slingerland tom project - where to start?

opentune

Platinum Member
Winter is coming. Trying to get together a 2nd vintage Slingerland kit. Got a 13 tom on ebay, pic shown. One side decent, the other not so. Some idiot painted the inside twice. It may have been un-wrapped but also appears it was maybe a natural finish. The scars I can deal with, but I need to get that surface glue/finish off first to re-stain. Just sandpaper? Or does the glue gunk up the sandpaper? Paint remover?

The goal is to re-stain and match it to the nice 16 tom (in the other pic) that I got at a pawn shop for only $50. What finish/stain would you say that 16 tom is? I'm thinking a reddish mahogany. Thanks for any info.
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I do not know what kind of stain would match the floor tom, but yesterday I had a related idea. I was given a Slingerland Spirit 1000 set. It has good Slingerland hardware but has luan shells. If I bide my time and keep searching Ebay, I can buy old Slingerland shells that are the same size and end up with a nicer set of drums.

Good luck on your project. It is a worthy endeavor. Peace and goodwill.
 
On the shells I've stained I ran into some glue spots like those and sandpaper did the job just fine. I think I wound up useing 250 grit on the toughest spots, and then really fine grit just to go over the whole shell before I stained. This looks like a great project, keep us posted!
 
The floor tom looks like mahogany on outside. Is it? Is the 13 a mahogany too? Steel wool may help with the glue, just an idea.
 
Winter is coming. Trying to get together a 2nd vintage Slingerland kit. Got a 13 tom on ebay, pic shown. One side decent, the other not so. Some idiot painted the inside twice. It may have been un-wrapped but also appears it was maybe a natural finish. The scars I can deal with, but I need to get that surface glue/finish off first to re-stain. Just sandpaper? Or does the glue gunk up the sandpaper? Paint remover?

The goal is to re-stain and match it to the nice 16 tom (in the other pic) that I got at a pawn shop for only $50. What finish/stain would you say that 16 tom is? I'm thinking a reddish mahogany. Thanks for any info.
sling7013-1.jpg

sling7013.jpg

sling197016.jpg

I would just start with sandpaper.That should get all of the glue off.I wouldn't use any solvents at all,as they may penetrate thee outer ply,which is very thin.That could cause the whole shell to unravel.

That color is what Slingerland called mahogany wood,although it's most likley a maple ply.There should be a large M or a P stamped in ink on the inside of the shell.The M indicates maple or natural wood finish,and the P would mean the shell should be wrapped in a pearl finish.
You should be able to to get a piece of clear rock maple veneer. After filling in the gouges in the shell,just wrap the shell,and stain.Just use a very thin veneer,or your heads may not fit.

I would be willing to bet that 13" tom was a wrap,and under that paint,would be a P stamp.Wrapping it with a thin veneer shouldn't be a problem,but matching the stain may be problematic,as even factory stained shell weren't always a perfect match.

Steve B
 
I would be willing to bet that 13" tom was a wrap,and under that paint,would be a P stamp.Wrapping it with a thin veneer shouldn't be a problem,but matching the stain may be problematic,as even factory stained shell weren't always a perfect match.
Steve B

I would suggest refinishing them both and staining them to match instead of trying to match an existing 30 year old stain.
 
Thanks all. Floor tom stamped M, so maple or natural wood (mahogany) finish. It looks like mahogany ply to me.
The black interior on the 13 covers any M or P label there, but it looks to me mahogany, yet somehow still seems to sand fine enough .
The scars are bad on one side, but I can live with them. I don't plan to fill them. I'm after that sound. Bearing edges and other issues seem fine. The floor is in very good condition.
I will lay off any solvents and just use steel wool or sandpaper.
It will be months before i get this finished but will post before-after pics.
 
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