On bearing edges and mesh heads...

Band is on hiatus, so my drum kit is coming home. The problem is, everyone in a two block radius of my house hates my guts when I play drums. I decided that this time I'm going to take preemptive action by making mesh drumheads out of heavy duty window screen.

Getting to the point, I'm worried about my bearing edges in this situation. I don't want to ultra-coarse screen to leave any indents. I already tried foam, and it was too unwieldy and thick. My next idea was some felt, but I had another thought. Would duct tape, stuck to the inside of the mesh where contact is made with the bearing edge, work? Or should I stick with felt?

how about an old head with he majority of the center cut out, fit it under the mesh head to keep the mesh from making contact with the bearing edge.

I would if I could, but most of my old heads were used to make these mesh ones. I know that most people use painters tape on their bearing edges to protect them, and I think thats a great idea. But because I'm using such thick mesh, I'm not sure painters tape will cut it. I'm learning towards duck tape, but still undecided. I think felt will really kill the sound, more than nessacary. I still want to be able to hear the reso vibrate.

Mesh heads are made out of nylon or other synthetics and are soft enough that they give before the wood of the bearing edge does. They're specifically made for the application. Window screens are made to different specifications. The softer ones will not hold up to a drumstick impact; the stiffer ones are often made of metal. Using screens for windows could damage your drums and/or give out in the middle of playing.

Pearl's version of mesh heads are currently selling for between $5.49 (for a 10" head) and $16 (for a bass drum head). This is comparable in price to a window screen (a 10x30" screen is seen on Amazon for $5.49). So I would really recommend buying what is specifically made for your drums in this instance.

yeah their pretty cheap, i bought a set of the pearl mesh heads 8",10", 12", 2 x 14", 16", 22" for $55 shipped.

i would go that route if you can......

It's not feasable for me to order the pearl heads. Also, with the way I hit, they would last a few hours. I decided to use duck tape on the inside of the mesh head to protect the bearing edges, and it works fine. I can forsee my homemade heads lasting six months, and being considerably cheaper than pearl heads. I'll be posting pics soon, if anyone wants to check them out.

Also mesh heads are usually formed from nylon or fiberglass, and so that is what I chose to make my homeade ones from. It's not like I used metal screening on my drums. This stuff isn't far off from what pearl heads are made of, other than this look considerably more durable.

Russian Drummer said:

Getting to the point, I'm worried about my bearing edges in this situation. I don't want to ultra-coarse screen to leave any indents. I already tried foam, and it was too unwieldy and thick. My next idea was some felt, but I had another thought. Would duct tape, stuck to the inside of the mesh where contact is made with the bearing edge, work? Or should I stick with felt?

Click to expand...

Tape is going to get messy after a few long beatings, I would suggest aluminum foil. The thinner aluminum foil should be folded twice for more thickness.

Also all you meshers using felt beaters, aluminum foil works great, again fold the thin stuff one time.