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+-- Thread: Finishing a drum shell and having issues (/showthread.php?tid=7327893)
Finishing a drum shell and having issues - KingwoodFan1989 - 02-13-2017
Been a while since I've been on here and it's also been a while since I have done any woodworking, as I've lived away from my tools for a while. I'm currently working on a drum, specifically a gong bass drum, and although it fits together well and sounds great, I've had nothing less than a hellish experience trying to finish it, and I need help big time.
Long story short, I've got a Maple shell. It's very thin at only 5/32", and it's 6-ply, which leaves each ply VERY thin. At first the finishing process was going great. I was using Ebony oil based stain, and I got a fairly even coat. Still, there were a couple of bad spots, and in trying to fix those the whole process got derailed. I tried putting a second coat on, and it dried VERY unevenly. Shiny in some spots, flat in others, and just all around terrible. Although I wanted the grain to show through the finish, I was willing to try solid paint as opposed to stain as a last resort. So I got some oil based paint. I tried sanding the stain (which I admit wasn't entirely cured...it came off in little rolls rather than generating dust) and then put the paint over it. It still ended up VERY uneven and I'm kinda getting sick of screwing up. Finishing has always seemed to trip me up, and I'm getting tired of it, so I need advice.
Here's the main thing...I've already ruined one drum shell, and that was a cheap one. The current one I have cost me around $235, and that was after some discounts! I CANNOT get another shell, that's out of the question. Also, I can only sand down so far. With the plies this thin, I CANNOT go down to the bare wood. That's too risky and I could end up making the same mistake I did with the first shell. I know for a fact there's a way to paint over stain, but I'm having a lot of trouble and I want to move forward with this rather than just spinning my tires. Again, I CANNOT get a new shell and I CANNOT sand completely down to the bare wood. Sorry to sound picky or demanding, but I need to be able to work with what I have.
I will admit I didn't use a primer, so could that be the main issue? Also, I'm using foam brushes since they're cheaper, but could this be causing me issues? Is it the fact that I didn't let the previous finish dry fully first before sanding and applying the paint? I'm really not sure what to do. I'm basically just in the process of brushing mineral spirits on the surface, sanding with 320 wet/dry paper, and then wiping the slurry off the surface just to get an even surface without sanding through to the bare wood and potentially through the first ply. I've never painted before, and again, finishing has always been a nightmare for me, so I really need help here. Thank you.
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - WoodAndrew - 02-13-2017
Hi! Will you post any pictures??
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - KingwoodFan1989 - 02-13-2017
I can. I'm at work now but I can post pics tonight. For now is there any advice you could give me without them? Mostly I'd just like to know the best way to paint over the stain and how to get a nice even coat.
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - clockman - 02-13-2017
I would think a spray finish would go on more uniform, than a sponge brush.
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - KingwoodFan1989 - 02-14-2017
On second thought, I don't think I want to post pics right now. I'm feeling tired after work and I didn't do any work on it tonight anyway.
As far as spraying, I understand how that could give it a more uniform texture, but I'm also concerned about color. I was ending up with light and dark spots, and I want to avoid those as well. How would I go about that? Would an oil based primer over the stain help?
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - Chuck 80 - 02-14-2017
My suggestion would be to try applying De waxed shellac and let it dry thoroughly. Lightly sand the surface and then top coat with your finish of choice. Try it on some scrap pieces first!
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - cputnam - 02-14-2017
+ 1 for shellac. You might try some tinted shellac on the off-color spots. A coat of shellac will get to a point where you can sand lightly for smoothness. After which you can top coat with whatever you were planning on.
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - KingwoodFan1989 - 02-15-2017
Well I went by Home Depot last night and got some primer that happens to be shellac based. I'm almost done sanding the layer of paint off the drum as much as I can without risking sanding through the first ply, so I might even put both the shellac primer and the subsequent coat of paint on tonight. Thanks for the shellac suggestions!
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - ed kerns - 02-15-2017
If all else fails you could use a drum wrap. There are a number of online companies.
RE: Finishing a drum shell and having issues - KingwoodFan1989 - 02-15-2017
Yes, drum wraps and even veneers are always an option. However, the rest of my drumset is basically black with some tint variation, except for my snare drum which is a deep golden maple finish. Thus, the shell I want to be black with a shiny clear coat and the hoop and lug spacers to be deep golden.