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Anyone ever tried making acrylic cymbals?

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  • Sabre
    Registered Member
    • 11-2007
    • 1111

    #16
    Hey Ben, those hi-hats look pretty cool!

    so know in addition to driving my wife nuts squeezing every piece of foam I come accross, I can start driving her crazy 'plate' shopping... and I'm blaming it on you...
    Jack

    Sabre's Album

    Comment

    • Bencthemusicman
      Registered Member
      • 02-2008
      • 99

      #17
      Heh, i was just 'browsing' today and realised that it was just coming into gardening season here so....

      ...look out for the kneeling pads! can be great for cones or dampening on cymbals.

      The plates are from ASDA, a British supermarket however its part of the Walmart group so you might be able to get them. Come in grey blue and red (i think)


      My kit 25/02/09 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anzGxUMv3U4

      Share the knowledge and evolve together.

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      • BeyondStupidity
        Registered Member
        • 01-2008
        • 156

        #18
        OK! i think i have a plan. After doing some reading I think i'll get a 20" ride cymbal to use as my form, heat my acrylic discs(still figuring that one out), then hook a vacuum up to the whole in the ride to suck the acrylic down and hold it in place till it cools.

        I can get enough 1/4" acrylic shipped to me for under $130. That would make:
        1, 20" ride
        2, 16-18" crashes
        1, 14" HH set
        and have enough left over to make a few splashes.
        Looking for black acrylic sheets? Explore our large selection of pre-cut stock sheets. We can also custom cut-to-size and ship full size sheets. Our black acrylic sheets are ideal for commercial, creative, and DIY projects. Shop our black plastic sheets today!
        Last edited by BeyondStupidity; 05-28-08, 11:28 AM.

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        • pluto3
          Registered Member
          • 08-2006
          • 216

          #19
          Great work there,ive got a nice size plastic mug/cup(no handle & fairly solid)8 1/2cm top,5 cm bottom,11 1/2 cm high.Its a pretty solid cup,I plan to make a cowbell trigger by crimping the top to 5cm to look more like a cowbell as my first ever diy.If it works out,look out kitchen.
          Last edited by pluto3; 05-28-08, 03:17 AM.
          TD3 + SPD-6 and love it

          Comment

          • BeyondStupidity
            Registered Member
            • 01-2008
            • 156

            #20
            Hey all,
            I tried my idea and it worked out great! I just thought i would let ya have a peek at them and show you how i did it.

            1) Cut the acrylic into the size circles i wanted using a jig saw
            I tried a few blades but the wood scroll cut blade was the fastest and cleanest


            2) Got all my stuff set up
            I have one of those fold up ladders that i put some 2x4's across then put the 18" ride on them. I centered the acrylic on the acoustic cymbal and then put the shopvac on the hole in the acoustic that sucked the acrylic down hard.



            3) Heated the acrylic
            Once you get it warm enough the paper starts to peal off in the center so the second time i scored the paper on both sides of the acrylic so it split and pealed back leaving the acrylic sag into shape.


            4) Let it cool
            make sure you leave the vacume sucking it down till its at least warm! If you take it off before it will cool back to its old position.

            5) drill a whole
            just use a tape measure to center the hole, i just used a wood pit to drill.



            And thats all there is to it!!! Hope it works out if you want to try it

            Comment

            • vjboc
              Registered Member
              • 05-2008
              • 345

              #21
              Would that acrylic work as a dampner for an acoustic cymbal? After you mold it to the cymbal than adhear it to the cymbal or rivit it to the cymbal and use clear acrylic.
              Roland TD-8 Mod, DIY burgandy Mapex drums 12" snare, 8" 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" rack floor tom, 22" Bass drum , 3 cy-15r cymbals, one for the ride 2 for the crashes and cy-14c for hi hat.

              Songs i've recorded using my old TD-7

              My drum kit

              Comment

              • Charly
                Registered Member
                • 08-2007
                • 176

                #22
                Suitably impressed by your home grown cymbals. I've worked with acrylic a fair bit here and there and these look like a great job.

                Post some photos once you get the electrics in and them set up on the kit!



                http://www.vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41835

                Comment

                • Sabre
                  Registered Member
                  • 11-2007
                  • 1111

                  #23
                  Originally posted by BeyondStupidity
                  Hey all,
                  I tried my idea and it worked out great! I just thought i would let ya have a peek at them and show you how i did it.
                  Wow! I have to say that those look pretty awesome.
                  Very ingenious of you, thanks for sharing your success story!
                  Jack

                  Sabre's Album

                  Comment

                  • BeyondStupidity
                    Registered Member
                    • 01-2008
                    • 156

                    #24
                    Originally posted by vjboc
                    Would that acrylic work as a dampner for an acoustic cymbal? After you mold it to the cymbal than adhear it to the cymbal or rivit it to the cymbal and use clear acrylic.
                    Thanks, I just got one finished today but i still need to do a few more. I'll put some pics up when i'm all finished!

                    Comment

                    • BeyondStupidity
                      Registered Member
                      • 01-2008
                      • 156

                      #25
                      Originally posted by vjboc
                      Would that acrylic work as a dampener for an acoustic cymbal? After you mold it to the cymbal than adhear it to the cymbal or rivit it to the cymbal and use clear acrylic.
                      I wouldn't use it for that. I think there are much cheaper materials to do it with and also just for a dampener its a fair amount of work. I think the best way to dampen cymbals is like most of the other people are doing with that clear PVC or whatever. Hitting just the acrylic is pretty noisy, I'm putting a good layer of rubber foam to make it quieter.
                      Last edited by BeyondStupidity; 07-10-08, 08:30 PM.

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                      • BeyondStupidity
                        Registered Member
                        • 01-2008
                        • 156

                        #26
                        Thats just my opinion though....

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                        • bogiesbad
                          Registered Member
                          • 02-2005
                          • 2782

                          #27
                          That's some nice work BS...and that aint no BS Looking forward to the finished cymbals.
                          chris :D

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                          • Guest

                            #28
                            I would have to say that this is ingenuity at its best. Great job BS!

                            Comment

                            • badnomad
                              Registered Member
                              • 07-2005
                              • 1624

                              #29
                              I did my original DIY 22" ride from 1/4" Lexan sheet about 3 years ago. I placed it over a mold and heated it in the oven, then clamped it till it cooled. Just be careful not to get too much heat in one place, or the plastic will 'foam' inside. I used spray-on truck bed liner as a damper, and 1/8" neoprene from a mouse pad over th main impact area. I'm not sure how durable acrylic (Plexiglas) is, as it has a tendancy to fracture easily, however, the Lexan, (which is much more durable), has served me well for several years.

                              Myke C.



                              Comment

                              • HanShake
                                Registered Member
                                • 07-2008
                                • 20

                                #30
                                Aww crap, I should have read this! I ordered a set of four and it's currently being shipped. Considering I'm from a third world country those were hard earned money to have bought me some cymbals not even good for frisbees.

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