Drum repairs – “Slinger” update
Hello grubs,
Well, since the last post I made I decided to drill and re-tap the holes on the original parts of my 6.5″ x 14″ Slingerland snare drum. I just couldn’t bring myself to toss that great vintage hardware. I though hey, if I drill it an it breaks or doesn’t except a tap, I’ll just buy new ones…no biggie. So after removing the heads and hoops I removed the butt plate and throwoff. I’ve always wondered what the metal was in this snare drum, so I was finally about to get my chance to see beyond the plating!
After drilling out the holes one size up in screw size, I notice the shavings on the workbench. The ones from the butt plate side are very coppery coloured, while the throwoff side was more steel/brass coloured…interesting! So I would imagine the shell is some sort of combination as these parts were. I doubt Slingerland took the time to select different metals back in the 70′s for each part. I’m sure it was one big batch of alloy that they used for everything, and then plated the whole bajeesus in chrome.
After re-tapping the freshly drilled holes and test-fitting the new bolts, everything was nice and tight…pretty good for my first try. After re-assembly I put the hoops and heads back on, laced up the snares and tuned her up. Ahhh, as good as new again! One thing I did notice during this whole process, was the metal was very soft and easy to drill/tap. One must be careful when changing snare wires or adjusting the straps/cords on these particular snare drums. I wouldn’t want to strip the screws out a second time…I got no more metal to drill and re-tap!!
In closing, if you have a snare drum that this happens to don’t be afraid to get your hands in there and get a little dirty. Snare drum replacement parts are plentiful and if you screw up, oh well..just buy new ones! I’m glad I tried this route rather than just changing them out in the first place. There is something to be said for fixing what you got, rather than tossing them. Now the old snare drum stays all original (accept for the new shiny bolt heads…) and it only cost me $15 for a tap kit. Not bad.
Peace, The Worm~
