How to Fix Cracked Cymbals | MBDrums

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

If you have some cracks in your cymbals, this video is for you! Here are some important time stamps: 0:16 - Types of Cracks 0:40 - Edge Cracks 0:55 - What do you need 1:31 - Edge Cracks Cont'd 5:09 - Inside Cracks 6:07 - A Small Detour 6:31 - Inside Cracks Cont'd 8:04 - Sound Test 8:25 - Full Demo of the fixed cymbals I hope you got a laugh and found this useful! Also, *_Thank you so much_* for watching and supporting the channel! If you're new here.. WELCOME!! -Martin 🤘🖤

[@ColtonWeeks17]

When I have a cymbal crack, My solution has always been "buy a new cymbal". I've been playing so much recently I can't afford to do this anymore. You're saving me a lot of money now

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

@@ColtonWeeks17 it’s seriously such a life saver. As long as you catch them early! The edge ones work like a charm. That bell crack in the second half of the video lasts like 6 months. But still better than nothing!

[@charlenemack7040]

I had a crack problem ‘butt’ I fixed it with some over-the-counter ointment. Sorry I missed your premier, my tablet was being charged…(not legally). I actually watched all nine minutes 37 seconds of your video. Very informative… and very well executed. Would you ever watch a 10 minute video of me crocheting an afghan?…I don’t think so lol. When you used your drill… It sounded just like farts! Martin I hope you have a fun filled weekend! 🌞

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Hahaha hey there’s definitely an audience for that!! Thanks for checking it out Charlene!

[@madmaxx010]

For drilling holes, look into getting what's called a Center Drill. Use it first to start your hole. They won't walk on you like a normal drill does

[@3L3V3NDRUMS]

And.... it works!!! Just solved 3 crashes!!! Thanx man!!!

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Oh dude!! That’s so good to hear!! Gah! Awesome :) I’m so happy it worked for you!

[@3L3V3NDRUMS]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums Yes really cool!

[@ElDarren]

Very informative video! News Flash: Cymbals aint cheap 😆 I've tried drilling cracks out of them before but never had any luck. Filing and sanding them down is a good tip. I'm definitely trying out these ideas out next time. Great stuff!!

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

haha The cost of a new cymbal makes me cry every time hahaha Yeah just the drilling will never last long, but the filing and sanding works wonders!! Easily added years back into my crashes! .. and realistically, you don't neeeeeeed to drill the edge cracks. Its just a good reference to make. sure you've got all the crack removed. lol I hope the repairs go well!!

[@M4RCM0NT31R0]

The toolbox part gave me Robin Williams vibes! 😂

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

HAHA, Who knows what else is in that toolbox! :P

[@kyleschneiberg]

Definitely need more HOW TO videos this was great knowledge. I’ve never tried to save a cymbals CRACK but I’ll definitely give it a try now. Thanks MB

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Yesss! Thanks dude! And definitely try it out! You gotta let me know how it goes!!

[@BrxdyBeamZ]

Thanks man i needed this so much

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Hey No problem at all!

[@JoeyClarkDrums]

This is awesome! Very well done Martin. Very informative you rock! 🔥🤘💪

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Hey thanks Joey! Hopefully you can add some cymbals back into your lineup!!

[@shanepagemusicthings1201]

Okay Martin, watch out for that crack, lol!!! It's because you hit them bad boys so hard. Love the Jim Carrey Part. Why would you have a rubber chicken in a tool box??? Haha. I hate ads, they spoil the fun. Great fix and awesome sound. Nice way to show who to fix a symbol. Just try and be a little easier of those and you want have to worry about crack. Have a good one bud.

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Lmaoo you never know when you’ll need a rubber chicken 😂 and I tried turning the ads through the middle off! Dang, I’ll see if I can change that lol I’m not making real money off these videos anyways haha. And yeah! I’ll have to lighten up on the hits! :P cheers Shane!

[@ZaxDrumsGolfandMore]

Crack is bad!!😂 great tips to help make the life of the cymbals a bit longer!!👍😀

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Hopefully it helps!!

[@bryandrums32]

Great video, I really enjoyed it, I learned a lot from you, you’re amazing

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Hey thanks Bryan! So glad you enjoyed it and learned some stuff too!

[@bryandrums32]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums np pal,,,,, my pleasure

[@motchness]

Thanks homie - in my previous band they were rockstars before they were famous and sadly my splash copped a nice little crack, I haven’t played it since and never bothered to repair it, until now and it’s so easy - do I even need the drills ? Thanks !

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Honestly you don’t need the drill, it’s just a nice way to know you definitely got rid of it. But if you just file it out, go a bit past there you mark “the end”. I’m sure there’s some microscopic crack stuff that happens that we can’t see lol Anyways awesome man! So pumped this was a helpful video for you!

[@Elbateristarupestre]

nice video!!!! great insights about how to fix the cymbals!!

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Hey Thank you!! Hopefully it can assist in bringing a few cymbals back to life if you have any that are broken!

[@Xarinova]

I wonder, are those the Ahead Aluminum Drum Sticks you are using? please advise. Thank You

[@ARDrummer]

Very nice work!

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Thank you!! Do you have many cracked cymbals??

[@jerryleivon7852]

Thanks for the video, was very helpful, but I want to address a unique crack issue I faced on my HHX Hihats, there is a slight crack developing from the centre where the hole of the cymbal is. I’m worried

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

@@jerryleivon7852 I had that on my one china! I treated it similar to the edge crack, you’ll have kind of an oval shaped hole in the end. Don’t make a straight up keyhole out of it and it should be okay!

[@kushking420]

I have a tiny crack, about 3mm or less, I'm just worried about using a drill, worries me as its not wood lol, and it's a thin dark. Meinl Byzance. Idk if it's okay just use a the same metal files. BTW great video and drumming

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

@@kushking420 thanks!! Honestly you don’t need to drill, but I’d still mark where the crack ends and file past that, it’s one of the only ways your prolong the life of that cymbal. I get the feeling because they are so damn expensive. I cringed at doing it to my HHX 😭 but it was VERY worth it Good luck!

[@kushking420]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums I'll try a few drill holes on an old cracked b8 to test, don't know why i didn't think of that earlier lol

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

@@kushking420 yeah!! Okay let me know how it goes! You can reach me on instagram too, my profile link is in the description of this video if you need to chat 🤘

[@cameronrayner4808]

Hey man, great video. I came across it because I happen to have a small crack near the bell on my copy of Chris Adler's mb24 ride. What would you recommend I do to fix it? It's such a loud ride, I think the drilling would work.

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Oh wow!! Damn I’ve never heard of a ride cracking like that. Honestly if it were me, I’d try to drill it out. That’s a thick cymbal though.. maybe contact the manufacturer first to see if they can do anything about replacing it? Then if there’s no other options… then I’d consider modifying it. Feel free to message me on insta. The link should be in the description 🤘

[@cameronrayner4808]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums I got the cymbal second hand about 5 months ago and it's probably old right? Like 2008-ish? Their was a 2nd version of it with an 'A' on it that came out later. I'm going to probably drill it

[@DrumAttic]

Awesome how-to! Love it!

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Thanks Eric! Time to revive some old cymbals!! :P

[@aaronraulston6248]

I do cymbal repair as a side hustle, so lemme give ya some advice to give your repairs as much life as possible. Get a GOOD set of stepped drill bits! You wont have to worry about breaking your tiny bits and you can make the holes as large as you need them, while having the hole much smoother than if you were using a regular bit. A GOOD rotary tool is a MUST!! A Dremel 3000 is what i use and it does anything i need it to. Get stocked up on the reinforced cutting discs, grinding bits, and sanding drums from 80 grit to 120 grit. Finally, stay stocked up on high quality sandpaper, preferably 3M, from 150-400 grit. Edge cracks…. You have the right idea. I drill the hole from the top of the cymbal with a stepped bit, going up to 1/4-3/8”. Turn the cymbal over and lightly run the stepped bit in the hole with a few easy bumps of the trigger so it will deburr it. Then, i take my dremel with the reinforced cutting disc and cut the wave from the edge of the hole to the cymbal edge, contouring it into the existing cymbal edge. I first scour the line i want to use and then ill start cutting it. You dont want the cymbal to get hot enough to change color bc it will affect the tempering and make that spot brittle again. If the cut is very rough, ill use a grinding bit to start the shaping process, but usually i can skip that and go to an 80 or 100 grit sanding drum. I use that to even out the lines and start the smoothing out process. Ill then switch to a 120grit drum and repeat. Then start hand sanding with 150 or 180 , then 220, then 320, and sometimes up to 400, but usually 320 does the job. Lathe cracks i do similarly. I use the stepped bit to drill the holes at each end up to 1/2”. Then i cut out the metal between the holes so the repair is 1/2” wide and you can get a sanding drum in the repair to finish the shape and start smoothing it out. I also make the repair 1/2” wide bc ive found that if its any narrower than 3/8”-1/2”, it will have a much better chance of cracking out of the holes into an existing lathe groove due to the hole not being large enough to flex properly. The rest of the process is basically the same as what i do on the edge cracks. Just sand it with incrementally higher grit sandpaper until its extremely smooth.

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Great advice!

[@mattseymour8637]

Useful video! What would you suggest to do to repair a crash which has a long crack (around 3rd of the cymbal in length) which is half way between the middle and outer edge? Is it worth bothering with?

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

That’s a tough one. Either cut it down to a new diameter, or use it for a cymbal stack! 🤘 That’s a bit of a bigger crack, so it’s probably not worth the time in fixing 😭

[@mattseymour8637]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums Yes I think you are right as it is a big old crack but I love the cymbal and so want to make use of it. If I was to stack it what cymbal would work best with a 16 inch thin Zyldjian A crash? Also what tips if I wanted to cut it down to a splash?

[@GuilhermeSilva-li4tj]

Nice video. It sounds like your drill is on hammer mode. If that’s the case, turn the barrel nob to drill only. It should drill a lot smoother

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Yeah it 10000% was haha Live and learn! I appreciate the comment!!!

[@flame074]

So can i use a file made of metal that i use for wood? Because thats all i have.

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

I know the files I have are what I originally used on wood... They still seem okay Maybe a quick Google on that one might be your best solution lol

[@jerryjones8479]

Sounded to me like you had that drill on Hammer mode. That would definitely make it walk

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Lmao oh I 100% did 😂 live and learn

[@jerryjones8479]

@MartinBellamyMBDrums great video though. I tried to fix a radius crack in my $400 Istanbul agop china, and I didn't know that I needed to file the crack out after drilling holes at either side. Thus, the crack continued to spread, as if the cartel was behind it. thanks

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

@@jerryjones8479 lmao! Also with that crack, it did continue, but it did so by following the same radius on either end of the crack. However it gave the cymbal easily an additional year of life (and a few more repairs)

[@jerryjones8479]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums the war on drugs marches on

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

@@jerryjones8479 LMAO 🤣 Thanks for the laugh, have a good one my friend 🤘

[@O.L.I.]

Not sure if I'll ever need that Knowledge for my electronic Drumkit 🤣 but I watched the Video anyways 😁

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

haha Fingers crossed you don't have to take any tools to those!

[@paulc1391]

I got a crack on the inside of my extra dry china. Looking forward to this rather than dropping money to replace it!

[@0X0GABRIEL0X0]

Neat. I was wondering how they cut out cracked bits in cymbals. The jam session at the end sounded great. Any update on how the two are doing?

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

The edge one is still 100% fine from when I made and posted this video. The inside crack lasted probably 4 months… then continued… so I re-repaired and got about the same amount of time out of it. So it’s better than scrapping it! 🤘

[@DrummersKey]

I have an important question. What is a millimeter? 😊

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

😂😂 oh shit lol Okay so 1mm = just over 1/32 inch. 2mm = just over 1/16 inch. 3mm = almost 1/8 inch.

[@HuntingPro]

My cymbals were almost about to break cause of the cracks on the edges but thanks to your video I was able to fix them. Now, i can properly play my drums without worrying about my cymbals breaking

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Dude that’s so sick!! Yeah just keep an eye on them while playing. Check the edges after ever 2nd or 3rd time behind the kit! The middle crack around the bell in this video lasted about 6 months before I had to repair it again. Just an FYI Happy drumming!! 🤘

[@michaelwhited6163]

Have your drill on hammer drill instead of regular drill that’s why you can’t hold it steady on metal.

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Yeeeaaaaah, Im an idiot hahahaha Whoops!

[@user-hf4eh2ts3q]

Id love to hear you try "Hit the Lights" By Metallica.

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

I'll add it to the list!! Great song!

[@user-hf4eh2ts3q]

@@MartinBellamyMBDrums ALLRIGHT👍!!!

[@BrxdyBeamZ]

Do you remember me?

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

I may need a little refresher, unfortunately I have the memory of a goldfish lol

[@BrxdyBeamZ]

7:29 i can tell thats a avenged sevenfold song 😂

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Such a good ear! I took my drums only track from Hail to the King kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKHThWqCmJ6YodE 🤘

[@ghiblinerd6196]

I’m surprised those cracked. It seems like your technique is pretty “cymbal friendly “

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

I’ve had them for probably close to 10-15 years, so over time they definitely wear out 😭 but thank you for noticing!!

[@KinseiSensei]

Couldn’t you just solder the crack and sand it down?

[@Caughtitoutdoors]

That could have been tig welded

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

That might effect the sound more though. This way there's minimal changes to the overall sound of the cymbal. It'd be interesting to try though..

[@homesaverchimney]

Do you not know how to turn off the hammer drill function of that Dewalt? Hammer drilling is for drilling into masonry only.....smh

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

I do not lol and I didn’t know

[@granvillemullingsjr]

I didn’t have the elbow grease for the file method, but I tried it for a moment in my process: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWPKoHdva8h0q7Msi=d7Das19SGEPIt7uD

[@baccaratnatural]

More Crack than Harlem lol

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

Lol ya never know!

[@marscounty]

Crack repair? No. You can't repair a cracked cymbal. You cannot put it back to its original condition. It is a modification that makes the cymbal again usable and hopefully will not cause anymore damage.