How to Stain a Maple Snare Drum
Snare Drum Staining for the DIY Drummer!
If you plan to take on the project of staining your maple snare, there are a few basic steps you need to keep in mind. If the shell is new, make sure it has been properly aged at least 6 months to make it most receptive to stain. Begin with medium grit sand paper, no finer than 220 (too smooth a surface will not take stain!) Sand with the grain. Hand sanding is highly encouraged, as machines do not allow for control, and sanding through a ply is not unheard of! Pay attention to carefully removing any overspread glue from the seams. Go slow and easy; take your time and enjoy the project.
Next, if you are using powder stain, mix as much of it as you’ll need for the whole project, and do so per manufacturer directions. Remixing additional stain will create very tough color matching problems.
Using a rag or foam brush, apply a generous amount of stain, enough to flood a 3-4 inch diameter circle. Work the stain into the wood, keeping the coat heavy. Repeat until the entire snare is covered. Now, go back to where you started and use lint-free cloth to wipe off the excess stain so that no obviously wet surface remains. Turn or change cloth so that it does not become saturated. The coat should be well-blended at this point. Let the shell dry for at least 4 hours, and repeat, to attain rich color.
Choose a high-quality sealer, and spray on two coats, with drying time in between. Use 220 grit or higher sandpaper to give the sealer a good once-over, removing imperfections. Now, apply a light top coat, and allow it to dry. Take very fine sandpaper and, using a flexible sanding block, sand the entire surface using moderate pressure, until you achieve a super-smooth finish. Wipe off the drum to remove sanding dust, then apply topcoat. Wait 2-3 days before adding hardware, so the topcoat has time to fully dry.
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