How To Restore Damaged Bearing Edges On Your Drums

[@sgtpepper1138]

The Zola Coating was actually like a trunk paint that you can buy. I see Rustolium has a product called "Stone Creations" and it looks really close to this multicolored finish. I remember a guy restoring a tama drum like this in Modern Drummer like 20 years ago.

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

Yes, there are some modern paints which approximate the look of the "Zola-coat."

[@jamphotostudio]

That's exactly what I was thinking!! Spent 35 years restoring and painting cars and custom bikes. I can still see the can it came it!! LOL Also , that inner edge looks like a 60 degree bevel.

[@christskingdom8950]

The pebble color is the one.

[@Noteven0]

Just mo, but big or small, you always secure the paper and use two hands to ensure even pressure distribution or try as you might, the bottom won’t be uniform and it will throw your level when you cut the bearing edges. It may be subtle, but it will affect the fundamental note, pitch,bend & fall.

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

You mean sanding before the cut? You can see by eye if you turn the drum over and check as you sand. If one area is getting a wider flat spot that's a telltale sign.

[@yourdogsnews]

Spray glue the sandpaper to a board and clamp the board down and you have 2 free hands to turn the drum. The factory I used to work for had some very large disk sanders for that job.

[@christskingdom8950]

Got a 13” x 12” imperial star I’m cutting this week. Great dude I to help get around some of the hurdles. Mine has no reinforcement rings.

[@neilsnow7973]

Zolatone is the paint. Was popular in many applications for a while until Rhino Lining, Line X and other more durable paints replaced it. I used Zolatone bedliner on my pickup bed back in High School, got 2 different kinds because I couldn't decide which one, mixing the two actually gave me a color scheme that I was actually quite happy with. That year Chromalusion Purpleen had just come out that year, so I got a pint at $319, that was after a discount from the dealer because I used the school's account to purchase it. Glad I wasn't painting the entire truck that crap is expensive. Used it for color changing ghost flames on the hood. Came out wicked. Sold the rest of the paint to the school, which was most of it. Ghost flames don't require much paint. So I have a drum that the bearing edge needs work but the biggest issue I see with it is that it's not even...I mean, if you place the drum with the bearing edge mentioned facing up...then look level at it you can notice that the edge has a couple low spots...say it was a snare(it's not but for simplicity sake) so it would normally be 14"x5" but it gradually dips down to about between 1/8" to 1/4" less than 5" then gradually raises back up. Like rolling hills. How can I get that level again, which I assume must be done before redoing the bearing edge? And I have no flipping clue how it got that way either. Maybe the years of whacking the rims warped the wood? Or maybe just poor craftsmanship? They were a relatively cheap drum set.

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

That's what I was doing at 11:37. You put sandpaper on a dead-flat surface like a table saw or a large piece of MDF, and then twist the bearing edge around while laid on that flat surface. It will quickly flatten the whole edge before you cut the profile.

[@tomvillano5824]

clever approach- nicely done.

[@johnnymb100]

Didn't you work at LP in Garfield??

[@randallbrack2130]

Great work and improv.

[@ORLANDOGONZALEZPAREDES]

Hello good friend, I am in Colombia and I cannot get the formica or sheet with which the drum is lined and I just need the same color as the one you have there, how could I get it to order it. Thanks

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

The inside of the Tama drums from that era was painted with something they called "Zola Coat." It's just paint. Today you may be able to find a spray paint with a textured finish which is similar, and you may need to use 2-3 colors to get a match. Look for a spray paint with a pebbled or textured finish.

[@GianTJ]

awesome many thanks

[@naserbufaisal]

How many plys of wood are the shells ?

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

I believe they were 9 ply mahogany.

[@addthisto]

nice thanks can you tell us router bits sizes, and sand paper details?

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

I have a million roundover bits, and I don't remember which one I used, but it was nothing unusual. A standard roundover set would have the right one.

[@randallbrack2130]

The wood shells that TAMA used were Philippine Mahogany

[@Thompsongs]

I wonder how different that species of mahogany is compared to whatever species Ludwig used.

[@randallbrack2130]

Old drum makers after they would cut the shells edges, would then add paraffin wax on to the edges to protect them and also act as a seal and lubricant.

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

Yes, I've seen that too and done it myself back in the day.

[@randomsomeguy156]

Don't use paraffin. Anything petroleum based will destroy your drum. Beeswax is the only wax and even then that's only for a bad drum at gas too much friction when tuning. Make sure to really wipe off the beeswax as it very thick.

[@volesrock]

Handy tip: Use drumheads that aren't so stretched out that that the hoop is below the bearing edge, so that sticks will not smash the bearing edge you just re-cut.

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

That's not actually what was going on, if you are referring to the end. The Tama Imperialstar 6 and 8 inch concert toms from that era came with special hoops which did sit just below the bearing edge, even with new heads. I presume the idea was to allow more strike area, but it was a dumb design. I did finally source replacement hoops of the normal variety and replaced them, but the 6 inch hoop is not easy to find.

[@danlozza]

Wax with a scotch guard pad.....Ssssmoooooothe.

[@stickybandit2346]

After all that work do they actually sound any different? New heads would have made much more of a difference. Looks like you are still using old Tama heads from the 80's that came with the kit. I am not convinced that bearing edges with a dent or two in them really affect the sound that much. Most drums already have a vent hole that let's out a lot more air than the small dents. And in your case they are concert toms, so they don't even have a bottom head, hence no air at all is really going to make it through the small dents. Sanding is only necessary when the dent makes some wood stick up too high. Sand it back down to the proper bearing edge and if you must, put some saw dust wood putty in the dip. I also use high quality glue to fill bearing edge dips or worn out wood and then put the slick filler stuff (forgot the name) on it before the head. Am I wrong in this perspective? It's like worrying about the air that goes through a straw held up against a large fan.

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

Sorry, I missed your comment earlier. Yes, recutting the bearing edges did make a significant difference, and these bearing edges were pretty beat up. You are thinking about airflow in your analysis, but that's not really the issue. Bearing edges which are smooth and true allow greater sustain and a livelier tone than edges which are damaged or out of round. It's a matter of resonance, not airflow. This is true of concert and double headed toms. Using putty or filler is not going to be a durable repair, and it will also affect the resonance of the drum since it has a different density than the wood and isn't a part of the wood. The only way to get damaged bearing edges perfectly true and maximize the tone and sustain is to re-cut them. Incidentally, the heads you saw were just some I had lying around at that moment, not what was ultimately installed.

[@ShawnxEdge]

Why not just used a 30 degree but?

[@tinderboxartsmusic]

There are lots of different profiles you could choose, I just went with something similar to the original manufacturer. There are router bits available in many but not all degrees, so you may need to set up a jig or do multiple passes if you want something that differs from the bit profile.

[@ja60123]

Probably 30degree on that bevel

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Everyone was building to international standards basically! My bet is a 30 degree round over! That was the standard in the 60,s!

[@vdbox15]

Same voice as Todd Sucherman