Drum Wrap - Frequently asked questions

• Is This Like Jammin Sam/Precision/Del Mar/Ebay/Some Other Drum Wrap
  We don't work with any of the other drum wraps on the market so we can't say from experience but from what our customers tell us we do know this. Most other companies either glue an opaque backing on the wrap or they put adhesive on one side. We don't do that, most of our wraps have color all the way through and are already opaque. This provides one significant advantage, if you make a mistake or damage one side of the wrap, you can just flip it over and use the other side instead. You don't have this option with most of the other commercially available wraps. They offer no second chances.
  
  In terms of material and thickness, our wraps are generally approximately one half millimeter thick, which is the industry standard for professional grade drum wraps. The material is genuine celluloid acetate, this is the same exact material that has been used on most American major manufacturer's drums since at least the 1930's up until fairly recently. Now in an effort to cut costs, some have gone to plastic, PVC, or vinyl. A few companies also offer celluloid acetate drum wrap, under the name acetate. That's an abbreviation, it's the same stuff. It's also the same stuff that guitar picks, guitar scratch guards, and even eye glasses are made of. 
• How do you keep prices so low?
  We are what you might call a boutique drum accessories shop, we cater to our clients on a very personal level. Because we are relatively small players in a big pond, we don't buy at the same industrial scale as our competitors, but we are able to mitigate the economy of scale by buying primarily factory over runs, excess, and shop stock. We buy directly from the factory, usually the same factory that our competitors buy from. Since we operate at a smaller scale we are able to stock our inventory this way without having to pay higher prices. It means of course that our inventory is frequently changing as new items become available.
  
  Sometimes the factory uses us as a test market before they offer bulk sales to their larger clients, so sometimes we get the coolest stuff before anybody else sees it. Buying factory direct is one part of our pricing strategy, the other is we offer only uncut full factory sheets. By not having to add the labor necessary to cut the sheets we can keep prices lower. Although we are happy to sell to anyone, our primary clientele are professional drum builders and restorers. These people are already experts in preparing and wrapping drums, they just don't need it cut for them.
  
  About eBay sellers. You see all kinds of stuff being hawked as drum wrap on eBay, but only a limited number of sellers who offer professional grade celluloid acetate and PVC wraps. There is a trick some of them use to boost their revenue at your expense. We caution you to beware of these. We buy from the same factory they do and we know exactly what they do. The take the same 63X27 sheets we sell for around $50 and cut it into two smaller sheets. The combined total of which they sell for about $80. One piece is only 16 inches wide and the other is only 10 or 11 inches wide. In order to wrap even a 3 piece kit, you have to order 3 of the larger sheets and one or two of the smaller sheets. This is because for the Bass Drum, you will need to cut a second partial sheet. Since the smaller sheet they sell is only 11 inches, it's not deep enough for this partial, so you have to buy two of the larger sheets. Then once you cut out the partial from the second large sheet, there is no longer enough length to cut out a piece for your floor tom, so now you have to buy a 3rd sheet just for that. That's $135 just for those three sheets, plus another $35 for the smaller sheet for your rack tom or snare. So now we are up to $170 for a typical 3 piece kit. To top it off, you then you have to wait for it to ship in from China. With our uncut sheets you can cover any 3 piece kit and many 4 piece kits with just two sheets. And because we've already shipped it in, you only have to wait a few days for it to ship domestically. In the long run, if you are covering a full kit, our wrap costs MUCH LESS even than the overseas eBay sellers.
  
  
• What kind of adhesive should I use?
  There are two schools of thought in this area. One is to use double sided tape, high traffic carpet tape works very well, the other is to use contact cement 3M 30NF is a popular choice, but others will work as well.
• How can I insure a straight cut.
  Get yourself one of those 6 foot metal rulers from your local hardware store. These make an excellent guide and straight edge. Also get a few good C clamps or strong spring clamps. The wrap comes from the factory without trimming, so the edges are usually rough and need to be trimmed off first. Use the straight edge and clamps to cut off one outer edge 1/4 inch or so. Once you do that, you have a perfect straight edge. After that just measure in at the ends of your table marking the depth you want to cut at both ends. Then using your straight edge, connect the dots and clamp it down. Now cut and you have a perfect piece.
• How do I properly align the wrap on the drum?
  There are two methods. The first is to cut the wrap about 1/4 to 3/8ths inch shorter than your total drum depth. Then using a perfectly flat surface, place the drum bearing edge down onto the surface, then take the wrap and place it edge down and around the drum. This will give you ONE perfect side. Glue or tape down as appropriate. Then place your very sharp carpet knife/box cutter/snap off knife on it's side and rotate the drum shell while holding the blade to the wrap. Most of these types of knives will position the blade about 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch above the table surface which is just what you want. You will need to rotate the drum at least 3-5 times for acetate wrap, maybe once or twice for PVC or Vinyl.
  
  The other method is to eyeball it as best you can and hold the wrap in position with clamps. You may need to do this a small section at a time, rubbing out the air pockets as you go until you get all the way around the drum. Then check to see if it's still in alignment. The wrap may not always be perfectly overlapping, this is ok as long as there are no loose spaces or air pockets along the way.