(DIY) Painting a floor tom to match the kit. Any tips?

IBitePrettyHard

Senior Member
I have a PDP MX kit that I love the sound of. The only thing it lacks is a 16" floor tom. So I've been looking for one for the past 2 years. (16" floor toms for the CX, MX, and LX kits are rare because they had to be special ordered.)

Today I finally found one! In the wrong color! 😬 😬 😬

I'm pumped though because the kit has felt incomplete without a 16". The 14x11" mounted "floor tom" was just not enough to balance out the cannon-like 22x18" kick.

So, how do I paint this sucker?

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This is the matte Green to Black fade that I need to try and match. It doesn't have to be perfect. After all, the finish on my kit isn't that great to begin with. The drums aren't that pretty up close, but that's part of the charm...it's my sleeper kit. :sneaky:

Does anybody have tips on how to do this?

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With a wrap or veneer. You probably wont be able to completely remove the red from the wood. Red + green = brown.

If you have lots of free $$$ to blow on a paint job, take the drum and a correct tom to an auto body shop and have them sand, fill, prime, and paint it to match the correct one.
 
With a wrap or veneer. You probably wont be able to completely remove the red from the wood. Red + green = brown.

If you have lots of free $$$ to blow on a paint job, take the drum and a correct tom to an auto body shop and have them sand, fill, prime, and paint it to match the correct one.
Paint stripper wouldn't be enough to get rid of the red color? I was thinking I'd use paint stripper, then sand until I get to the natural wood.
 
Paint stripper wouldn't be enough to get rid of the red color? I was thinking I'd use paint stripper, then sand until I get to the natural wood.
You can try. There is no telling how far down into the wood you would have to go. Then if it isnt round, you will notice all the uneven surfaces depending on how the light hits it. I would wrap it myself, but that's just me.

Lol leave it red and call it a xmas kit.
 
I would wrap it myself, but that's just me.
Wrapping the entire kit has crossed my mind more than once! This kit is the perfect candidate for that...the existing finish is kinda 'meh'.

What wrap would look good? That's the question. Do I go with a wrap that originally came on the PDP CX like the Light Blue Onyx, that looks nice. Or do I go off script and do something like Red Sparkle or Banana Vomit? :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

GU0bur1.png
 
What wrap would look good? That's the question. Do I go with a wrap that originally came on the PDP CX like the Light Blue Onyx, that looks nice. Or do I go off script and do something like Red Sparkle or Banana Vomit? :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:
Wheel of Fortune Million Dollar Space green glitter for me. Or purple glass glitter, like really big chunks. Or black. I like black too!
 
It may cost about $75 in materials and labor to refinish to a high quality. You could sell your green kit and buy a red kit to have a full red set. You may break even or lose the $75 you would have spend refinishing.

The labor of selling or the labor of refinishing. It depends on you.
I don't think I'll ever sell this kit. It sounds great, and the kick drum in particular is mind-blowing. It actually sounds better than my Gretsch Renown 22x18" if I'm being honest.
 
Might want to check out Brad Angrove… he has a ton of paint videos. Many great projects from a shake can or some spray equipment.


and another YouTube video to tackle the fade…

 
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Since it sounds like you are okay with the kit’s green finish and looking to match the new addition. Wrapping the entire kit is a major undertaking so be sure that you are ready to make the commitment of time, money and frustration if you do it yourself.
i’d refinish the floor tom and see what happens.
I didn’t read every single comment, apologies if the following is redundant.

After stripping all hardware, tape the bearing edges and cover with paper the inside of the shell to protect during the process. tape the badge and vent.
Start out by sanding the shell with medium then fine then very fine sandpaper to remove all old finish and allow adhesion of new. Wipe down lightly with mineral spirits to remove any residue.
Prime with two coats (minimum) using a high quality oil based primer, lightly sanding after each coat has dried. I suggest dark gray if you are going to use aerosol store bought.
Assuming you have a sprayer you can have a quart of primer tinted to match the drums. Prep is the most important part of the project.

Regarding paint, I would use alkyd if you can find it; most paint stores (probably have better success at actual paint store, vs home improvement big box) can match the color pretty well but you might want to take the smallest tom with you. The final finish quality will also depend upon how you apply the paint, so buy or rent a good sprayer and practice how to use it on scrap pieces if you want it to look its best.
 
Have you done anything similar before? If not, expect to screw it up - maybe more than once.

Easier options are to paint the whole set a solid color, or to wrap it.

MrInsanePolack's red/green xmas kit idea works for me too. :LOL:
Well, I have restored 2 different sets of bass drum hoops with spray paint and I'd say they turned out great.


Since it sounds like you are okay with the kit’s green finish and looking to match the new addition. Wrapping the entire kit is a major undertaking so be sure that you are ready to make the commitment of time, money and frustration if you do it yourself.
i’d refinish the floor tom and see what happens.
I didn’t read every single comment, apologies if the following is redundant.

After stripping all hardware, tape the bearing edges and cover with paper the inside of the shell to protect during the process. tape the badge and vent.
Start out by sanding the shell with medium then fine then very fine sandpaper to remove all old finish and allow adhesion of new. Wipe down lightly with mineral spirits to remove any residue.
Prime with two coats (minimum) using a high quality oil based primer, lightly sanding after each coat has dried. I suggest dark gray if you are going to use aerosol store bought.
Assuming you have a sprayer you can have a quart of primer tinted to match the drums. Prep is the most important part of the project.

Regarding paint, I would use alkyd if you can find it; most paint stores (probably have better success at actual paint store, vs home improvement big box) can match the color pretty well but you might want to take the smallest tom with you. The final finish quality will also depend upon how you apply the paint, so buy or rent a good sprayer and practice how to use it on scrap pieces if you want it to look its best.
I was thinking I'd try paint stripper, will that not work? The finish appears to be green stain, fading to black paint at the bottom. Or maybe the black is stain too?

I could go with an orbital sander instead if that would work better.

I'm not sure primer would work, since the green part is a stain. It needs to be transparent to show the wood grain (what little there is).
 
I think stripping it is going to ruin the drum. I'd wrap either the one floor to match (Bum wraps can match it to the green) or I'd wrap the whole kit and call it a day.
 
I think stripping it is going to ruin the drum. I'd wrap either the one floor to match (Bum wraps can match it to the green) or I'd wrap the whole kit and call it a day.
Hmm, from everything I've seen, stripping doesn't damage the wood at all. I've watched lots of drum restoration videos on Youtube where they use paint stripper on vintage Ludwigs, etc. Seems to work just fine.
 
Wrapping the entire kit has crossed my mind more than once! This kit is the perfect candidate for that...the existing finish is kinda 'meh'.

What wrap would look good? That's the question. Do I go with a wrap that originally came on the PDP CX like the Light Blue Onyx, that looks nice. Or do I go off script and do something like Red Sparkle or Banana Vomit? :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

GU0bur1.png
That mother of pearl never ceases to amaze me.
 
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