Anyone use nail polish on wood stick tips? (Clear)

Thought of that idea too for the tips and the shoulder/taper section... to prevent the "sawdusting" and wear on the stick. Gotta try it soon...
 
How much of it will end up in the grooves on the cymbals?? It wears off of finger nails.
 
Yes. That is what makes most of the stick marks on the cymbals. When it is gone then the wood starts to leave marks.
 
Let us know how your sticks are holding up to this method in a week or two. Personally, I think the polish will crack and wear after a few solid hat or cymbal strikes anyway....thus making it about as effective as the lacquer that's on your sticks in the first place.

But I haven't tried it and will be interested to see what your thoughts are with a bit of time trying this out.
 
Nope. Only on toenails :)

It depends on how much of the polish is aborbed into the wood. Without a fair bit of absorption it would chip off pretty easily. As GD said there will be some residue left on heads and cymbals although I don't know if it's significant.
 
i've done this for my jazz performing sticks for about two or three years now. I've noticed little tone difference in the cymbals although a glancing blow on the toms doesn't rebound as well. Each time i applied multiple coats and let them dry.

I have found that sticks don't chip as fast. But that could just be because i'm watching for chipping.
George
 
I put clear polish on my wood tips. They don't chip as quickly. Of course, I could stop playing my ride cymbal like a floor tom but that's a discussion for another thread. :)
 
Hey Crew,

Good--another post that makes me feel less weird for experimenting around with my drum stuff. (from a General Contractor's POV)

I usually use nylon tipped sticks, but there's something to be said about the sound of wood tips on drums and cymbals. That said-- hear me out, as I've done modern to antique furniture building and restoration, have (literally) laid, stained, and finished over 1/5 of a square mile of hardwood flooring in my lifetime.

Someone's gonna owe me a cold beer after this...!

OK, on hardwood floors, I use polyurethane, urethane, or (best choice) Low VOC Varathane (for extreme/commercial/etc., application), built up in 2-5 coats, light sanding in between coats.
Its WAY harder than clear nail polish (which is usually acrylic, at best) and can be artificially cured, as in heat lamp or blow dryer. Buy a quart of Minwax, Spar, or similar grade at Home Depot, build up 2-5 THIN, (repeat- THIN) coats (light sanding and heat applied between coats), see how good that works, and then buy me a beer!

I suggest you use "flat" or "satin" finish--"gloss" finish is usually denser, may chip/spall if applied too heavy, and using the flat on the WHOLE drum stick may increase grip, as well as strength.

Cheers,
C. P.
 
I usually use nylon tipped sticks, but there's something to be said about the sound of wood tips on drums and cymbals.

Not to hijack the thread, but I've never been able to hear a difference on drums. My ride, sure, but luckily for me, I like that sound, so I've always used nylon tips.
 
Hey Crew,

Good--another post that makes me feel less weird for experimenting around with my drum stuff. (from a General Contractor's POV)

I usually use nylon tipped sticks, but there's something to be said about the sound of wood tips on drums and cymbals. That said-- hear me out, as I've done modern to antique furniture building and restoration, have (literally) laid, stained, and finished over 1/5 of a square mile of hardwood flooring in my lifetime.

Someone's gonna owe me a cold beer after this...!

OK, on hardwood floors, I use polyurethane, urethane, or (best choice) Low VOC Varathane (for extreme/commercial/etc., application), built up in 2-5 coats, light sanding in between coats.
Its WAY harder than clear nail polish (which is usually acrylic, at best) and can be artificially cured, as in heat lamp or blow dryer. Buy a quart of Minwax, Spar, or similar grade at Home Depot, build up 2-5 THIN, (repeat- THIN) coats (light sanding and heat applied between coats), see how good that works, and then buy me a beer!

I suggest you use "flat" or "satin" finish--"gloss" finish is usually denser, may chip/spall if applied too heavy, and using the flat on the WHOLE drum stick may increase grip, as well as strength.

Cheers,
C. P.

Thanks for the post. I would have tried poly if I thought it was tougher. I will try that when these sticks give out. (The point about this being the same as using a nylon tip is silly. The layer of polish or poly is extremely thin. As such the wood tip doesn't take on the qualities of the coating. While it does change the tip and the resulting sound a bit the wood properties are slightly modified not morphed into nylon like properties. The outer edge only play a part in the tips contribution to the sound. Density and compliance play a much bigger roll)
 
Played for 4 hrs yesterday and I see no wear marks on the stick tip. Maybe a couple coats does the trick?
 
Not to hijack the thread, but I've never been able to hear a difference on drums. My ride, sure, but luckily for me, I like that sound, so I've always used nylon tips.

I always used hickory sticks but got fed up with the chipping so I have been using the Regal -Tip E series in a 5A, they work great and are rugged and give the sound of wood in a nylon tip. My only complaint is that they come in limited size's but as is often said, adapt and overcome. This thread interested me because I thought perhaps it may be a solution should I wish to return to wood. Truth be told, I have been using Tala Wands and Blaststix and a few other types of specialty sticks and have been enjoying them quite a bit and in fact I wish there was a stick out there that had the same feel and response as the Tala Wand. Not going to happen but it gives me a clearer idea of what I am looking for in a stick. My style of playing has been morphing and have not settled on the perfect fit for me as of yet.
 
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I'm not sure what the hard wood floors would look like if you to walk on them with bronze/grooved shoes. My guess is the clear would wear off in no time.
 
Hey Gruntersdad,

Actually, most ur-, poly-, or varathanes are VERY tough. Hardwood floors are the hardest to protect from damage, as harder woods offer extremely little flexibility.
Figure in the fact that floor surfaces have to have THE toughest interior coatings of all surfaces. A good example is when painting a deck, you use regular exterior paint on the handrails, pickets, posts, etc., but the actual "tread surface" has to be much tougher, hence "decking paint". (usually contains polymers or composite resins)

Wood floors are subject to pretty extreme conditions-
Foot traffic, including all the abrasives and grit that people track in.
Heavy furniture, appliances, etc.
Animal wear- big dogs with long toenails are the worst, cats are 2nd-- claws and "litterbox" debris, etc.
Children's toys (believe it or not!) small kids spend a lot of time on floors playing. Toy cars, wood blocks, strollers, etc.
Accident/abraision/wear- People drop all kinds of things all the time on floors- impact damage.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the jist.

One other thing I should mention- before you coat your sticks, LIGHT sanding or steel wooling them will make for a better bond.

Cheers,
C. P.
 
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