Moisture buildup in drum-, cymbal-cases ??

D

DomD

Junior Member
Hi everyone,

let's assume I have a gig and after the gig I put the drums and cymbals into cases (I also firstly put the cymbals into the Cymbag Bags and then in the cymbalhardcase) and leave them in the cases for a couple of days until I set up the drums in my rehearsal room.
Would there be a problem with humidity build up in the cases (assuming the room where the cases are kept has normal temperature and humidity levels)?
Maybe if I put some moisture absorbers in the cases (you know these little Silica Gel Packets) ?
Would it be safer?
Or would it maybe dry too much the cases and cause problems to the cymbals and/or drums?
 
I can imagine if you have a gig in an 80-100% humidity environment, then pack them away in cases with no airflow, that could cause corrosion pretty quickly.

Dryer is better for drums and cymbals. Silica packets wouldn't hurt.
 
I bought large silica packs for my tools, in cases, in my shop/garage. Not insulated and in humid Florida. I bought ones that can be rejuvenated in the microwave.
 
So 2-3 little bags for cymbals, toms, snare and maybe 4-5 for the bass drum should be enough..right?
 
DomD said:
So 2-3 little bags for cymbals, toms, snare and maybe 4-5 for the bass drum should be enough..right?
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Seems reasonable esp. if your storage area is humid. Or if you had to pack up your gear from a cool climate controlled room and bring them out into the warm summer night ( akin to eyeglasses fogging up after walking out of a grocery store).

If your storage room is climate controlled, leaving the cases open for air flow might help.
 
DomD said:
So 2-3 little bags for cymbals, toms, snare and maybe 4-5 for the bass drum should be enough..right?
Click to expand...
the bags I bought are about the size of a pack of cigs. Maybe a little smaller. You may only need 1. They turn color when they are saturated and then rejuvenate in the microwave. If they turn quickly try 2.
 
Excessive high or low humidity brings about challenges. I would suggest that silica gel packs are only necessary if you have evidence of condensation. An over arid environment might be ideal for metal components, but it's not ideal for wood. Even ply shells can struggle at humidity levels below 20%, and for any form of solid wood instrument, the risk is even greater - especially stave / hollow log drums. If you add silica gel, you have no realistic method of measuring or conrolling humidity levels in the case, and that carries risk.

If you pack your drums away and you know they're damp, then adding one or two small silica gell packs can be beneficial. Small silica gel packs have a finite ability to absorb moisture, so can be effective in mitigating against a short term recognised challenge. They're useless in maintaining humidity levels in anything but the most sealed of environments unless very regularly "regenerated". Better to let drums air that have been exposed to excessive humidity in a neutral environment before storing for long periods.
 
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DomD, is this something that has been a problem in the past? Have you gotten into your cases after a couple of days and noticed verdigris on the cymbals, or surface rust on hoops and drum hardware? Personally, I've never experienced anything of the sort, even leaving cymbals and drums in cases for weeks at a time.

Sometimes I think we try to find solutions for problems that don't really exist. I mean, if this is truly a concern and it's a real problem, the solution is to find some silica packets - preferably ones that can be "recharged" in an oven.

As a gun owner with a standing floor safe, I know that there are guys who are fanatical about putting silica canisters in their safes, on top of the de-humidfying rod that most safes come with. I was looking to do that as well, thinking that it was something that I had to do to keep rust off of the contents of the safe, but one thing led to another, and I never got anything ordered. In the meantime, I've had zero problems with it - the de-humidifying rod in the safe seems to do the job well enough on its own.
 
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