A Project-part 2: Inspired by Hollywood Jim

[wildbill]

Part 1 was here: https://www.drummerworld.com/forums/index.php?threads/a-project.181615/

I wanted an inexpensive set with a 10 lug, 22x14 bass drum, matte black,
cleared coated with a minimum of very small sparkles - mission accomplished.

But as soon as I finished and put it together, I thought - too bland, too plain, and no character.
Where to go from here?
Browsed the forum a bit and ran across the hot rod and civil war sets that Hollywood Jim (a member here) did,
and I thought right away, I should do a biker type set, and this is the perfect vehicle for it.
If I ever gig again, I'll be ready for Harley rallies and biker bars now.

I've done some painting before, but didn't really want to go through the hassle.
Doing the priming, matte black, and sparkle in the clear coat was enough screwing around.
So I decided to do something taboo when it comes to bikes - clear coat over decals.

I did do some extra, minimum amount of painting, but the decals are the main draw.
I ran into a little snag with the hoops. I used flip flop paint ( now called color shift) for some small flames.
I started the hoops with that color, but the small can I had ran out, and I had to use a different color shift paint.
I doesn't match as well as it should, but I got tired of messing with it.

There could be a part 3 to this, but I probably won't bother with posting about it.
I want to replace the Sportster lettering on the bottom of the bass drum with a proper decal, some small flames, and a little pinstriping.
For the last 30 some years, I've been riding Sportsters exclusively - it deserves better.
But that's for another time.

Enough talk - let's have some pics:

mounted toms:


floor tom:



bottom of bass drum:



side painted flames:



and top of bass drum:

 

[wildbill]

I just finished putting it back together, and can get some pics up now of the whole set.
Oh - and this set sounds way better than it has any right to.
I'm really pretty satisfied with it now for both looks and sound.

I would have gone bonkers over this set when I was younger, but I still get a kick out of the concept as an old geezer too.



and one of my cats under the tom - a Tom Cat

 

[Drumolator]

Good work! May they give you years of musical joy (and many nice compliments). Peace and goodwill.

 

[GetAgrippa]

Hell yeah!! Dang fine job- love it. Are decals glued on or under lacquer?

 

[wildbill]

.....Are decals glued on or under lacquer?

Just the typical sticky stuff on the back side of decals. Then clear coat over them with polycrylic.

The only other paint I did besides the matte black and clear sparkle coat was the extra clear coat
over the decals and existing paint, and the small color shift flames and hoops.

 

[wildbill]

Update - those vibraband mounts weren't working out for me.
All the big adjustment screws kept getting in the way because of how I wanted to position the drums.
So I ditched the bands and drilled the shells to mount directly.
They sound just as good to me, and adjust a whole lot easier now:

 

[Hollywood Jim]

Hey !
I love it. But then you knew I would.
Nice and subtle. Not overdone. (Several times I over did it when decorating drums.)

.

 

[wildbill]

It looks a little more plain jane now without those big honkin' chrome vibrabands. I kind of got used to the looks of them.
If I could have gotten the toms to adjust how I wanted them, I would have let the bands alone.
But for me, they're a major PITA.

 

[Hollywood Jim]

It looks a little more plain jane now without those big honkin' chrome vibrabands. I kind of got used to the looks of them.
If I could have gotten the toms to adjust how I wanted them, I would have let the bands alone.
But for me, they're a major PITA.

I agree. And I don't like how the bands look. And I don't like rack toms that wiggle around when you hit them.

.

 

[wildbill]

Yep. And I've never had a problem with drums that have the mount directly on the shell.
Just old fashioned, I guess. But it seems like trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist.
They've got plenty of sustain with direct mounts.

And the drums did bounce around a bit with those vibrabands.
Had to figure in a little extra clearance to account for it.