Cool James!  Thanks for taking the time to document this project. 




Whoa there Chris, I don't know you at all and I don't want to insult your intelligence, but make sure you research the heck out of that before you mess with your pies.  It's far more complicated than I ever imagined.  Check out our brothers over at cymbalholic.com for more information about cymbals than you can possibly imagine. 

Absolutely!  Recently, I've been indulging myself with some Keith Jarrett Trio (featuring Mr. DeJohnette) to make the time go a bit more enjoyably (if that's a word!).  I think I'll dial up some Roy Haynes for the next phase of the project, or maybe some Brian Blade. 

Anyway...back to the updates.

I'm still waiting on the hardware (lugs, etc.), but that's OK.  Even though I think I'm finished applying the poly topcoat, I want to give it at least a few days (if not longer) to cure before I start marking the shells with the layout for drilling.  I took the shells outside this morning, to get some decent pictures taken.

floor tom:  http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/bopkit/bopkit_025.jpg
bass drum:  http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/bopkit/bopkit_026.jpg
12" tom:  http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/bopkit/bopkit_028.jpg
10" tom:  http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/bopkit/bopkit_029.jpg
"family portrait":  http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/bopkit/bopkit_031.jpg

(For those of you keeping score, this is after ten coats of polyurethane.)

For better or for worse, my photos aren't detailed enough to show the little flaws in the finishes - the things that separate my finishes from the pro's.  Whenever I finish a drum, I usually end up reaching a point of diminishing returns, where I'm not really improving the product no matter how many times I repeat the sand/poly cycle.  This is my Achilles' Heel where this sort of project is concerned.  Usually, I can get things to the point where you can't see the flaws 'til you get a foot or so away from the shell.  One of these days, I'm going to take some refresher woodworking and wood finishing courses, to try and "raise my game" that much further, but that's another story for another time.

I also compared one of the tom shells to the matching snare drum I completed about a month ago.  They're pretty close - close enough for my purposes, at least:

http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/bopkit/bopkit_024.jpg

I was a bit nervous, mixing a new batch of dye for the tom and bass shells, but things seem to have worked out pretty well in terms of matching things up.

Next up, we get to the fun stuff:  marking the drums for layout, and drilling.  I'm also going to have to decide exactly what I want to do in terms of mounting the rack toms.  The idea of keeping the bass drum "virgin" is starting to intrigue me. 

EDIT:  Just because I know how important this thread is to everyone (that's meant with good-natured sarcasm, BTW), I'll mention that I've made one slight change to the plans for this kit.  Rather than use the ISS mounts, I'm going to go straight to the RIMS mount option - no passing GO, no $200, etc. - just because I stumbled across a really good deal on a set of 10" and 12" RIMS mounts. 

That's no condemnation of the ISS mounts, tho - I've got something else in mind for at least one of the ISS mounts I've got.  Stay tuned.

Very cool!  If I ever take the plunge, you're hired! 

Yum...

Looking at those shots, I find myself dreaming that those beautiful shells would likely taste like a delicious grape lollipop.

 

Thanks, guys.  Your kind words are appreciated.

Re: the badge - I'm surprised nobody has tried to photoshop the "DW" logo into a "JW" logo.  Copyright infringement, anyone? 

FWIW, the lugs and bass hoops are on the way, so layout and drilling should begin in a few days, once the finish has a chance to cure.  On the bass hoops, I think I'm going to go with the purple finish on both sides.  I think it'll look better with the coated reso head I plan to use on the bass drum; if I were going to use a clear reso head, I'd go with the fruitwood stain on the interior to match the interior of the shell.  (With the holiday, however, I probably won't take delivery of the hoops 'til Tuesday or Wednesday - plenty of time for me to change my mind yet again!)

I've also decided to keep the bass drum virgin, for two reasons.  One is purely cosmetic - it's a pretty shell, and I don't want to cover up the finish.  The second reason is functional.  I want to be able to use the 16" snare drum as a primary snare with this kit, and what I've found with my 14x22 bass is when I set up the 16, it's tough to sit close enough to the bass drum pedal, with the 10" rack tom in the same place it always is.  If I have the toms mounted on cymbal stand brackets, it'll be very easy to move the toms back to make room for the snare, without having to move the bass drum further away from me.  Plus, with the money I'll saving by not having to buy a tom mount for the bass drum, I'll be able to upgrade the floor tom brackets and bass drum spurs from what I had originally planned to use.

While working on the finish has been fun (challenging, and sometimes tedious, but nonetheless fun), I'm looking forward to the layout and drilling, and especially working on the bearing edges.  Making the drums look pretty is nice, but it'll be refreshing to deal with things that will affect the sound of the drums as well.  (I'm trying to keep in mind my "signature quote" below as I work on this project.)

This is not meant to compete with Byron, but out of sheer boredom I thought I'd have a go at a badge myself. It was too late to do the JW/DW logo, although that is a funny idea.

My badge:

I can't resist, and I needed something to do while the coffee was brewing earlier this morning.



(Apologies to anyone and everyone affiliated with Drum Workshop.)

Fun! 

I'd like to put a badge on my soon-to-be-assembled snare and I was looking at manufacturers to see about making a few.  I tried one and the quote for the badge was more than the drum itself.  Does anyone here have the capability of creating a single metal badge with something on it???

Perhaps something that incorporates the phrase "crossroads of innovation"?