Tape vs. Glue
© JamminSam. All rights reserved.
(Edition 2)
(Continued from History of Sparkle
Drum Wrap)
The last set of topics I would like to discuss are listed below:
History of Adhering Drum Wrap
First, lets talk about the history of adhering drum wrap. When
plastics came into being in the 50's and gained wide acceptance in
the 60's, there were two thoughts on how to adhere drum material to
wooden shells: glue or tape. American drum companies decided
to glue because they thought it was a more permanent application, especially with labor being cheaper at the
time, and the remove/re-gluing procedure discouraged a lot from attempting the
job- thus selling more drum sets. Asian companies decided to tape because it was easier and
cheaper. Even though Asian drum companies were trying to reduce
costs, they actually chose the better
approach. There is no doubt that gluing plastic entirely down on a
drum shell holds better than just at a seam, but there is a question that
begs to be asked:
Is it better to use glue?
Actually I believe we are a good resource to answer this
question. We recommended gluing for over 17 years, and now have
recommend taping since early 2001. We have seen the positives and negatives of
both gluing and taping, and have talked to many who have done both, from
"first timers" to those who do it for a living. But to
answer the above question, the answer is no- it is not
better to use glue. This is especially the case when our hi-bond
tape, and our method of installation are used.
There is No Difference in Sound
There is no difference in sound, whether one chooses
to tape just a seam or glue the entire wrap down to the shell.
Over the years we have sold wrap to thousands of customers, who have
glued or taped (and many who have done both). Rarely does anyone
call us and say there is a sound difference, and on those rare occasions,
they say it sounds better (our wrap versus their old situation).
To the date of this article, no one has ever called and said
their drums did not sound as good now taped, then glued before.
Over the years, we have spoken to many people in the drum industry, and
most know there is no sound difference whether one tapes or glues.
Actually when you walk into most music stores, most of the wrapped sets
displayed are taped. If there was a sound difference, music stores
would be pushing the "glued sets" and we would be selling glue
to our customers (which we did for over 17 years)- we would be the first
to sell it- drum wrap is our business. We would not want to lose a sale,
or a customer, over a can of glue- if it was best. And our business would
not do well selling inferior products and making false statements.
But the truth of the matter: There is no sound difference whether
one tapes or glues drum wrap.
Also, there is no visual difference whether one tapes or
glues. (Note: Actually the wrap job may turn out better
when our hi-bond tape is used. See information below.)
(Picture sent in by Bruce Johnson)
(Note: In our drum wrap video,
a red liner tape is used to install the wrap. This tape was last
recommended by us in 2002. Use this link to read more about this
subject.)
To get back to our discussion, "Is it better to glue?" there
are a number of issues with gluing that need to be addressed.
The Ten Disadvantages to Gluing
- Gluing can ruin new drum wrap soon after it is applied.
This can be the case if one uses the wrong glue, or does not apply it
correctly. What happens, is the chemicals in the glue can cause the
wrap to expand- known as "bubbling". This has happened
many times especially with the softer wraps- solids and pearls. We
have heard several individuals tell us how they bought wrap from somewhere
else, used the glue (recommended by the seller), and ruined their wrap.
- Also, wrap can be ruined in the future by using
glue. Many drums have cracked or split the covering mostly because they were
glued. When two different surfaces are bonded together, each can react
differently over the years through cycles of temperature, moisture and
humidity. Well, wood and plastic
do react differently to the same environment. I have seen many older drums
split and/or crack because of this known fact.
- Gluing can cause new drum wrap to change color after a period of
time. Many old drums changed color, not totally because of age,
but because the chemicals in the glue caused a reaction to the properties
of the drum wrap.
- Being in this business for over 25 years, I have seen (and heard)
of several "wrap & shell butcher jobs" with people using glue to
adhere drum wrap- especially for many "first timers", but
certainly not limited to them. I have seen my share of bad edges, and some who
actually ruined their shells trying to cut the wrap off
the edges- some ending up cutting/shaving wood of the shell(s)! Of
course there are those who
have actually used glue and had great results with the appearance, but there have been a host
who have not.
- In gluing the entire wrap down (with contact cement or
similar glues), there is
a much greater chance of ruining the new drum wrap (and possibly
the shells). Gluing usually involves coating the entire back of
the wrap, and the entire shell, then letting both dry separately, once
dry, applying the wrap to the shell. Using this method, it is easy
to adhere the wrap on an angle, thus ruining it. If the material
is put on less than straight (even a 1/2 degree off), the material
angling rolls off the shell (at the end of application) and has to be
removed, which usually ruins it. This means the glue has to be
removed, a new piece of wrap has to be purchased and then re-glued.
- Asian drums are more susceptible to destruction from glues
(in the removal process) than American made drums. Asian drums (most
of the older ones) are a one time redo only (when gluing them), because
gluing, then later removing glue, destroys the outer layer of wood.
Most Asian drum companies of the past, made drums shells with a paper
thin top ply of wood on the outside. This ply is so thin, that when
one attempts to remove glued wrap from them (from a re-wrap job),
it usually ruins them. The adhesive used to hold down this
thin veneer can dry out and may let go years later. And this is not
information one usually gets from companies who recommend glue for new
wrap. (Note: Using our method, this will not be the case-
Asian drums can be re-wrapped many times.)
- There is a greater risk that pieces of wood will lift and
breakaway from the shell when removing wrap that has been glued. Sometimes,
wood sticks to the wrap (even with American made shells) when old material that has
been glued is removed.
Note: When one does decide to recover their drums that have been glued,
the above risks can be diminished by following our tried and proven
instructions. However, continuation of gluing, then removing, then
re-gluing will eventually destroy any shell.
- Every time a shell is sanded (to remove old glue) some roundness
is taken off– roundness that cannot be put back on. Multiply that
several times, and you will have a shell with major roundness problems.
Note: Using our method of glue removal keeps sanding to a minimum.
However, with gluing and re-gluing a shell, roundness will be increasingly
compromised.
- There is an increased risk of exposure to chemical fumes from
glue removers. Most everyone knows that inhaling strong chemicals is
unhealthy. This risk can be minimized
with the use of a good breathing mask (respirator) that can be purchased
at most hardware stores.
- When one chooses to use glue, that process involves considerably more
time. One would need to glue all surfaces (all wrap pieces and shells),
allow the glue to set-up, bring shell and wrap carefully together, trimming
all edges, and possibly sanding all edges. This will take an individual
a lot of time to accomplish, especially doing it for the first time.
Even if one decides to glue their new wrap down, and has great results,
what is going to happen if he decides later to change it (something we hear
all the time). He will have a mess to deal with. He is going to
need a heat gun, adhesive remover, sandpaper, and a few hours of personal
time trying to remove everything. And for what purpose or benefit:
For nothing– for no sound or visual difference. And the shells may
be destroyed in the process.
Today, most people do not want a permanent application of drum wrap; they
want to be able to change the finish easily (if damaged, if undesirable,
etc.). They certainly do not want to go through more than they need to,
to change the wrap. And they want the option to change it many
times without damaging their shells. The next question to ask:
What are the advantages to taping? Well, there are four good ones.
Advantages to Using Our Hi-bond Tape Over Gluing
- The wrap may actually look better, or better results can
be obtained:
- When one buys our drum wrap with the hi-bond tape, your sound
edges may look cleaner. We cut the material to exactly fit your
drums (no trimming on your part) with our industrial equipment, resulting
in cleaner, factory like edges.
- Also the wrap can be applied a little closer because of
the lack of a glue layer. Not only that, but the wrap can be pulled
tight with the hi-bond process. (Note: In the gluing process
the wrap is laid against the glued shell, not pulled.)
- And when our hi-bond tape is used, the material will last
longer then if it was glued There is no glue to discolor the wrap in the future.
- It is easier to apply drum wrap with tape, than using
glue. We custom cut our material to fit your drums perfectly so
there is no material to trim. And when using our tape, there is no
glue to use. Because of our process, it should only take you a few
minutes of effort to apply the wrap to each drum shell. However,
with using glue, it might take you several hours of effort to apply the
wrap and trim it.
- There is less chance of error (having to buy new
pieces). With our method, if you mess up a step, you can usually go
back and redo the prior step (if you do not wait to long). Because
we cut the wrap to fit (no trimming on your part), there is no chance of
messing up the wrap in a cutting process. And with our method there
is no chance of starting
the wrap at a slight angle that would roll off the shell.
- The material may last longer with our hi-bond tape instead
of gluing. As stated above, wood and plastic react differently to
different environments and temperatures. Because the wrap is not
adhered down everywhere on the shell, it has some room to shift if needed,
thus avoiding cracking and splitting in the future.
- The drum material can easily be replaced without harming the shell.
Since we stopped suggesting the glue method (which we did for over 17 years)
and began recommending hi-bond tape, we have seen a lot less problems
with the tape, while continuing to hear about a host of problems with glue
(recommended by other companies). We have had thousands of
customers use our tape with great satisfaction. If you have any
questions about our hi-bond tape method, just give us a call.
Consider the following: Gluing my tire on my car wheel may adhere
the tire on the wheel better, but I plan on taking the tire off its wheel
and replacing it when it is worn out. The tire stays on perfectly
well without the glue. Another example: Putting glue on my
hands then putting gloves on. The glue will help my gloves stay on
better, but is it necessary? No. I may want to take the gloves
off at some point in the future. Another example: What if I
decided to weld my wing-bolt on my cymbal stand? It would stay on
better, but I might want to replace the cymbal one day.
(Picture sent in by Dan Hertlein)
Just like the examples above, drum wrap does not need glue (contact
cement or other liquid adhesives) to hold it to the shell. The
hardware, our medium bond tape (that goes down first), and the hi-bond
tape, keeps the wrap perfectly adhered- it is not going to go anywhere.
Since early 2001, Jammin Sam has made available "hi-bond tape"
that allows the drum wrap to be tight on the drum and the seam firmly
held in place. This consistently produces professional results.
You might ask, "Who else uses similar tapes to adhere drum
wrap?" The answer: Just about all of the top US and Asian
drum companies, and most have been using tape for many years. It has
been tried and proven many times, with several drum companies (who still
use tape), over many years- since the 1960s.
If you have any questions about using tape vs. glue, or any comments,
just give us a call.
Note: For those who prefer to router their sound edges after wrap is
applied (this being a rare case for most- mostly for drum companies)
gluing may be the desired application. However, in our opinion, the
trade-off is not worth the benefit. Most drummers don't take
their drum heads off to show the audience their nicely routered sound
edges. Actually, when we cut our wrap to fit your drums, the edges
look excellent (see picture above). As a side note, we have heard individuals being
successful at routering their edges with our tape method (using no glue at
all)- wrapping the edges with clear wrap, then routering them.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Click our other menu selections to read about our "Guarantee/Warranty"
and other information. We are excited to share our web site with you and
hope that you will call us for a free catalog and samples of our drum
materials. Thank you for spending the time to read this article.
|
