Please help - Mabel's leg has come off!

Magenta

Platinum Member
I was just rotating Mabel's bass drum spur back, prior to putting her in her carry case, when it came off in my hand. I've retrieved the spring and washer, but I'm dashed if I can fit the damn thing back on: it's as if the screw/bolt thing isn't long enough to thread in properly. There must be a way to get it back on, surely - but it's defeated me and Mr Madge.

Mabel is a Pearl Vision, if that's relevant.

Thanks in advance!
 
Has the bolt broken? If you can fit the spur to where it looks visually "normal" - like the teeth are engaging and there's no space between the spur leg and the mount - and you can't thread the wingnut, it sounds to me like the bolt itself has sheared off. Which would be odd, but not unheard of. Unfortunately, if that's the case you're pretty much hosed. You have to replace the spur, because I don't think the bolt will be available as a replacement part.

Sounds like another trip to Andy's is in order. Damn shame, that, what? ;-)
 
Try assembling with the leg in the stowed position. Press the two halves together such that the "teeth" of the two halves engage. If this doesn't work, check the screw for signs of snapping, and / or thread damage to either the screw or the mating thread.. If there is damage, you can order a spare part from your nearest Pearl dealer. I'm not sure which of these two is your model of spur assembly, but a quick visual comparison should clear that up (note, different bracket shapes).
 

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Yep. That usually means replacement time. It happens. I had to find my Tama lug on Ebay when it fell off because it's old stuff. When I lost a lug on my Acrolite, I took it to Pro Drum and they fixed it. Both times it was the bolt snapping in the threading. Not fixable.
 
Meh, thanks. I've had to leave her at home all broken because I'm working away now. I'll double-check which bracket (thanks for the heads-up there, Andy!) she has when I get back, and go from there. Damn spur has literally only ever been moved about a dozen times.
 
The bolt just worked loose and it came unattached, right?

If you broke a BD spur, James said he'd eat his hat.
 
Yeah. Sounds like you loosened it all the way and the leg just came off. It just needs to be reassembled. The spring shouldn't be so strong as to keep you from putting it back together though.

I guess I can qualify as a Vision expert since I have those now ;) The Vision spurs are pretty robust and you shouldn't have broken one. Pictures?
 
The bolt just worked loose and it came unattached, right?

If you broke a BD spur, James said he'd eat his hat.

Nonsense!

I said I'd eat Madge's hat. (For clarity: this is not a euphemism.)


But she'd have to deliver said hat to me in person.
 
I was just rotating Mabel's bass drum spur back, prior to putting her in her carry case, when it came off in my hand. I've retrieved the spring and washer, but I'm dashed if I can fit the damn thing back on: it's as if the screw/bolt thing isn't long enough to thread in properly. There must be a way to get it back on, surely - but it's defeated me and Mr Madge.

Mabel is a Pearl Vision, if that's relevant.

Thanks in advance!


What you want to do is run a bolt from the opposite side so that you have a stud sticking outwards. There's two ways to do it.

Method A: You'll need to remove the entire casting from the drum. Four screws in a diamond pattern on the interior of the drum.
Get an 8mm bolt from the hardware store and drill through that casting all the way; if you have an 8mm tap run that through the drilled hole. Then from the back side of the casting you'll need to insert and tighten that bolt so that the threaded part of it is protruding outwards.

Once you've done that much then you'll need to get a grinding wheel and grind the head of that bolt down a bit so that it becomes flush with the contour of the casting.

Method B: Doesn't require a grinder or removal of the casting. Get an 8mm STUD bolt and a tube of Loctite RED, the permanent stuff.

Thread the stud into the hole before applying the Loctite, to make sure it will cinch up, as in there's still a bit of thread left for it to grab onto. If it feels like you can get it to tighten up and stay in, then pull the stud back out and add a couple of drops of Loctite to it. Tighten it back up with your fingers and a gentle final twist with a pair of pliers... let it set for an hour and then reassemble your bass drum spur using an 8mm wingnut, like on a cymbal stand. If this doesn't work then you'll need to resort to method A.

The wingnut scenario is a much better way to fasten spurs to the drum, as if they strip out it's far easier to replace them than having to fix a stripped out casting.
 
What you want to do is run a bolt from the opposite side so that you have a stud sticking outwards. There's two ways to do it.

Method A: You'll need to remove the entire casting from the drum. Four screws in a diamond pattern on the interior of the drum.
Get an 8mm bolt from the hardware store and drill through that casting all the way; if you have an 8mm tap run that through the drilled hole. Then from the back side of the casting you'll need to insert and tighten that bolt so that the threaded part of it is protruding outwards.

Once you've done that much then you'll need to get a grinding wheel and grind the head of that bolt down a bit so that it becomes flush with the contour of the casting.

Method B: Doesn't require a grinder or removal of the casting. Get an 8mm STUD bolt and a tube of Loctite RED, the permanent stuff.

Thread the stud into the hole before applying the Loctite, to make sure it will cinch up, as in there's still a bit of thread left for it to grab onto. If it feels like you can get it to tighten up and stay in, then pull the stud back out and add a couple of drops of Loctite to it. Tighten it back up with your fingers and a gentle final twist with a pair of pliers... let it set for an hour and then reassemble your bass drum spur using an 8mm wingnut, like on a cymbal stand. If this doesn't work then you'll need to resort to method A.

The wingnut scenario is a much better way to fasten spurs to the drum, as if they strip out it's far easier to replace them than having to fix a stripped out casting.

Or you could just order a new set of Vision spurs from your local Pearl dealer and replace them. Why work so hard?

I get Bill's approach - he's a drum maker. Vision spurs are relatively cheap (about $45 US) so I'd go that way 'cause I'm lazy ;)
 
The bolt just worked loose and it came unattached, right?

If you broke a BD spur, James said he'd eat his hat.

Yes, Larry. You understand me.

Nonsense!

I said I'd eat Madge's hat. (For clarity: this is not a euphemism.)


But she'd have to deliver said hat to me in person.

None of my hats are comestible. Poor James: you starve!

Yeah. Sounds like you loosened it all the way and the leg just came off. It just needs to be reassembled. The spring shouldn't be so strong as to keep you from putting it back together though.

I guess I can qualify as a Vision expert since I have those now ;) The Vision spurs are pretty robust and you shouldn't have broken one. Pictures?

Yes, that's what happened, but I'm dashed if i can defeat the spring: it has certainly defeated me.

You have to buy a whole new kit when that happens.

Mr Madge has just started to foam at the mouth. Oh look, he's clutching his heart. How sweet!

I think I'm going to have to take dear Mabel to my friendly neighbourhood Mr Fixit, with a printout of Bill Ray's advice. I now have two lame horses and a lame drum kit. That's a bit poo.
 
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