Repair cracked cymbals?
- Thread starter Denosha
- Start date
marcdadrummer
New member
ooh bummer... a cracked cymbal is pretty much worthless by now.. just another scrap metal... sorry bro but u still can use it but the crack's gonna get much bigger soon...
u can try welding it back but it won't do much... make it even more worse i guess..
u can try welding it back but it won't do much... make it even more worse i guess..
weckl-x
New member
You can either:
Drill the end of the crack
-Sometimes this helps stop it from spreading, if you're not a hard hitter.
Welding
-Ain't so easy, usually the weld retempers that particular area, and the molecular tension within the cymbal is all affected. Can lead to brittleness.
Bolts
-This is what the famous Nodar Rode in NYC uses actually, you can see it in action on Brian Blade's old Ks.
Dremel and smooth out the crack
-This is common practice by hobbyists, works best, and seems to last. I haven't heard any cases of the crack spreading again.
Basically a dremel is kinda like a drill, but easier to hold in the hand, with a controllable speed drive. Try googling for 'dremel tool'.
If you decide to do this, make sure you use the slowest speed possible, and go slow. The key is to keep the temperature low so that it does not temper the metal. Some people dremel a little, cool it with water, then carry on. Bit by bit is the idea.
I have personally never done it, haven't had the 'fortune' to crack a cymbal. Yet
Some examples:
(photographs were not taken by me, copyright belongs to the respective owners.)
Drill the end of the crack
-Sometimes this helps stop it from spreading, if you're not a hard hitter.
Welding
-Ain't so easy, usually the weld retempers that particular area, and the molecular tension within the cymbal is all affected. Can lead to brittleness.
Bolts
-This is what the famous Nodar Rode in NYC uses actually, you can see it in action on Brian Blade's old Ks.
Dremel and smooth out the crack
-This is common practice by hobbyists, works best, and seems to last. I haven't heard any cases of the crack spreading again.
Basically a dremel is kinda like a drill, but easier to hold in the hand, with a controllable speed drive. Try googling for 'dremel tool'.
If you decide to do this, make sure you use the slowest speed possible, and go slow. The key is to keep the temperature low so that it does not temper the metal. Some people dremel a little, cool it with water, then carry on. Bit by bit is the idea.
I have personally never done it, haven't had the 'fortune' to crack a cymbal. Yet
Some examples:
(photographs were not taken by me, copyright belongs to the respective owners.)
marcdadrummer
New member
thats a huge chunk of cymbal missing... it won't sound the same i must add..
RudimentalDrummer
Moderator
Yes Marc it won't sound the same - just different. Saving the Cymbal is good (don't scrap it) Hahahaha :lol:
Another way is to - cut the Cymbal to a smaller size (make it into a Splash)- bring it to a Machine shop to do this - no harm.
PS I've play crack cymbals before (a Paiste Signature at Swee Lee) - it still sound good much to my surprise....
Another way is to - cut the Cymbal to a smaller size (make it into a Splash)- bring it to a Machine shop to do this - no harm.
PS I've play crack cymbals before (a Paiste Signature at Swee Lee) - it still sound good much to my surprise....
drum_hobbyist
New member
Let me salvage for you with minimum removal of material... 8)
Funkifized
New member
take your cracked cymbals and make a stack! i heard one terribly ugly stack made out of one cracked china and cracked cymbal and it sounded even better than mike portnoy's, surprisingly.
RudimentalDrummer
Moderator
How can I forgot - Dr. Cymbals - drum_hobbyists...paiseh paiseh.......Yes check with our Doctor.
DullTheater
Member
if i'm not wrong, denosha is a dudette.... not a dude..
ok ok.. i know.. figure of speech...
anyway, Denosha, drum_hobbyist is our very own DR. Gilbert 'Gil' Grissom of CSI fame...
hahahahaha.....
he's theman to go to for any ailment for cymbal..
go to his CSI workshop ah..
i'm sure he can werk something out...
and yeah
somehow, some crack symbals sounds nice..
once i played before in a studio, the cymbal craked, but to me it sounded like a china... sweet china... effects cymbal....
sweet
but then again not all are...
like Funkifized said, make into stax ....
ok ok.. i know.. figure of speech...
anyway, Denosha, drum_hobbyist is our very own DR. Gilbert 'Gil' Grissom of CSI fame...
hahahahaha.....
he's theman to go to for any ailment for cymbal..
go to his CSI workshop ah..
i'm sure he can werk something out...
and yeah
somehow, some crack symbals sounds nice..
once i played before in a studio, the cymbal craked, but to me it sounded like a china... sweet china... effects cymbal....
sweet
but then again not all are...
like Funkifized said, make into stax ....
weckl-x
New member
You'll be surprised at how little difference it makes sometimes 8)
I've heard cymbals (soundfiles online) which sound better after that kinda surgery. Of course, turning out bad is a possibility as well. As opposed to declaring it 'worthless' and 'scrap metal', why not take the chances?
2 out of 3 (sounds the same vs sounds better vs sounds worse) possible scenarios, is still 66.66666% chance of salvaging it :lol:
DullTheater
Member
wah weckl-x
66.6666666.... how may devils are there???
hahahahah..
anyway, dat dremel tool looks identical to the tattoo huh...
wah, and it sure will take a long time just to get as wat your pix shows
66.6666666.... how may devils are there???
hahahahah..
anyway, dat dremel tool looks identical to the tattoo huh...
wah, and it sure will take a long time just to get as wat your pix shows
Thanks for all the advice guys. So I guess the cymbal i love is pretty much gone? (As in it'll never sound the same again) I'm quite a hard hitter so i suspect i need thicker crashes? It's weird though. None of my other cymbals have cracks. :?
drum_hobbyist: You really have some way to salvage the cymbal?
P.S.
DullTheater: I am a dude...
drum_hobbyist: You really have some way to salvage the cymbal?
P.S.
DullTheater: I am a dude...
marcdadrummer
New member
my best bet is to cut away the crack, and bore some holes like the hhx evo o-zone...
one of the best sounding cross breed china/crash and so to say one of the popular ones man... but u need someone who knows how to bore holes to the cymbals first..
2" holes.. slap some pics if ur in it and ur progress.
one of the best sounding cross breed china/crash and so to say one of the popular ones man... but u need someone who knows how to bore holes to the cymbals first..
2" holes.. slap some pics if ur in it and ur progress.
DullTheater
Member
sori dude..
heh heh
heh heh
drum_hobbyist
New member
Denosha... yes... the tone should not change much... go for the CSI workshop lah... then your cymbal can be used as a case study... 8)
Ok, i am not an expert in cymbals, but to me, how can a cymbal become a scrap metal after being cracked? Wouldn't its new sound be even comparable to a cheapo or brandless cymbal? Wouldn't it just turn into an effect cymbal?
Have you ever come across a situation where your fren shows you his/her riveted/drilled/self-hammered/etc self-created self-proclaimed surprisingly good sounding effects cymbal, then when you heard it, it really dun sound good to you, despite him being very proud of it. @_@
I guess how good an effects cymbal sounds is pretty much depend on the drummer isn't it?
Certain good sounding effect cymbal will sound awful if used in the wrong kind of music and vice versa, wouldn't it?
I think of it as such, that effect cymbal is one and only, no 2nd in this world. Maybe the sound will not suit the kind of music you are playing, thus you can record a few sound samples of it and still post it for sale.
Unless the 'spoiled' cymbal have NO sound...or the sound cannot project at all in a mix, else i think your 'new' cymbal is a one-of-its-kind effects cymbal.
Advice pls from fellow drummers.
Have you ever come across a situation where your fren shows you his/her riveted/drilled/self-hammered/etc self-created self-proclaimed surprisingly good sounding effects cymbal, then when you heard it, it really dun sound good to you, despite him being very proud of it. @_@
I guess how good an effects cymbal sounds is pretty much depend on the drummer isn't it?
Certain good sounding effect cymbal will sound awful if used in the wrong kind of music and vice versa, wouldn't it?
I think of it as such, that effect cymbal is one and only, no 2nd in this world. Maybe the sound will not suit the kind of music you are playing, thus you can record a few sound samples of it and still post it for sale.
Unless the 'spoiled' cymbal have NO sound...or the sound cannot project at all in a mix, else i think your 'new' cymbal is a one-of-its-kind effects cymbal.
Advice pls from fellow drummers.
DullTheater
Member
simple...
indirectly translated into this...
'beauty lies in the eyes of beholder'
geddit?
it's not even about the effex cymbals.. even normal cymbals when used in a wrong kind of music wll sound awful.. but its still up to the drummer and see how he want to make use of the sound he chose in his music and how he wants his audience to listen
indirectly translated into this...
'beauty lies in the eyes of beholder'
geddit?
it's not even about the effex cymbals.. even normal cymbals when used in a wrong kind of music wll sound awful.. but its still up to the drummer and see how he want to make use of the sound he chose in his music and how he wants his audience to listen
