DIY Polish and Install a Used Cymbal for a Drum Set

When I went thru my mid life crisis a decade or so ago I didn't buy a motorcycle. I did however buy a used drum set. I played drums in school way back in the 70s. The last time I touched a drum set was in the early 90s. I have to say it was a lot of fun jamming to old tunes. It's not the best set, but that's part of any journey. Giving the set new life. I only used them briefly but they were fun. Well my kids got bigger and we needed to use my office for an extra bedroom. My drums went into storage. Years later now and my son has moved on, my office is mine once again. I dragged out the old drum set and set it back up. At the time I purchased it, I did not realize the high hat cymbals were two different sizes! The bottom one it turns out was a small crash cymbal. I was thrilled to find this out as I was wanting to add an extra cymbal anyway. It turns out that high hat cymbals set have an actual upper and lower cymbal. They are slightly different. I looked up the model number and was pleased and surprised to find a used one in good condition on EBay.

For this project I purchased an extension arm from Amazon to add the new crash cymbal to an existing stand. I also used the following:

I am an Amazon Affliate. Any links are Amazon links.

Used High Hat Cymbal from EBay

Extension Arm to hold new Cymbal

Brasso brass polish and cleaner

Rags

Rubber Gloves

Shop Apron

Scrub Sponge

As always, Safety first for any project. Use hearing protection when needed, safety glasses, Dust mask and heavy gloves for rough items or rubber gloves for paint and chemicals.

I found an extension arm on Amazon. It is very straight forward. There are tons of styles available. I bought one that I felt gave me enough length in clearance for the new cymbal width. It is a different height then the first cymbal so they won't collide. The base clamps around the upper section of the stand adding an adjustable arm for the new cymbal. After some fiddling around I got it in a spot I was happy with. Make sure it is aligned with a stand leg so the stand won't teeter when the new extra cymbal is struck.

The used lower high hat cymbal I had purchased looked fantastic. I didn't realize how dull and dirty the other cymbals had gotten. I decided to clean up and polish my top High Hat cymbal to try to get it to match the shine of the new one. I disassembled the hardware from the top of the cymbal. I then took it to the mop sink and washed it with some Dawn dish soap. That alone made a huge improvement.

Once dry, I shook and then applied Brasso brass cleaner and polish to the cymbal. I went too heavy initially and the Brasso ate through the patina too quickly. You can see the curving lines on the surface. After that, I put Brasso on a cleaning sponge to apply it to the cymbal giving it a more uniform coat. Allow the Brasso to dry to a slight dull look, then buff the polish off. It took several coats. I also was trying to be careful with the painted logo. The Brasso was starting to eat away at the paint. Once I realized this I was careful to avoid over cleaning the printed areas. There was a piece of tape stuck to the cymbal. I had to remove it with a razor blade. You can really tell have dirty the cymbal was before. Once I was satisfied with the results. I wiped it down again vigorously with a fresh rag to remove any remaining Brasso. I think it turned out great! I plan to follow up on the other cymbals and may try a buffer on one to see what happens. I'll report back when I do.

I hope you Enjoyed this Instructable. Please take a moment to view my other projects. As always leave and suggestions or questions in the comments. Thanks!