You undertake some very difficult repairs, where others would just give up. Great work and great videos. Always a pleasure watching you save vintage drums!!!

Hi Bruce. A good way to get a drum back in round is to work from the inside diameter. First, remove the entire re-ring (just like you did), then measure what the inside diameter should be without the re-ring. Next, cut a disc from a piece of hard wood (at least an inch thick) the exact size of what the inside diameter should be. Then apply glue on both the inner shell and the outside edge of the disc. Insert the disc to the inner shell which will force the drum back into round, clamp everything from the outside and let it dry. After everything has dried, measure how thick you want the new re-ring to be, draw a guideline for the inner edge, drill a hole, and then run a jigsaw along the guideline all the way around (or you can use a router). Sand the new re-ring and boom, you're done. No, you're not using the original re-ring - and I'm sure purists might have an issue with that - but you'll have a useable drum that's back in round. Russ

I tell you what people always made fun of me for using a butterknife for everything, but damn if they are not a handy tool lol! You can do almost anything with it! So seeing you use one a lot makes me feel better lol

Thanks for the info on this project. I have a 40s bass drum that needs some work. This was very helpful.

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but, I wish you would have placed a standard 14" head and also an oversized 14" modern head designed for oversized/out of round shells (perhaps a Remo Classic Fit head) on the drum at the end of the video to see how they fit. Thanks for the very informative video - Great job.

I keep waiting for your wife to walk in and say that’s where my butter knife went. I wondered about soaking rerings, now I know. You could use a ceiling mounted camera rig. Great job again. Would a remo fiber skin fit? I thought they had more forgiveness in size. I would egg shape it stain it. Help Bruce out and like his videos! It’s the least you can do.

Hi Bruce. Wow that is my snare. '48-'49. I have the whole kit. My nickel... That drum was round when it left the factory. They were turned in a lathe. Then the rings were added. Oversize probably. The heads were too. I was lucky to have Aquarian modern vintage heads fit mine when I took the calf ones off. This was 2001. Seems to me yours was stored with uneven tension. I would get it round, wet sand and buff to remove some of the yellow and sell it. I guarentee somebody needs that large oval badge beauty. And it's ORIGINAL! Cheers.

I vote for wrap removal and contouring the edge. Make it playable.

Another option instead of squeezing the shell at the widest point to try getting it back into shape, you can sometimes put a piece of wood across the inside of the shell, forced in at the narrowest point, to push it outwards. Just leave it in place as you re-glue the rerings. You might just need to saw the piece in half to remove it after the glue has dried, if it won't come out past the rings! The big clamp on the outside can get in the way of the small clamps you are using to clamp the re-ring back on. A small cabinet scraper is good for removing the old glue, then a little curved bock of wood with some 120 grit sandpaper stuck to it with double sided tape. Another tip is you can use masking tape on the inside of the shell to catch most of the glue squeeze out, so there is less excess to clean off. Just make sure it's far enough down that you don't end up with masking tape glued in between the shell and re-ring!

I think only a drum maker would have the right machinery to clamp thatshell back to perfect round. Not imposible but long time out of your life. You have to fashion moulds remove wrap soak it more and clamp it in some kind of .mould like how they champ the body of classical guitar sides in a mould. Lots of work but possible. Might sound better with the wrap off or different anyway. Good luck with what you decide to do. Anythingis possible. Cheers

Thanks for the video Bruce! I'd love to see the contouring work with the wrap taken off so the drum can be used again. Would be interesting to see that process too. Thanks again.

I like to try and keep original whatever possible, I usually just thoroughly clean and get everything functional,but that means I have quite few " mad max " looking drums. I like the road worn look if that's the life it's had.. .. I fully understand not everyone is into that though. I'd be anxious to see how you go about contouring it to get a head on it, but whatever you decide, count me in. I've learned a lot from the channel...Thank you.

I like the wood grain idea

I’d sand the top layer of the wrap, with progressive finer sand paper and the buff, that normally you can get rid of most of the yellowing. There’s another method that Ive tried un rubber and plastics but never in drums. You put a thin layer of 40 volumen hair developer, wrap it with film and put the shell in the sun. And try the remo classic fit, they are supposed to fit oversized drums

Great stuff ! I got a cheap early 2001 Gretsch Catalina 14x18 bass drum online for 150.00 . problem is, it got a hairline crack about 3" long on the inside of the shell during shipping. It's only effects the top layer, removed hardware (spur) to check holes, and runs right up to the edge, so I can see it's in-fact only the top ply. What would be a good way to prevent the crack from spreading with out making a mess, maybe I use some silver to help seal it up after some type of glue ? I can see the crack but can't feel it with my finger, feels smooth as if it wasn't no crack there.

Have you tried the Remo classic fit drum heads? Maybe remo could make you some custom heads that would fit?

I've used an old drumhead metal ring clamped on the outside alongside maple ring inside with glue. This relatively insures "in round".

Good morning Bruce.

Is there any drum head that will fit on the slightly over shaped side?

Love your videos, Bruce. I like your idea of sanding to round over to reduce the OD. What about removing the bottom re ring first to get the whole drum closer to in round? That might be enough to push it over the edge. I assume if you reduce the edge OD, that you’d have to remove the wrap?

Funny, I was going to ask about this. I have the exact same snare except cloud badge. I can get the bottom a head on top is tight closest is Aquarian vintage. But that still snug. doesn’t look like there’s separation so I couldn’t figure out why heads are tight.

Hi Bruce, I enjoyed this video and have a few thoughts. Have you ever tried allthread? I have a Slingerland 3 ply, around 1957 that was out of round. Used the allthread through the lug holes with washers and nuts at multiple locations on the shell, sprayed the inside if the shell with water and kinda rubbed it in, not completely soaking it and let it dry for a few days. It popped the rerings a little and I glued it back with the allthread still in place. It got the drum in round enough to get regular heads on it. I can send some pictures if you're interested.

Hard call but what else could you do?

Hey why not just say screw it and leave the rings out? Or is that just dumb lol?

make it a players drum!

Remove wrap and contour.