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So I'm working on balancing my cymbals


mkcee

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They always rotate to a "preferred side" so I am going to do the balance thing. Do you guys think I should use the traditional method (heating the cymbal in an oven to 500 degrees, hammering the unbalanced portion, burying it in cold mud to acclimatize, then reshaving it with a disc grinder) or the newer method (removing the lawnmower blade, affixing the cymbal to the lawnmower and running the lawnmower for an hour while shooting a stream of BB's at the outer edge)?

 

Any thoughts? :confused:

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For a second I actually though you were serious.

 

If, in fact you are, here's the latest preferred method:

 

Remove the agitator from your washing machine, and install a 0.5" bolt in it's place. Stack however many cymbals you plan to 'balance' on the bolt, using nuts and washers to seperate them. Then fill the washing machine with gravel.

 

Set the water temperature to "hot" and let the machine run for 4 or 5 cycles, making sure that you get a full "spin" cycle each time.

 

If your cymbals are too big to fit into a washing machine, send them out to be dry cleaned.

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Originally posted by Old Steve

For a second I actually though you were serious.


If, in fact you are, here's the latest preferred method:


Remove the agitator from your washing machine, and install a 0.5" bolt in it's place. Stack however many cymbals you plan to 'balance' on the bolt, using nuts and washers to seperate them. Then fill the washing machine with gravel.


Set the water temperature to "hot" and let the machine run for 4 or 5 cycles, making sure that you get a full "spin" cycle each time.


If your cymbals are too big to fit into a washing machine, send them out to be dry cleaned.

 

What size of gravel? :(

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mckee, Old Steve - One of my ride cymbals is unbalanced, so I am interested in trying one of your methods of balancing. I have a few questions, though.

 

mckee method 1 - I don't have a disc grinder. Can I substitute a Dremel tool or belt sander?

 

mckee method 2 - I don't have a carnival-type fully automatic BB gun. Can I just throw handfuls of BB's at the cymbal?

 

Old Steve method - My hi-hat and crash cymbals will fit into my washing machine, but the ride cymbals are too big. Will there be noticable tonal differences between the machine-washed hi-hats and crashes, and the dry-cleaned rides?

 

Thank you.

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Like I said, if your cymbals are too big for the machine, I'd just go ahead and have them dry cleaned. I suppose you could also go throw them into a commercial washing machine.

 

As for the gravel, I like a nice mix of limestone, granite, and shale. I try to find peices about a cubic inch or so in volume, so that they'll eventually wear down to about .75 cubic inches or so after a few cycles in the wash.

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Originally posted by Old Steve

I try to find peices about a cubic inch or so in volume, so that they'll eventually wear down to about .75 cubic inches or so after a few cycles in the wash.

 

Actually steve, using rocks a cubic inch in volume will wear down the cymbals to no more then .63 cubic inches.

 

I know this a small mistake, but we don't want anyone possibly taking to much off thier cymbals.

 

:D

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Originally posted by drummer_jay2



Actually steve, using rocks a cubic inch in volume will wear down the cymbals to no more then .63 cubic inches.


I know this a small mistake, but we don't want anyone possibly taking to much off thier cymbals.


:D

 

Yeah, the damn metric/english/metric conversion tripped me up as ususal!

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Originally posted by Old Steve



Yeah, the damn metric/english/metric conversion tripped me up as ususal!

 

 

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Runs to basement to replace 1" gravel in washer with metric gravel....

 

Damnit!!! I don't have any metric gravel..... Do you have to import it?/?

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