Cymbal Crack

[Rainard]

Hey guys so I was playing drums one day and as I was looking at one of my ZBT Crashes I saw a small crack, which is like 1/3rd an inch. and I would like to ask if there is a possible way to fix this crack? Im very scared to play on it so I use my stock pearl cymbal which sound I dont really like. Ive been using my ZBTs for maybe more than 8 months only and Im trying to be really careful about how I play now.. Can anyone please help me out on fixing it and how to hit my cymbals properly or something? thank you!

[kyle102565]

not much you can do but drill the end of the crack with a small drillbit to stop the crack from spreading. i got the same size crack on a ZBT 16" crash and the cymbal is junk, you can get a little bit of sound out of it but its dull, my 18 crash is brighter than the 16 so i shelved it. as for hitting the cymbal, try not to hit it direct, instead use glancing blows. youll be surprised at the sounds youll get instead of just railing the cymbal.
its like hitting a golfball, you dont have to kill it to get it to go far.

[Pearl MCX Man]

That is kind of funny cause I had whole ZBT pro pack and I smack the heck out of them cause I was trying to destroy them cause they are crap and sounded like garbage can lids. Anyway I could not damage them at all so I gave them away to a beginner. This is why I find it funny that the two of you did crack ZBT cymbals.

[kyle102565]

why did you buy them in the first place?

[drumsetsnide]

The only way you can stop the crack from spreading is to drill a hole at either end of the crack using an 1/8" or 3/16" drill bit.

As far as technique, rather than hitting it straight on, use a swiping or glancing hit. Also, angle the cymbals a bit. Having them flat isn't that good for the cymbals. I never did nor will I understand drummers who play with cymbals flat on the stand.

Best of luck.

[Pearl MCX Man]

why did you buy them in the first place?

It was a gift from someone who did'nt know much about cymbals and I forgave him for do so LOL.

[Pearl MCX Man]

The only way you can stop the crack from spreading is to drill a hole at either end of the crack using an 1/8" or 3/16" drill bit.

As far as technique, rather than hitting it straight on, use a swiping or glancing hit. Also, angle the cymbals a bit. Having them flat isn't that good for the cymbals. I never did nor will I understand drummers who play with cymbals flat on the stand.

Best of luck.

I agree with you man all my cymbals are slanted a bit and never cracked one yet.

[wolvie56]

Drilling a hole at the end of the crack doesn't always stop it from growing because when you hit the cymbal, the 2 rough edges of the crack rub against each other creating even more stress. Causing the crack to continue past the hole you drilled. As well as creating a sizzle sound depending on how long the crack is. The best way to stop a crack from spreading further is to create a slot with a dremel steel cutting bit so that the edges don't touch. Then file the edges smooth, finish by sanding the edges even smoother. When I first started of, instead of buying low end cymbal packs, I bought damaged pro level cymbals and fixed the cracks. Depending on the damage, you would be mostly hard pressed to tell the difference unless you have dog ears. I've found this method to be the best fix.

[kyle102565]

It was a gift from someone who did'nt know much about cymbals and I forgave him for do so LOL.

i got my ZBT cymbal pro pack at a garage sale,lousy kit thrown in.
they do stink

[late8]

If you're trying to save for cast cymbals and need this crash to last a few more weeks then I would try and drill out the crack but there's no promises that the crack wouldn't grow beyond the drilled hole. ZBT cymbals are rolled sheet metal and are stamped out. The tinsel strength of rolled sheet metal is pretty low, thus they are often described as 'garbage can lids' when played. In my opinion, if you're planning on upgrading, don't waste your time drilling out the crack.

[Markadiddle]

You could always try to use epoxy and then bake it in the oven. Depends on how bad the crack is. A friend of mine did this with some pretty good results. The crack was fairly small. He applied epoxy in the crack and vibrated it a bit to get it to set, wiped off the excess and then baked it in the oven at about 200 degrees for about and hour.

[MattDrums]

First...

If you bought your cymbals new and you cracked one in 8 months, then you are still covered under the Zildjian warranty and you are entitled to a free replacement cymbal. Contact your dealer or Zildjian directly to begin the warranty process.

Once a cymbal starts to crack, you are on borrowed time. drilling holes, routing channels, and other methods will extend the life of the cymbal to varying degrees, but you'd be wise to start setting aside some dough for a new cymbal now. I tell my students all the time, the Bronze age ended 3000 years ago for a reason... it's not very durable stuff. That's why there are only 2 things in the world still made from it.

[Olimpass]

If the crack is at the edge, you can grind it away using this method as I have demonstrated in this vid. Hope this helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKMGAfWBGMM

[wolvie56]

If the crack is at the edge, you can grind it away using this method as I have demonstrated in this vid. Hope this helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKMGAfWBGMM

A dremel works doing this as well if you don't have a grinder.