Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture. I was thinking of putting it in a plastic
bag with something that absorbs moisture such as rice (like we do for
salt shakers) Any ideas? I guess I could take my metal snare instead.
thanks

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

Richard,

I think that your idea of the metal snare might be the best answer. I do not
know if you have cruised along the coast of Maine before but we can have
weeks of fog and you and your drum could be in 100% humidity for your whole
trip. The idea of a desiccant in a bag may work but if you have an option
why risk a valuable instrument?

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

"Richard Malcolm" wrote in message
om...
I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture. I was thinking of putting it in a plastic
bag with something that absorbs moisture such as rice (like we do for
salt shakers) Any ideas? I guess I could take my metal snare instead.
thanks

As a trombonist (not going on the boat) and a woodwinder (recorders - going
on the boat instead), I have some feel for your dilemma.

If you're concerned only about the time in transport (vs what happens when
you get there, which is another story entirely), a very tightly sealed
plastic bag, evacuated as much as possible (a vacuum cleaner, or, better, a
shop-vac stuck in the end until the plastic bag looks like the drum) should
work.

As insurance, were it me, I'd first put in as much desiccant as you can come
up with (like the packets that come in shipped electronics). That you
considered rice tells me you don't use commercial desiccants aboard, which
is another whole subject.

So...

You can buy desiccant in bulk. While we've not yet launched, we'll have the
equivalent of potpourri bags, but with desiccant in them, hung in the
closets over the rods. Not a bad idea for sailboats in all weather
conditions, that would allow you to use some of that for your bag.

Now, as to the type of snare - if you were really concerned about moisture,
I'd be more worried about the metal snare. Wood, absent dunking, allowed to
rest for a time, will return to ambient moisture levels, such as when you're
ashore for the gig. However, it won't rust or corrode. So, that's what I'd
take, were it I who was drumming.

Hope that helped...

L8R

Skip


--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

DONT USE DESICCANT
Imagine what will happen when the normal moisture is drawn from the
cellular structure of the wood - CRACK, especially if the drum is made
from laminated pieces. Silica Gel can reduce the moisture content to
virtuallly 'bone dry' (-40deg. dewpoint).

Best is to wrap in *cotton* blankets, then place in a large thick
walled poly bag and suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner, etc. This
will "preserve" the ambient humidity. Besides, if its a 'well made'
instrument, 100% humidity shouldnt hurt it. I sometimes carry a curly
maple banjo and have had no problems; I just drop the head tension ...
and then spend hours retuning and cussing.




In article , Richard
Malcolm wrote:

I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture. I was thinking of putting it in a plastic
bag with something that absorbs moisture such as rice (like we do for
salt shakers) Any ideas? I guess I could take my metal snare instead.
thanks

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

Hmm... Don't think that dessicant is a good idea. A lot of expensive guitars actually come with a
humidifier--a small leakproof bottle of water with a wick--which is to be stored inside the guitar
body when it is in the case.

Of course, to much water--or sal****er--would not be good for the instrument either. I'd think it
would be adequate to seal the instrument against outside water ingress, and let it go at that. I
often take my guitar (Fender acoustic/electric) out on the boat in its regular hardbody case. Of
course, I store it where it won't get wet from flying spray, drips, etc. If I were going out in
blue water, I'd probably like to have a waterproof case for it. Lacking that, I'd probably put it
in a plastic bag inside its case.

It would be neat if someone made a fairly heavy guitar shaped ziplog bag ;-)

Don W.

Phracktal wrote:

(Richard Malcolm) wrote in message . com...

I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture. I was thinking of putting it in a plastic
bag with something that absorbs moisture such as rice (like we do for
salt shakers) Any ideas? I guess I could take my metal snare instead.
thanks



i have the same concerns about my guitar and strings

i was thinking about making an fairly weather proof case and then
collecting all those stupid "do not eat" packages that you find in
pill bottles and throwing em in the case. the only problem is that i
dont know how long it would last.

i could use some ideas as well

chris

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

Well I'm no expert ... but I would think the wood used would be very dense
.... perhaps so dense as to be as good as impervious to the humidity?

"Richard Malcolm" wrote in message
om...
I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture. I was thinking of putting it in a plastic
bag with something that absorbs moisture such as rice (like we do for
salt shakers) Any ideas? I guess I could take my metal snare instead.
thanks

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

On 9 Jun 2004 07:20:38 -0700, something compelled
(Richard Malcolm), to say:

I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture.

Send it FedEx to some trustworthy person at the festival, and
then send it home.

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

thanks everyone
It is great to see how many boater have musical instruments on board.
Really cool. As for me, I just got another call to do a dixieland gig
at a club that is on the water just about 2.5 hours away. Hope I can
find some dock space near by. I don't worry to much on these one
nighters about the drums.
it seems that a lot of us have the same concerns about our intruments.
Would love to hear more.

Protecting a musical intrument from moisture
 

Most wooden instruments fair best with relative humidity between 40 and 60%,
preferably as stable as possible at some level within that range. 50% is a
good level to shoot for, and one will use small sponge humidifiers or
desiccant pouches as needed to maintain that humidity. Planet Waves makes a
very good combination thermometer/hygrometer for instrument cases, and they
also have a good sponge humidifier which fits acoustic guitars. Very
fine-celled foam rubber sponge in a perforated baggie inside the case, kept
damp but not dripping, can serve just as well in most instances when
humidity needs to be increased. Desiccant sachets in the instrument case
serve the same purpose in reverse. The key is to keep an eye on it and
adjust as necessary.

--
Karin Conover-Lewis
Fair and Balanced since 1959
klc dot lewis at centurytel dot net


"Don W" wrote in message
...
Hmm... Don't think that dessicant is a good idea. A lot of expensive
guitars actually come with a
humidifier--a small leakproof bottle of water with a wick--which is to be
stored inside the guitar
body when it is in the case.

Of course, to much water--or sal****er--would not be good for the
instrument either. I'd think it
would be adequate to seal the instrument against outside water ingress,
and let it go at that. I
often take my guitar (Fender acoustic/electric) out on the boat in its
regular hardbody case. Of
course, I store it where it won't get wet from flying spray, drips, etc.
If I were going out in
blue water, I'd probably like to have a waterproof case for it. Lacking
that, I'd probably put it
in a plastic bag inside its case.

It would be neat if someone made a fairly heavy guitar shaped ziplog bag
;-)

Don W.

Phracktal wrote:

(Richard Malcolm) wrote in message
. com...

I am crusing for 2 weeks late July on a 41 ft Sailboat and will stop
halfway thru my trip in Bar Harbor, Me. to play drums at the Bar
Harbor jazz festival. (great to combine work and vacation). I am
wodering if any one has any ideas how I can protect my wooden snare
drum from all the moisture. I was thinking of putting it in a plastic
bag with something that absorbs moisture such as rice (like we do for
salt shakers) Any ideas? I guess I could take my metal snare instead.
thanks



i have the same concerns about my guitar and strings

i was thinking about making an fairly weather proof case and then
collecting all those stupid "do not eat" packages that you find in
pill bottles and throwing em in the case. the only problem is that i
dont know how long it would last.

i could use some ideas as well

chris