FROM "MOTHER OF TOILET SEAT" TO BLACK DIAMOND BEAUTY

I found this badly neglected Tempro Pro snare drum for sixty bucks.  The seller described it as "Black Mother of Toilet Seat over Plywood," which I thought was a little derogatory.  Have some respect.  It may be a pearloid plastic wrap, but here in the Percussion Fortress we refer to it as "Black Diamond Pearl."  And the wood shell is luan (or Philippine mahogany), not just generic plywood.*

Examining the poor quality auction photos I noticed the chrome parts were dirty and beginning to show some rust, but at least they were all present and accounted for.  I could definitely see some potential, so I bought the drum though the asking price was a little on the high side.

Now let's see what this old treasure looks like after it gets the misplacedmtnman treatment:

This project was completed using all the original parts (except for the skins).  All it needed was a little love and attention.....
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*Although it is sometimes referred to as "Philippine Mahogany," luan (or lauan) wood is not in any way related to "true" mahogany.  So, yeah, it is technically inexpensive lightweight plywood, but you don't have to make it sound so cheap and inferior.