The Workshop: how to service drum hardware
Tackled carefully, this is really straightforward job and you can choose how far you go with it.
Using this Tama cymbal stand as a guinea pig, we’re going to show you how to strip your stands right down and give all your components a deep clean.
1. Materials
On the bench here we’ve got some trusty WD-40, some fine wire wool, white spirit, chrome polish, a few rags or cleaning cloths and a rust remover pen (these are super handy and very useful for this kind of job).
2. Disassemble bolts
You may choose to work on each part of the hardware individually but we’re going to get stuck in and more or less take the whole thing apart in one go.
Start by unscrewing and removing all of the bolts, ensuring you keep the relevant washers together.
3. The tilting mechanism
While removing all the nuts and bolts from the stand, pay particular attention to the part that you use to change the angle of the cymbal.
A lot of these will contain springs and washers of various descriptions that can be troublesome to put back together.
4. Disassemble main components
Now that everything is loose, you should be able to just pull each section apart.
If it feels like it doesn’t want to come free, try a cursory squirt of WD-40. This Tama Roadpro is a double-braced boom stand so we’ve ended up with four separate pieces.
5. Get cleaning
At this stage, it makes sense to get to work sprucing up each section of the boom stand with a cloth and some polish.
A specific chrome polish will not only leave everything clean and shiny but can also remove spots of rust without compromising the finish.
6. Rust removal
If you’ve given the stand a good once-over and there are still sections of rust, give the rust removal pen a go and see if you can’t shift it.
The oxidation will only occur in places where the chrome has been chipped or worn off anyway so we’re not trying to bring the finish back to new, but can at least stop the rust spreading.
7. Cleaning the bolts
Now we can turn our attention to the nuts and bolts that we put to one side earlier.
Use the white spirit and wire wool to clean and degrease each component thoroughly. You may choose to give them a bit of a soak in the white spirit first.
8. Re-lubricate
Now that everything has been stripped back, any moving part will need re-lubricating in order to keep it working well and feeling smooth.
As you reassemble, give the nuts and bolts and good quirt with the WD-40 but use sparingly, if at all, on the telescopic sections of the stand.
9. Cymbal savers
Check whether the plastic collar that sits over the thread is in good condition as it may need replacing.
This is one of the most simple yet important things you can do for your cymbal stands as the last thing you want is any metal-on-metal contact.
10. Replace cymbal felts
New felts can be a nice finishing touch; much like the Magic Tree after a car valet.
Of course more importantly, they can also have an effect on the sound and feel of the cymbal. Here we’re treating myself to a colourful set of Cympads.
Tom is a professional drummer with a long history of performing live anywhere from local venues to 200,000 capacity festivals. Tom is a private drum tutor, in addition to teaching at the BIMM Institute in Birmingham. He is also a regular contributor to MusicRadar, with a particular passion for all things electronic and hybrid drumming.