Custom veneer

[uniongoon]

Hi all, brand new to this board. I just did a crazy re finish on my Premier Signia's, hope to show it off here.
I bought this kit off fleabay, and had some down time with the band so, originally I was just going to fill the holes where the bigass mount sits on the kick drum.

What happened next was a scary journey into the unknown.

Found a bargain on some birdseye maple wood veneer

I surfed the net looking for some pioneers who maybe did this before me, found none so I went ahead, no fear, well, lots of fear actual, no brains??? maybe

Instead of carpenters practice of using contact cement, I chose ultimate wood glue by titebond. There is no fixing contact cement.
and wrapping it with custom made hardwood blocks and ratchet straps, they came together

[uniongoon]

I used Dupont automotive clear in my humble shop

Some careful drilling and assembly and BOOM!!

[uniongoon]

Hmmm the post got mixed up, Part two is first?? Oh well, you can figure it out lol

Ok I figured out my mistake, had newest message first in the user CP, was weird like a chinese newspaper.

[uniongoon]

70 views and not one comment, tough crowd over here.

[mind_drummer]

Like I told you on DC, you did a marvelous job !

A1 ! Congrats :-)

[Lex]

That is certainly a nice wrap you've got there. Nice setup as well.

[uniongoon]

Originally Posted by mind_drummer

Like I told you on DC, you did a marvelous job !

A1 ! Congrats :-)

AH Yes, a cross over from my regular spot. Figured there might be some of the same crew here. Although it seems there are more guys with insane amounts of snares and gear over on this board.

[msj67]

That looks fantastic! Nice job.

[jim_gregory]

Looks fantastic! I have been pondering doing the same thing to one of my kits. I wonder how you managed the seams? I was thinking to overlap then straight cut with razor knife. What did you do?

And now you've got me thinking about doing this to my small kit. That looks really fantastic.

[Fuzrock]

I don't think I could do that to a set of Signias. That being said, I think you did a great job. It would look a lot cooler if you wrapped the bass drum hoops as well. That's just my opinion, though.

[uniongoon]

I like the contrast between the bass drum hoops, reminds me of an old marine pearl kit.
The seams are tough. I got better as I went. I ended up doing the wrap in two stages, I did one edge and all the way around, then left off the final seam about 3 inches. After main was dry, then i razor cut it and glued it.


Getting a perfect seam is still above my skill level, but I got them not bad, and they get strategically placed so you dont see them anyhow.

[Deathmetalconga]

Mindblowing.. Great idea, great materials and great execution. This is a pro-level finish. What did this cost if I may ask, for the veneer, materials, extra tools and how many hours. Impressive work.

[uniongoon]

Thanks deathmetal guy, thats what i like, inquisitive minds. One of the reasons I got started, my favourite wood place, Century Mill, a specialty wood workers supply place, was clearing out some old stock. The birdseye had some discolouration and a few water stains, I knew it was nothing that would not sand out, so I bargained from $4 a square ft down to $20 for two 4X8 sheets.

I have tons of tools, for this I had to buy all those red squeeze clamps at $1.99 each, I think I ended up with 48 of them. The high end glue will run you about $16-$20. Don't cheap out with Elmers or something.
I worked steady evenings after work for about 8-10 days. I used 2 1/2 quarts of 2 part Dupont Urethane automotive clear coat. (another $90).
The hardwood I used to clamp with I cut on the table saw so each drum had its own radius cut into the boards, best seen in that picture showing the seam assembly.
I also have a 5 hp compressor, regulator, filters, respirator and mid level quality spray gun.
Eventually I will get picky, dissassemble it all, and block wet sand with 1000, grit, 1500, 2000, and 2500 grit, then some final cut polishing compound and a final buff with some Meguiars Gold wax. I have had many years of messing with drum re-finishing, although this was a big step up the ladder from anything I have tried before.

[uniongoon]

By the way, your Ironwood kit made me drool.

[uniongoon]

Here is the blocking for clamping the veneer tight.




Another important tidbit of experience, when drilling the shells for hardware, I clamp a block outside the shell



Using a forstener bit instead of a cheap drill bit



Yields a clean hole with no tear out

[GRUNTERSDAD]

That looks good but would you not be better drilling outside in? Any flaw would be hidden.

[uniongoon]

Not in this scenario because the holes were already in the shell, just had to continue through the veneer. The original holes act as a pilot. Good idea to block inside if drilling from outside, the wood tends to splinter or tear out easily, the wood block totally stops this, some use tape but this is way better.

[DrumEatDrum]

I own a set of Signia's in the same color you started with.

So I'm both impressed with your work and appalled that you modified such a great finish! :-P

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by uniongoon

Thanks deathmetal guy, thats what i like, inquisitive minds. One of the reasons I got started, my favourite wood place, Century Mill, a specialty wood workers supply place, was clearing out some old stock. The birdseye had some discolouration and a few water stains, I knew it was nothing that would not sand out, so I bargained from $4 a square ft down to $20 for two 4X8 sheets.

I have tons of tools, for this I had to buy all those red squeeze clamps at $1.99 each, I think I ended up with 48 of them. The high end glue will run you about $16-$20. Don't cheap out with Elmers or something.
I worked steady evenings after work for about 8-10 days. I used 2 1/2 quarts of 2 part Dupont Urethane automotive clear coat. (another $90).
The hardwood I used to clamp with I cut on the table saw so each drum had its own radius cut into the boards, best seen in that picture showing the seam assembly.
I also have a 5 hp compressor, regulator, filters, respirator and mid level quality spray gun.
Eventually I will get picky, dissassemble it all, and block wet sand with 1000, grit, 1500, 2000, and 2500 grit, then some final cut polishing compound and a final buff with some Meguiars Gold wax. I have had many years of messing with drum re-finishing, although this was a big step up the ladder from anything I have tried before.

So, a couple of weeks work and around $300 you got a brand new set with a mindblowing custom finish? That's just as sweet as the finish! I refinished my cocktail drum and I like making and modifying my own hardware so I know these projects are lots of fun to do.

I have always had a soft spot for Premier kits - any drum building company still in business in England has a lot of heart.

[Sonorforce3007user]

better and cheaper than any birdseye maple veneer drum kit ive seen before

[Pass.of.E.r.a.]

Great looking kit!! You should put some wooden hoops on your toms as well.

You did a fine job, I'd love to see a video of this kit in action

-Jonathan

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by Deathmetalconga

I have always had a soft spot for Premier kits - any drum building company still in business in England has a lot of heart.

WTF is that supposed to mean?

Originally Posted by eddiehimself

WTF is that supposed to mean?

That trying to export from the UK is very, very difficult given the strength of the Pound.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

That trying to export from the UK is very, very difficult given the strength of the Pound.

Hmmm, maybe 3 years ago at circa 2:1. Now it's hovering around 1.6:1, so UK exports to NA are reasonably competitive.

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

That trying to export from the UK is very, very difficult given the strength of the Pound.

I don't know if you've noticed, but the pound is a hell of a lot weaker than it used to be, in fact since 2008 people in this country have benefitted greatly from the drop in the pound in terms of exports. In 2007 it hit a bit of a peak with 1 pound able to buy 2 US dollars and about 1.3 euros. Now it's 1.6 dollars and 1.13 euros. So no i don't think there is a particular problem at the moment in terms of the pound being too strong for exports.

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by eddiehimself

I don't know if you've noticed, but the pound is a hell of a lot weaker than it used to be, in fact since 2008 people in this country have benefitted greatly from the drop in the pound in terms of exports. In 2007 it hit a bit of a peak with 1 pound able to buy 2 US dollars and about 1.3 euros. Now it's 1.6 dollars and 1.13 euros. So no i don't think there is a particular problem at the moment in terms of the pound being too strong for exports.

England has long had a troubled economy and suffered a loss of its manufacturing base, like many industrialized nations. So it is good to see an English drum company. I have Hardcases, which are made in England, and I like English made stuff in general.

Originally Posted by eddiehimself

I don't know if you've noticed, but the pound is a hell of a lot weaker than it used to be, in fact since 2008 people in this country have benefitted greatly from the drop in the pound in terms of exports. In 2007 it hit a bit of a peak with 1 pound able to buy 2 US dollars and about 1.3 euros. Now it's 1.6 dollars and 1.13 euros. So no i don't think there is a particular problem at the moment in terms of the pound being too strong for exports.

Eddie, I do follow the markets and I used them to my advantage a couple of years ago.

The fact is, the Pound is still strong enough to make Exports difficult. The loss of manufacturing base has affected many things and one of them is the viability of English exports - and that's not just to do with the Pound (although much of it is) but everything else that has been happening in the economy for the last forty of so years. Exports are reasonable now, but the drum market is highly saturated with cheaper options.

So, Premier have historically struggled to make their high-end kits for foreign markets. I love Premier drums, but it's not an easy time for them.

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

Eddie, I do follow the markets and I used them to my advantage a couple of years ago.

The fact is, the Pound is still strong enough to make Exports difficult. The loss of manufacturing base has affected many things and one of them is the viability of English exports - and that's not just to do with the Pound (although much of it is) but everything else that has been happening in the economy for the last forty of so years. Exports are reasonable now, but the drum market is highly saturated with cheaper options.

So, Premier have historically struggled to make their high-end kits for foreign markets. I love Premier drums, but it's not an easy time for them.

What and you think I haven't? The fact is that all western nations have suffered because of things like "workers rights" getting in the way of making things for as cheaply as possible for export. Yes, the costs of producing something in the uk are slightly more than a lot of other western countries but i think all that pales in comparison with the difference in production costs between here and somewhere like china for example.
People have this misconception that nothing is made in Britain any more- which couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, it's not 1900 any more but the fact is that for many premium and high value goods such as upmarket and custom drums can still be built viably in England and the massive drop in the pound over the last few years has been a big boom for exports.

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by Deathmetalconga

England has long had a troubled economy and suffered a loss of its manufacturing base, like many industrialized nations. So it is good to see an English drum company. I have Hardcases, which are made in England, and I like English made stuff in general.

That's my point. All western industrialised economies have suffered in terms of manufacturing because of higher wages and more working regulations (no working people 16 hours a day for 1$) than places like china, india, taiwan etc. Anyway i think this is a pretty juvenile argument lol.

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by eddiehimself

That's my point. All western industrialised economies have suffered in terms of manufacturing because of higher wages and more working regulations (no working people 16 hours a day for 1$) than places like china, india, taiwan etc. Anyway i think this is a pretty juvenile argument lol.

England has been called the "sick man of Europe" because its economy has been in the tank like forever, more than most industrialized nations. I think this is a great thing to discuss.

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by Deathmetalconga

England has been called the "sick man of Europe" because its economy has been in the tank like forever, more than most industrialized nations. I think this is a great thing to discuss.

Well i don't know if you've noticed but we have not had to have a bail-out yet unlike Ireland and Greece, and i don't think we will either. If we do then we know who is to blame anyway. I think a lot of our "deficit" bollocks is just wrong. It's a lot less (In terms of % gdp) than in the 1940s and 50s. Of course the news just concentrates on the fact that it's the biggest amount ever! Yes well, there is a lot more money in the economy now so of course any deficit we have is going to be a lot more in terms of money. That's why we use % gdp in the first place lol.

Originally Posted by eddiehimself

What and you think I haven't? The fact is that all western nations have suffered because of things like "workers rights" getting in the way of making things for as cheaply as possible for export. Yes, the costs of producing something in the uk are slightly more than a lot of other western countries but i think all that pales in comparison with the difference in production costs between here and somewhere like china for example.
People have this misconception that nothing is made in Britain any more- which couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, it's not 1900 any more but the fact is that for many premium and high value goods such as upmarket and custom drums can still be built viably in England and the massive drop in the pound over the last few years has been a big boom for exports.

'Workers' Rights' which you appear to condemn are actually incredibly important and you just have to look at the working conditions of Countries that do not support similar rights to know that sometimes it is worth paying the extra to support humane working conditions. Competitive manufacturing in the UK is now the domain of a specialised, educated and technologically informed workers and companies - it is no longer commercially viable for many companies to mass-produce for export.

Is that a result of rising costs? Absolutely. Are those costs as result of improved working conditions? Partially, but it's an inevitable part of economic development. South Korea is one example of a rapidly developing, specialised economy that is moving away from general production and into developing of technology and sooner or later, South Korea will be in a similar position to the UK, whereby manufacturing becomes a highly specialised sector as the workforce become more educated and specialised themselves.

Trade Unions, humanitarianists and environmentalists are not just a group of blue-sky idealists. They exist for a reason - and whilst we may all complain about the inevitable inconvenience of their lobbying and the regulation that is imposed as a result, the fact remains that they actually do very important work trying to improve the quality of conditions and health of those within their auspices. If that is a problem for you, then you really need to stop focussing so much on the bottom line.

Does that mean I always buy from a developed country? No. But it is becoming an increasing concern for me and I support companies that make high-quality goods.

[eddiehimself]

What gave you the impression that i was condeming workers' rights? I'm just saying that if you want to be able to make things for as cheap as they are now, then inevitably that cost saving is going to come from somewhere, and that usually involves the people who have to make them. Not saying whether that is right or wrong, after all this is a discussion about economics, not ethics or human rights.

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

Is that a result of rising costs? Absolutely. Are those costs as result of improved working conditions? Partially, but it's an inevitable part of economic development. South Korea is one example of a rapidly developing, specialised economy that is moving away from general production and into developing of technology and sooner or later, South Korea will be in a similar position to the UK, whereby manufacturing becomes a highly specialised sector as the workforce become more educated and specialised themselves.

The bottom line costs determine what the best products to make in a particular location are, and the amount you can pay workers determines much of what those costs will be. So the improving of conditions and people's wages in countries like ours means that it costs a lot more to build certain items, making it impossible to build certain products in the UK. At the end of the day, the increasing costs of hiring workforces in the UK as well as other western industrialised nations is the main driving force behind the increasing costs of producing goods in this country and therefore the moving of these productions to far eastern locations as manufacturers realised that it is actually cheaper to deliver many things from halfway across the world than to pay people the larger amount of money that it would require to produce it in the location where it is to be sold.

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

Trade Unions, humanitarianists and environmentalists are not just a group of blue-sky idealists. They exist for a reason - and whilst we may all complain about the inevitable inconvenience of their lobbying and the regulation that is imposed as a result, the fact remains that they actually do very important work trying to improve the quality of conditions and health of those within their auspices. If that is a problem for you, then you really need to stop focussing so much on the bottom line.

Does that mean I always buy from a developed country? No. But it is becoming an increasing concern for me and I support companies that make high-quality goods.

As i already said, I have not expressed an opinion one way or the other on the importance on workers' rights. This isn't really a discussion about the rights and wrongs of working conditions as they are, more about the consequences of the working conditions and regulations of certain nations and how that affects the costs of production. Probably best to see what someone is actually trying to say before making posts like this in the future...

Originally Posted by EddieHimself

...The fact is that all western nations have suffered because of things like "workers rights" getting in the way...

That reads very negatively. That's where you expressed an opinion.

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

That reads very negatively. That's where you expressed an opinion.

That's where you think i expressed an opinion. All i was saying was that the increased cost of hiring workers has hit the manufacturing base of western companies, again this is not a discussion about the merits of workers' rights and that is not what i was discussing.

That's where I thought you expressed an opinion because that is how it reads. Especially with the sarcastic use of quotation marks.

[eddiehimself]

Originally Posted by mediocrefunkybeat

That's where I thought you expressed an opinion because that is how it reads. Especially with the sarcastic use of quotation marks.

Sarcastic use of quotation marks? That's what they're called aren't they "workers' rights" no? I was simply quoting what they are called.

Depends on the context you use them in. If you use the words 'suffer' and 'getting in the way' in the same sentence, then it certainly does look like a sarcastic use of quotation marks.

[keep it simple]

Ebroiled in semantics, back to veneer guys------------