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Thread: removing lugs

  1. #1

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    Default removing lugs

    i have a preeeety crap drumkit right now. when i buy a new one, i figured i might invest in a little project.... cosmetically improve my existing kit, so i can have someting pretty to look at .
    one thing id like to do is remove the wrap... basically, there is a layer of plastic (not glued) only being presses against the shell by being under the lugs... then the wrap is glued onto this plastic. id like to remove this wrap... but to do that, id have to remove the lugs. and i have no idea how.
    i remember seeing someons drumkit (i think it was late8) with a ludwig kit he had taken the wrap off of. so i know its possible
    if anyone could help me here, id very much appreciate it, because im not to keen on trial and error...
    -matt
    Sonor - Pearl - Tama - Mapex - Paiste - Sabian - Roc N Soc - Pro Mark - Gibralter - Evans - Dixon - Mapex

  2. #2

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    First you have to take your heads and rims off. Then, on the inside of the shell, you should see pairs of screws or one screw. Loosen them with a phillips screwdriver, but do not lose them while doing so. Make sure every screw that you see from the inside of the shell is off, and the lugs/strainer/butt will be removed. Your final challenge is to remove the airhole grommet, and that can get messy if you have the cheap kind that are molded into place. In this case, you would be wanting to use something thin enough to pry it off such as a butterknife. Do it carefully, and be careful not to scratch the inner shell in any way because this can have a negative effect on the drum sound.

    Some airhole grommets are the screw-in type, much easier to deal with. Once you've got all the hardware off, make sure you keep all screws with it's own type of hardware.(lug screws stay with lugs, strainer screws stay with strainers, etc) If you do not keep hardware together and organized, you could have a mess on your hands trying to figure out what goes where when you reinstall them. Anyways, at this point all your hardware should be off the drum and kept with it's own parts somewhere you can find it later. Now you're ready for the next step- wrap removal.

    If this is a cheaper kit, the wrap will likely have very little hardcore adhesive to deal with and the contact point will be smaller. Take extreme care when removing the wrap from here, because if you go too fast and rip it off you might leave residue on the shell and you will have to sand that off. Personally, with wrap removal I like to use a hair dryer if it's really on there and then slowly slowly peel it off. Wraps are usually attached at only one point, so you don't have to worry about going around the whole shell- it won't take nearly that long. Once you have the wrap off, if there's any mess left behind from glues and such, you will need to sand it with either a machine or sandpaper.(I forget which size grit paper to use)

    That's all there really is to it pretty much. By now you should have a stripped shell, and you have options open for refinishing at this point. There's some things you can do if the shell is smooth enough. You can leave it unwrapped and natural as is and just put the hardware back on, apply stain/wax/oil/satin/lacquer finish, or buy a new wrap and then put hardware over it. You can also refinish your hardware to your own choosing if you like. In any event, once you have your new finish on the shell, you just line up your hardware with the shell's holes appropriately and screw it back on there. First putting on the lugs/strainer/butt and then putting the matching screw through the hole on the other side of the hardware to lock it down.

    If the airhole grommet isn't the screw type, throw it out you are much better without one there. Instead, pick up the screw in type if you don't have it already, they are only a dollar or two most places. It won't affect the sound if you don't have one on there, it's mainly just for looks. After getting the hardware screwed back in, it's time to put the head and rims back on. After that, you can put the snare wires on the bottom, but not until the drumheads are on first. Though not the most comprehensive guide out there, that's in a nutshell how you restore a drum. I left out the processes of applying the finish because it's up to you which type to use.
    Last edited by Russ; 08-22-2010 at 02:00 AM.
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  3. #3

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    Default Re: removing lugs


    russ. you are a legend!!!
    Sonor - Pearl - Tama - Mapex - Paiste - Sabian - Roc N Soc - Pro Mark - Gibralter - Evans - Dixon - Mapex

  4. #4

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    Default Re: removing lugs

    I would never attempt of doing anything like that to a kit cause you may ruin it but in your case if it is a cheap crappy kit then it's ok I guess. Russ has the right way of doing it good luck.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: removing lugs

    Unwrapping can be tricky, but taking the lugs, hardware, etc... off isn't an issue at all. I've completely taken apart my old Tama kit to clean everything, and then put it back together. Was kind of fun!
    Jesse

    1986 Tama Crestar - Lacquered Piano White
    2016 Roland TD-25K
    2015 Tama Starclassic B/B - Indigo Blue Sparkle

  6. #6

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    Default Re: removing lugs

    When you start putting the hardware back on the drum...pick up some "Blue" Loctite thread treatment. The blue Loctite will prevent any of the nuts from backing off their respective bolts from vibration. Once you have dismantled the hardware from the drum, the nuts and bolts will now have a tendency to respond to the vibrations of the drum and unscrew themselves...not a good thing to have happen so thats why you need the blue loctite.

    Never use the Red Loctite~~~!
    The RED loctite? Once you use the Red loctite on a nut and bolt...chances are you will twist the bolt in half before the nut will come loose.
    Yamaha Oak Custom 22x17 with Brass Kick Port, Brass Hoop Claws,10-12-14 racks, 16 Floor and all toms have Brass Hoops and a Tama Starclassic Bubinga Elite 14x6.5 snare in Quilted Mocha Burst and Black Nickel hardware. All hi-end Zildjian Cymbals - K Dark Thin crashes & splashes, a Zildjian A crash & a Meinl 16" crash, Avedis Zildjian 1964 ride, K Custom hats plus New Beat hats on Closed X-Hat.


    If a Man offends thee - - give each of his children a Drum~~~!!!

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