The Stradivarius of Drums

A severely cracked rope tension drum from 1837 is restored with a little bit of WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

I restored my 1837 Eli Brown rope tension drum using WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy to repair a longitudinal crack running about a third of the way around the drum shell.

From at least the late 1600s to about the mid-1800s, the Brown family of Windsor (now Bloomfield), Connecticut made rope tension drums to supplement their income as farmers and coopers. Over time, these drums have become highly sought after. Their unique sound and rarity has earned them the distinction of being the Stradivarius of rope tension drums.

To date, only about 90 of the Brown family drums have been accounted for. Some are owned by museums and historical societies. Others, such as mine, are in private collections. Many others are owned and still played by ancient fife and drum corps such as the Mattatuck Drum Band (mattatuck. org) of Waterbury, Connecticut who, having been formed in 1767, purchased many Brown drums new. I am proud to be a member of the Mattatuck Drum Band and I will be playing my restored drum in future parades and concerts.

As fabrication moved forward we found many practical uses for epoxy: sealing the flotation compartments, applying fiberglass cloth to the bottom of the hull and critical seams, adding strength to the transom, and ensuring that every square inch of the boat was waterproof. If you have not experienced a small hydroplane it must be stated that you need a swimsuit and a positive attitude as you will get wet. It’s all part of the fun.

I have always wanted to try out the process of vinyl wrapping and decided this would be the perfect test case. We selected Edgewraps of Ashley, Michigan and Joshua worked with the staff to design his own custom wrap. The styling is quintessentially 11-year-old boy–lime green, blue, black, and chrome with plenty of hot-rod inspired flames. It’s named River Hornet.

Will this boat stand the test of time? Absolutely. The epoxy served as a perfect base for the wrapping process after wet sanding with 220-grit to ensure smooth vinyl adhesion. Under the three coats of epoxy is plenty of fiberglass reinforcement and a lot of sweat equity—perfect for a youthcentered project. Our MiniMax is rigged with period-correct controls, many from Portage Bay Systems of Seattle, Washington, and a restored 1956 Sea King 12hp outboard (manufactured by the Gale division of OMC) that Joshua helped tear down and re-assemble. The motor is complete with a modern safety lanyard and yes, more lime green paint.

This project demonstrates that the next generation of inventors, fabricators, and builders is ready, willing and able to learn new skills. The experience deserves to be celebrated and we hope more youth become interested in this or any similar endeavor.

In August 2019, Joshua displayed his finished hydroplane at the 42nd annual Les Cheneaux Antique and Wooden Boat Show in Hessel, Michigan located in Michigan’s beautiful Mackinac Straits region. He represented his accomplishment alongside several other youth projects and their families sponsored by ACBS.

The conversations with attendees about their own childhood boating experiences alone was worth the effort. I am proud of Joshua—he is my son after all—but I am equally as proud to have confirmed that today’s youth are just as capable as ever.

Thank you for sharing in our journey and best of luck with your own inspired projects.

David Petro-Roy, a member of the Mattatuck Drum Band, and his repaired 1837 Eli Brown rope tension drum.

Another of my projects using WEST SYSTEM was my mailbox post. I was tired of the snow plow trucks knocking down my mailboxes so, as a hobbyist welder, I built a mailbox post out of steel using square tube, box tube and angle iron. I wanted the post to look like wood. To avoid grinding an excessive amount of welds, I affixed a number of components as well as all the trim work using Six10 ® Epoxy Adhesive. I believe I achieved my goal. WEST SYSTEM products are “bulletproof” and my post has already withstood our first major snow storm here in the northeast.

WEST SYSTEM 105/205 was injected directly into the crack and clamped to cure.

The drum had a severe crack a third of the way around the drum on the grainline.

The drum has been stripped in preparation for the repair.

The drum in its purchased condition.

Rolling out fiberglass to reinforce the bottom of the boat.

Epoxy was rolled on to wet out the fiberglass reinforcement.

One proud kid—as well he should be.

Joshua putting his new build through its paces.