painting drums

[riptailedroarer]

I was not sure which forum this should go in, so please move if not right.

Can any one tell me the best type of paint to use for painting a drum? that is to say an eagle and shield design or some other federal motif.
The drum is wood.

[muzik212]

Re: painting drums

There were many different methods for painting canton's on rope tension drums. Most modern repros are too glossy and rely too heavily on gloss enamels as they hold up to more abuse but the look is all wrong. What regiment are you portraying? Most of my research has shown...the simpler the better. I would start here,

http://www.fifedrum.org/drums/painting.shtml

This provides a basic "how-to" on applying cantons. I would use more muted tones and if you want to apply a protective covering go with a light varnish.

[Shantyman]

Re: painting drums

Mostly it depends on the unit your portraying. If youre portraying a yankee unit the federal shield and eagle would be appropreat. In you have a confederate impression, you could use the federal desighn for a yankee capture or simply make one up. Quite a few drums were not painted at all. If you have your heart set on having somthing painted make sure your using a period paint and not and modern stuff. Some companies like Cooperman have gallaries of desighns in their catalogs, but sending it off to get painted will be expensive so you may want to consider do-it-yourself. If your not sure look at them or some origonal photos to get an idia.

Steven Flibotte
Liberty Hall Fifes and Drums

[georgewunderlich]

Re: painting drums

I paint my banjos with oil paint from a tube mixed with japan dryer. This is a period method (well not the tube part, but the oil and pigment part :)) and hold up well when varnished over with a shellac/sanderac/copal varnish. This is how William E. Boucher Jr. painted his banjos and his drums. I can share sources and mixtures if you wish.

I have seen and held four of his drums and all were painted to one or another degree.

[Hardtack Herring]

Re: painting drums

I would use an oil based paint for sure.

I myself prefer a nice tack design rather than a painted drum.

If you do decide to paint it, as stated earlier in this thread avoid glossy paints. All of the painted drums I have seen were not glossy at all, but rather flat. I have also noticed that the eagles on federal drums are not all the same. Especialy the blue field it is painted on. The color blue tends to vary.

The images on original drums I have seen are normaly eagles or state seals. I have even seen one original Confederate Shield Drum. Some of the painting on these drums are very detailed ( Like the ones at the visitors center at G-burg). There is also some variations on the eagles as well. There are several pictures of original drums, including eagle drums on the net. If I were you, I would copy the design off of one of these drums. That is of course if you want an eagle drum.

I would not recommend making a design up. Come on Steven... You know better than that!

Fifeanddrum.org has info on painting drums as Sean also pointed out. If I recall they even have a method of using a decal and hand painting on top of it to give it a painted look. I would avoid this as well.

Unless you are a fairly tallented artist, which you very well may be.... I would avoid painting it myslef. If you realy want a nice design painted I would recommend having an artist do the work. Any good artist should be able to do it for you. There are Drum companys that will have a design painted for you... But this could cost 400 or so dollars.

I would also avoid using modern paints such as latex ext....

I would also like to point out that the majority of drums in period images are not painted. And most of these images are of Federal Musicians.

If you decide to paint your drum please post images of the work when it is done. I for one would like to see it.

[Shantyman]

Re: painting drums

I saw some modern photos of origonals at the civil war fife and drum page. Im attempting (and probably failing) to attatch the photos. Theres some painted with shields and eagles, some plain and one with a tack desighn. If it dont work heres the link www.geocities.com/cwfifedrum/originalfd.html They also got some origonal fifes. Your right, sorry paul :cry_smile


Steven Flibotte
Liberty Hall Fifes and Drums