After using glue removing products, clean any remaining residue with a piece of medium sandpaper in your hand. Next, use a metal straightedge to first determine if any high points are present on the shell, usually around mounting holes. If any are present, we suggest using the metal straightedge to scrape them down, so they are even with the rest of the shell. Fill all unwanted holes before applying your new wrap.
If the old material was taped on, little or no old glue will need to be removed. Fill all unwanted holes and use a metal straightedge (as described above) to determine if any high points are present on the shell (usually around the holes). Use the straightedge to scrape any high points down.
Thank you for choosing Jammin Sam’s drum wrap. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We invite you to read our Guarantee/Warrantee. We welcome your interest in all our products on this site and hope that you will call us for a free catalog and samples of our drum material. Thank you for spending the time to read this article.
