DIY a drummer: repairing an old drum case

A few months ago, I scored what can only be described as a time capsule: a 1980s CB700 student drum kit. The complete kit included a snare drum, original stand, practice pad, drum key and even CB700 embossed sticks, all neatly tucked into their proper spaces inside the original hard-shell plastic case. It may not mean much to vintage collectors at the high end of value range, but as someone who grew up playing CB700 drums, I was enchanted by this kit and got it for a song.

The challenge was that the case was heat-molded hard plastic, with a thin strip of plastic functioning as the hinge. Forty years of opening and closing this case had caused the hinge to split halfway across, and I wanted to repair it before the hinge gave way altogether.

Options included finding an epoxy that would restore the hinge; finding a couple of short metal hinges that could be affixed with screws; or a single, long piano hinge that could be affixed with a long-lasting hardening epoxy.

The risk of using screws would be in cracking the aged, hard plastic, and I wanted to make this repair last longer. So I decided to look for a single, long piano hinge and some hardening epoxy that would provide a lasting bond to hold permanently. If I could make it look reasonably nice, I’d be content. I might have drilled tiny holes after the epoxy dried to add a couple of screws, but decided against that. While the long single hinge would add strength and stability, there wasn’t enough plastic surface to mount the hinge on the inside of the case, so I made sure the hinge would flex fully if mounted outside, and went ahead.

I got some epoxy online that offered a plasticity to allow for positioning, and then would dry hard in several hours. I sanded both surfaces so the export would bond well. Because the hinge didn’t conform to the slight rises and falls in the plastic along the hinge line, I used additional epoxy to fill in the gaps as best I could.

When the epoxy dried thoroughly, I sanded the surface lightly and then spray-painted the whole thing black to match the plastic case. Finally, I added some mousepad material to the three contact points on the bottom of the case, so it wouldn’t rock on the hinge when standing. I don’t think it looks too bad, and if it holds long term I’ll be happy with it.