Veneer on drums?

Cacaphony

Cacaphony

Member
I'm looking for a unique, yet relatively inexpensive way to rejuvenate some less than stellar drum shells. I came across some lovely quilted maple veneers at an astonishing price, and I think it would look mighty nice on my old kit.

My question is, do any of you fine folks who dabble in custom drum building and the like, have any experience with applying veneers to drums? I've never applied a drum wrap to a shell, so I'm not sure how a maple veneer would differ from say, a glitter wrap that costs considerably more. I'm fairly certain it can be done, and it seems like an excellent alternative to traditional drum wraps sold here on the interweb.

Any feedback would be much appreciated. And of course, if I complete the project, I'll post tons of pictures!


-Tyler

P.S.
Would it be unheard of to apply a lovely wood veneer to say....a chrome snare?
 
I'm just in the finishing stages of a veneer project. It's not too difficult to do if the veneer you're working with is fairly smooth and the grain is tight. I liked some of the figuring and knots etc. in the veneer I chose but it makes getting it smooth and keeping it down once you glue it a little more difficult. The best tip I can give you is to make sure you use at least two coats of contact cement on both the veneer AND your drum shell. The wood soaks up the glue and if you use to little you'll end up with air bubbles.

Check out my project here:http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47178&highlight=16%26quot%3B+bass+drum+build
I tried to explain things a bit as I went but feel free to post there or PM me if you've got any questions.
 
numa_cruiser said:
I'm just in the finishing stages of a veneer project. It's not too difficult to do if the veneer you're working with is fairly smooth and the grain is tight. I liked some of the figuring and knots etc. in the veneer I chose but it makes getting it smooth and keeping it down once you glue it a little more difficult. The best tip I can give you is to make sure you use at least two coats of contact cement on both the veneer AND your drum shell. The wood soaks up the glue and if you use to little you'll end up with air bubbles.

Check out my project here:http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47178&highlight=16%26quot%3B+bass+drum+build
I tried to explain things a bit as I went but feel free to post there or PM me if you've got any questions.
Click to expand...


Wow!

I checked out the thread and your final product looked amazing! I can only hope mine turns out as well. If you don't mind me asking, where did you purchase your venneer?
 
It's not actually done yet, I'm in the process of getting it clear coated again. Then hardware etc. comes next. I bought the veneer from a place in Vancouver BC called Windsor Plywood but there are a variety of places online that you can order from.
 
numa_cruiser said:
It's not actually done yet, I'm in the process of getting it clear coated again. Then hardware etc. comes next. I bought the veneer from a place in Vancouver BC called Windsor Plywood but there are a variety of places online that you can order from.
Click to expand...

Hm. Do you think I'd be able to apply a veneer to a steel snare drum?

I really like the way the veneer below looks, and Its pretty cheap. The snare I want to cover is 5"x12".

http://www.veneersupplies.com/product_info.php?products_id=7120
 
I don't see why it wouldn't work as long as the surface of the shell is smooth and doesn't have ridges like alot of steel snares. You may want to see what the contact cement says on it regarding useable surfaces. The hardware store/lumberyard where you buy it may be able to help with that as well. It would all depend on how the glue bonds to the stainless steel.

That veneer looks pretty cool, good price too. It won't be long enough to go all the way around your snare however so you'll have more than one seam. Matching up grain to hide the seams as much as possible will be interesting with that kind of burl pattern. It's going to change the sound of that steel snare by alot I would think, I'd be nervous if the drum is sentimental or worth much if the sound isn't what you were hoping for.

It's a lot of fun, though...an opportunity to learn a bunch of cool stuff!
 
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