Drum renovation: hardware question - chrome? powder coating? paint? other?

[taikonoatama]

I've got a major renovation project on my hands with this quinto I recently got from Louisiana. Most likely it was made in the 1950's and (possibly?) sold at the Solis music shop in Havana. I've removed all the hardware and bands and did some major glueing/clamping to close the splits - so far so good.

The big quandary now is what to do with the hardware. I got rid of the rust with petroleum jelly, but the chrome is shot - looks like hell. I called around (Berkeley, California) to get a quote on re-chroming the crown and 5 side brackets (tension hooks are too far gone): crown: $200, side brackets: $35 each = $375! Ouch. Clearly not gonna happen here.

I did find tension hooks for only $6 each at rhythmtraders.com though)

So what other options are there? I'm not necessarily looking to get it back to original condition.

I once tried painting some hardware (strip, primer, good metal-specific paint, polyurethane over the top), but after a year there were a lot of chips and it didn't look so good) and i couldn't play on it with a stick.

Powder coating? I guess then the hardware would be black, a la Skin-on-Skin, but that can be a good look. That must be cheaper than chroming, right?

Also, what no one has been able to tell me is if this drum is/was of any real quality. Here I am going to all this trouble/time/expense with no real idea if this drum will be capable of sounding good enough to want to play in the end.

I should also probably get an alma put in so I can put on a reasonably thick skin without worrying about the thing going out of round or worse (the wood is about 1/2 the thickness of my JCR's).

Anyone know of anyone in the SF Bay Area who could do the alma work?

Appreciate your thoughts,

Taiko



Edited By taikonoatama on 1205896125

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[OLSONGO]

taiko, check with guitar center and order some gon bop
new side plates $7.50 a pop.
I have a 6 lug rim have to measure it, willing to let it go.
Paz OLSONGO

[fed]

I am emailing with Michel from moperc about something and he offered his side plates with hardware for $8 a piece. Just thought I'd share.

cheers

[onile]

Alafia Taikonoatama!
You may want to contact Abure Isaac on this forum, he's a sales rep for JCR Percussion. He may be able to work something out, or recommend a resource for you!
I know for a fact that he does INCREDIBLE work!

I also deal with Michel Ouellete (sp?), from MOPERC, he is a wonderful person also. Great lead Abure Fed.



Many blessings and Buena Suerte!

Onile!



Edited By onile on 1158865072

[82-1089072427]

:p



Edited By RumBa808 on 1168975349

[CongaTick]

Taiko,

Looks like a gem of an oldie. If it were mine, among the modifications, would be raising the lug plates so that you could raise the placement of the head hoop. Current space from edge of head to hoop seems a bit excessive, but may be a matter of mounting taste. Personally, I don't like more than about an inch there. I feel it allows for more tensioning of the head with the shorter space. The more skin requires more work to acquire the right tension by the lug nuts. Just my 2 pieces. Good luck to someone devoted to restoring a piece that's probably seen some great rumbas in its day. By the way, for the alma, try an autoor motorcycle repair shop buddy who has access to steel stock and a welding torch.

[CongaTick]

And by the way, Brother Isaac at JCR is a monster professional resource. Do not hesitate to contact him.

[taikonoatama]

The spacing between the side brackets and the crown is really OK. It looks wrong because the tension hooks are really short - like 2 inches shorter than usual - and so they had to pull the skin way down to be able to use them. Plus the wide angle shot might distort things.

Thanks for the Isaac tip - I bought my JCR's through him - great guy. He and Cali and the boys at JCR might be able to help me out here.



Edited By taikonoatama on 1158873502

[CongaTick]

Got it. Very cool project. Please keep us updated. Got a feelin' that when you're finally done this one will have a place of honor and respect in your setup.

[taikonoatama]

Update:

Finished sanding and stained it today - very pleased with the look. I took it into a lumbershop here in Berkeley (that carries, literally, over a hundred kinds of wood) and asked them if they knew what it might be made of and they really couldn't say. Went with an oak stain and it seems to have worked well with whatever this wood is (you can see there are two types, alternating). That sheen is just from a whole lot of elbow grease with the sandpaper - I'm pretty sure I'm going to put on some polyurathane to protect it from scratches and the like.

The metal bands are for show only on this drum - aluminum, done in the same style as Gon Bops later used, as opposed to real structural bands, like with JCR's or Jay's drums. They cleaned up nicely with some metal polish and are all in good shape to put back on.

So I'm still in a quandary about the hardware. I'd really like to go with the original hardware (though the tension hooks were shot and I ordered new ones from Rhythm Traders in Portland). Rechroming is just crazy expensive. I asked Isaac if JCR has any good contacts for chroming and they might but he says it's still really expensive and it's going to be awhile before they send any stuff in for chroming, so that doesn't look like a good option. I have a old early 70's Gon Bops requinto that I could strip for the hardware, but that would be stupid. I might have to explore having the hardware powder coated. Ugh.

I was also thinking of having an alma put in so I could put on a thicker skin (the wood on this is only 1/2 as thick as any other conga you've probably seen). I believe it was Dario who said this thinner wood was the way it was done in Cuba back in the day. Haven't been able to find anyone in the SF Bay Area who can do the alma work, so I might need to ship it back east to have it done right. I've heard that if it's done by someone who really doesn't know the ins-and-outs, it can end up ringy.

I may go with a thinner skin and skip the alma for now, and just be real careful to detune. Also on closer inspection the hardware doesn't look to be welded - just riveted/hammered, and I'm a little worried it couldn't handle the added strain of a cranked-up thicker skin. Anyone have a take on this?

Thanks for all who have sent their advice!

Taiko



Edited By taikonoatama on 1159164257

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[Isaac]

Hi Taiknoatama, I'll answer you privately.... Check out >

Isaac's Guide to buying vintage congas & bongos on ebay: ( from Oct 05)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://reviews.ebay.com/Vintage....0025507

I wrote this last year. Perhaps it needs updating, let me know what you think.
It's been viewed over 2800 times... so congaboard members, we're
not alone in finding some great old instruments.

~ ISAAC ~
funkytradition@yahoo.com

[KKonga]

Taiko,
Looks like a nice project you have going on. I am looking for someone to do drum repair in the Bay area. Do you know of anyone?
I have a cracked Valje I want to get repaired properly. It cracked during shipping and I'm wanting to get it done right.
Thanks,
KK

[taikonoatama]

I am looking for someone to do drum repair in the Bay area. Do you know of anyone?
I have a cracked Valje I want to get repaired properly. It cracked during shipping and I'm wanting to get it done right.
Thanks,
KK

I'm afraid I do not know of anyone in the SF Bay Area to do this type of work in a professional way - I wish I did. You'd think there would be somebody, though. You're probably already aware that Valje founder Tom Flores' son, Ralph, makes and repairs drums in his father's Valje tradition:
http://www.resolutiondrums.com/

JCR in NYC does excellent repair work. Isaac, on this site, is a rep and could help you out. Could take awhile depending on how busy they are.

Matthew Smith in PA is another good option, but, of course, with all of these you'd have to pay for 2-way shipping.

I am stricly amateur at this point with the repair work myself and still have much to learn.

[KKonga]

Thanks Taiko,
I'll check with Ralph Flores. I would do the repair myself but with the Valje I want it done to profection. I am trying to avoid shipping since that was the cause of the problem.
Keep us posted on the progress of your project.
Thanks,
KK

[taikonoatama]

I never posted the final pics of this project, so I'm doing so here for completion's sake.

Gave up on the idea of getting the hardware rechromed due to the expense, but I kind of like the look as is.

I should say final except for those damn lugs being too long (they're (modern) standard length). Need to look into how I might cut them down and still be able to get a nut on - probably need to retap them or something, at the bottoms. Anyone have any advice on this front?

I wasn't actually happy with the way the finish came out after I did it originally with polyurethane satin spray - looked cheap and fake. Stripped the whole thing again and started over, this time with 100% tung oil. Man, that is some sweet stuff, though 7 coats with 3 days drying between each does take some time. Just glows, though.

Took the drum to a wood specialist and confirmed that it is indeed oak. It looked like oak, but the alternating dark and light staves, and the somewhat softish nature of the wood when sanding it threw me off and I was never quite sure. Just two kinds of oak, or at least two colors or grain types.

Put on a medium-thick Stern Tanning steer skin.

Oh, and the sound? Like a wooden cannon. Ridiculous.

James



Edited By taikonoatama on 1205936751

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