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Thread: Removing Finish From Congas

  1. #1

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    Default Removing Finish From Congas

    Hey all....I'm trying to remove the finish form a pair of 1991 Matadors with no luck. I've done this on many drums and never had a problem like this. I have went over the finish with several coats of heavy duty stripper but the finish just wont blister like it should to remove the finish and now that the stripper is dry it creates a coat that when I tried the sanding method the dried stripper coat just clogs up the sand paper so fast that it's not even worth the time, what a nightmare! Anyone have any suggestions

  2. #2
    msb501clave Guest

    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    what kind of striper are you using? Bell rock make some heavy stuff....
    you may need to also use a heavy duty scraping knife to remove the product and the Poly. This may also however add to the amount of sanding you will need to do ...
    Its not likely that there is fiberglass on the outside of a drum from that time. Just keep in mind that too much time with a striper can lead to glue issues.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Try using acetone. It evaporates really quickly and leaves no chemical residue. If you use acetone, use in a well vented area (outside if the weather is good) and have rubber gloves as it will dry and deplete your hands of natural skin oils.





    I used acetone for at least a week and the fumes and skin irritation were strong but manageable. You must sand down what little residue is left behind from the process.

    Good luck!

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Here's what the drum looked like with clear coat added:


    Finished and dried:
    Last edited by late8; 03-01-2010 at 02:37 PM.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Thanks all,
    I was a little worried about the glue thing MSB. Leedy I think I’m gonna try the electric sander method and definitely with a mask and eye protection because I understand stripper is some bad stuff and breathing it up while sanding cant be good. MSB the stripper I used is called Klein Heavy duty, I bought it at OHS and it worked fine every time except for now. Late8 nice job, you have a great looking set but I think I used enough toxins on my congas for now but thanks for the info.
    L4C

  6. #6
    msb501clave Guest

    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Quote Originally Posted by leedy2 View Post
    msb501clave
    you guy have to read info before you talk here is info on LP congas please read. All LP conga except Giovanni models have a coat of fiberglass including matadors to protect finish and wood from cracking. there is no poly it a lite coat of fiberglass . you have to use a fiberglass rosin remover to get that off or sand.None of those chemical will work.this has been going on at LP for 4 years know. here is info on all drums from LP this done to protect finishes that they are doing today those nice paint jobs you see. This what come with all new drums.

    5⁄16" diameter tuning lugs
    Reinforced LP Heart Side Plates
    Fiberglass layer added to the inside upper portion of the shell to provide additional strength and outside of drums
    LP ProCare Integrated Shell Protectors prevent the side plate hardware from marking or damaging adjacent drums
    Accessory pouch, tuning wrench, and LP Lug Lube included


    I do read these posts and read the LP info and have verifyed with a dear frnd @ LP that old Matadors do not have fiberglass on the outside of the drum.... I also highlighted the key phrase in the LP product desc above. Im not splitting hairs here. Cuco, you are someone that i respect i just think you missed a small detail... Moving on... moving on....

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Quote Originally Posted by luv4congas View Post
    Hey all....I'm trying to remove the finish form a pair of 1991 Matadors with no luck. I've done this on many drums and never had a problem like this. I have went over the finish with several coats of heavy duty stripper but the finish just wont blister like it should to remove the finish and now that the stripper is dry it creates a coat that when I tried the sanding method the dried stripper coat just clogs up the sand paper so fast that it's not even worth the time, what a nightmare! Anyone have any suggestions
    OMG...poor guy ! These Asian Made congas, have always used a thick plastic like coating to hide the fact that they use cheap soft woods....the same woods U see in cheap consumer products like salad bowls and a variety of broken second hand store domestic goods. Never is resurfacing Asian drums a worthy mission...for the time & effort...you can refinish a quality wooden boat ! I suggest....you neturalise whatever chemicals u used to strip it with...and sand it down , use fillers & do some body work smoothing to prepare it for a cover coat that hides any imperfections, and resurface with...NOT a glossy color but a textured finnish that future scratch & dents can be hidden & easily touched up w/ a simple marker pen ! My experience in the past paid off & I bring my shells...pre pared for refinnishing, to a local boat repair shop where they can shoot GEL COAT ( same coating as cars, boats & planes ) is fiberglass resins, but with a color that looks like glossy cork board w/ brown, tan & gold tints. ( i wish I kept a photo ) My older Gon Bops thay were not fiberglass coated...had a thin clearcoat over the color stain, making refinishings as easy as most common wood projects. Asian drums are horrendously thick w/ some BS coating. Its there to make it shinny and its a kightmare to refinnish. I never buy Asian Drums...regardless of brand because of BS like this ! If that were done to your drum set...you'd never want it or at least not keep it ! These colr stains on natural wood colors is like painting a used yellow taxi cab Black. Every scratch will show and scream out " I'm scratched & ugly ! "

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Quote Originally Posted by luv4congas View Post
    Hey all....I'm trying to remove the finish form a pair of 1991 Matadors with no luck. I've done this on many drums and never had a problem like this. I have went over the finish with several coats of heavy duty stripper but the finish just wont blister like it should to remove the finish and now that the stripper is dry it creates a coat that when I tried the sanding method the dried stripper coat just clogs up the sand paper so fast that it's not even worth the time, what a nightmare! Anyone have any suggestions
    Yes, what a mess ! This is why I dont refinish Asian made Congas anymore, For the time & effort, the same value money wise, could almost cover the cost of a new set of marked down congas. But...if Cuco is right, it is a fiberglass gel coat / clear coat. Fiber glass ~ means they used actual fiberglass fabric w/ resins etc. I believe its just a clear gel coat. Fliber glass fabric can & will blister up off of wood and then you will see the fabric rather than a clear coat. Gon Bops used to do this too, with & with out color gel coats. Are these Matadors really such a wonderfull wood grain that ist worth effort to reveal a clean restored wood, or can you appreciate just a clean color coat that fills & hides imperfections ? You may want to cut your losses & simplify this job. Its always a labor of LOVE when we restore drums. Good Luck then. Send pics of your progressive work !?

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Quote Originally Posted by Ernesto Pediangco View Post
    Yes, what a mess ! This is why I dont refinish Asian made Congas anymore, For the time & effort, the same value money wise, could almost cover the cost of a new set of marked down congas. But...if Cuco is right, it is a fiberglass gel coat / clear coat. Fiber glass ~ means they used actual fiberglass fabric w/ resins etc. I believe its just a clear gel coat. Fliber glass fabric can & will blister up off of wood and then you will see the fabric rather than a clear coat. Gon Bops used to do this too, with & with out color gel coats. Are these Matadors really such a wonderfull wood grain that ist worth effort to reveal a clean restored wood, or can you appreciate just a clean color coat that fills & hides imperfections ? You may want to cut your losses & simplify this job. Its always a labor of LOVE when we restore drums. Good Luck then. Send pics of your progressive work !?
    Things had gotten worse before they got better! I used a palm sander with 80 grit, it was like trying to sand concrete! I was ready to just toss the shells and cut my losses or spray them with trunk paint or Rhino Lining but a friend let my try his high powered random orbital sander which went through the finish with no problem! I put the 2nd coat of stain today and it looks really nice! Anyone have any ideas how to post pics on drum chat?
    L4C

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    glad you are getting some success with the project.

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    to post picks you have to go to a 3rd party source like Shutterfly.com and then post the link you created to the photo album. thats what i did

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Thanks guys, I know Asian congas can be hard to work on but I seen a show where they said to use a stain pre treatment and to stop at 150 grit so the wood soaks up the stain even. It seems to work well for siam oak, last time I worked all the way to 400 grit and had a heck of a time with blotching. Sorry if the pics don't come out.
    L4C

    <a target="_blank" href="http://img440.imageshack.us/i/dscf0316.jpg/"><img src="http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7933/dscf0316.th.jpg" border="0"/></a><br>
    <a target="_blank" href="http://img132.imageshack.us/i/dscf0312rj.jpg/"><img src="http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1734/dscf0312rj.th.jpg" border="0"/></a><br>
    <a target="_blank" href="http://img707.imageshack.us/i/dscf0311e.jpg/"><img src="http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/1120/dscf0311e.th.jpg" border="0"/></a><br>

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    luv4congas just use the http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7933/dscf0316.th.jpg portion
    as a link to the pics. All the rest is code for setting in a web page.
    By the way the drums look great
    thanks for sharing

  14. #14

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  15. #15

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    very nice, better than new

  16. #16

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    Thanks Willie55, I'm not sure which is faster paint remover or random orbital sander which ended up working realy good!
    l4c

  17. #17

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    Those matadors look great.... got me thinking about mine now.
    I'd have to pitch the comfort rims I have for some trad rims though.... just what I need... another project!!!

  18. #18

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    Beautiful !!! luv4congas, They look great. That was definately a worthwhile project. I thought the Matadors were pretty decent congas. Where did you get those shell protectors and how much? I need some for my congas.

  19. #19

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Quote Originally Posted by SportEd View Post
    Those matadors look great.... got me thinking about mine now.
    I'd have to pitch the comfort rims I have for some trad rims though.... just what I need... another project!!!
    Thanks SportEd, If your drums are clean why bother. It's a lot of work, I ended up buying a $100 Random orbital sander for this project, did'nt expect that! but the original clear coat just wouldn't come off with paint stripper like it should have but 40grit took it off fast!

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by VIbes View Post
    Beautiful !!! luv4congas, They look great. That was definately a worthwhile project. I thought the Matadors were pretty decent congas. Where did you get those shell protectors and how much? I need some for my congas.
    Hello Vibes, It's a releaf that their done, it felt good when I did the finel touch (installing the Matador badges) I paid $20 with shipping for a pack of 6 shell protectors at California Percussion. Your right, Matadors are very decent drums, I'm a big fan of them, I like them old and new!

  21. #21

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    Hi. Well done. They look so beautiful! I want to do the same with my old LP classics. What colour of woodstain did you use? Do you have any advice on sanding (mine are quite scratched) and woodstaining and varnishing? I know the varnish will come off easy as I have done them before but badly.
    Cheers.

  22. #22

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    Default Re: Removing Finish From Congas

    Quote Originally Posted by luv4congas View Post
    Hey all....I'm trying to remove the finish form a pair of 1991 Matadors with no luck. I've done this on many drums and never had a problem like this. I have went over the finish with several coats of heavy duty stripper but the finish just wont blister like it should to remove the finish and now that the stripper is dry it creates a coat that when I tried the sanding method the dried stripper coat just clogs up the sand paper so fast that it's not even worth the time, what a nightmare! Anyone have any suggestions
    Since Asian Made drums were coated like this, I quit buying them. Its not convenient to use drums that are designed to scratch & dent each other ( tuning hard wares ) and yet not easily refurbished or match the color stains. I kept my 1997 Gon Bops instead & am careful not to bang them around any way. Recently a friend gouged one of my Afro brand congas & I am just relocating the Afro brand badge to hide the damage. Good luck....but its easier to sell the damaged drum & repurchase cleaner ones.

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